Bruises & scars (topical care)

Marigold ointment is probably the most widespread home herbal preparation in Central Europe, and this is exactly where it belongs: on grazes, bruises and healing skin. The tradition works externally and slowly here — ointment, compress, oil macerate — and accompanies a bruise rather than 'dissolving' it.

The catalogue lists seven native species: pot marigold, both plantains, yarrow, English lavender, lemon balm and blackberry leaf. Marigold and plantain for the ointment, yarrow and blackberry as an astringent compress, lavender for oils — a cottage-garden set.

A bruise is blood under the skin and dissolves on its own in one to three weeks; the colours it passes through are normal. What is documented is cold in the first hours and rest; no ointment shortens the course appreciably, though warmth and massage bring relief later.

A scar matures for a year. What documentedly changes its appearance is protection from the sun, pressure (silicone sheets) and massage; for marigold there are small studies on skin healing, but not on scars. Scent and care for the skin around a wound are a legitimate reason to use an ointment — expecting a miracle is not.

Bruises that appear without injury, are large or multiply, together with bleeding from the nose or gums, belong with a doctor for a clotting test. A large haematoma in someone on blood thinners, especially after a fall or a blow to the head, is a reason to go at once.

A wound deeper than the skin, with a foreign body, gaping or from an animal needs treatment and possibly a tetanus shot; redness spreading from the wound, warmth and pus mean infection. A scar that grows, itches or spreads beyond the original wound after months is a keloid — a dermatologist deals with it, not an ointment.