Paintball Bruises that Won't go Away, How to Treat and Avoid

Paint-balling has been a growing sport over time. People will engage in it for fun, as a way of venting out pent up emotions and even in place of bachelorette parties. Whatever the reason for your engagement, it is possible to attain paintball related injuries the most common of which are paintball bruises and welts. This article gets into the details of how to treat the bruises, what you can do to avoid them as well as how long they last. 

Paintball Bruises

Bruises from paintball shots, also referred to as paintball gun bruises or airsoft bruises, occur as a result of trauma on the skin inflicted by the firing act. The trauma is normally not strong enough to break the skin but is enough to break blood capillaries beneath the skin.

As a result, there is bleeding and pooling of blood. This gives the affected area a bluish discoloration which turns yellowish as healing progresses. Below we get into the details and look at the various aspects of paintball bruising.

Paintball Bruises Pictures  

What fun is there in a sport if there are no pictures to show for it? Paintball pictures are plenty online and will show the diverse angles through which to engage and have fun. There are two angles through which pictures can tell the paintballing story: The colorful and all fun side and the nasty mark bearing side as seen through paintball injuries such as welts and bruises.

While there is a probability that the service providers will paint a glamorous yet adventurous affair, paintballers that have had a nasty experience and attained bruises or welts will show the ugly side of it using pictures too. 

The latter must be the one people want to know about prior to engaging in the sport when they ask about the worst paintball bruise ever incurred. Don’t let the paintball bruises pictures scare you. Like will be seen below, there are many ways to avoid getting bruised and still enjoy the sport.

How Long Do Paintball Bruises Last

How long paintball bruises last depends on various factors. Each person bruises differently. Some people have skin that is susceptible to bruising. This exposes them to bruising even on the slightest impact. 

In addition, the level of impact will matter. Where a shot was fired close to you, the impact will be greater than a shot fired from a distance. The latter may only give slight bruising which will heal faster.

Areas left exposed without protective gear are also likely to get severe bruises. The point at which the paint ball hits also has a bearing on the extent of bruising. The neck, butt and ribs take a longer to heal than other parts of the body. Depending on the severity, there are some paintball bruises that will take weeks while some may stay on for months before forming scars eventually. 

Generally, a mild bruise will last one to two weeks while a severe one may take up to four weeks. Any paintball bruise that lasts longer than that should be examined by a doctor. To help hasten the healing, we discuss treatments for paintball bruises below.

How to Treat Paintball Bruises

Paintball bruises rarely require the attention of a medical practitioner. You can easily treat them at home. The treatment should be aimed at stopping the broken capillaries from bleeding, distributing the pooled blood and regenerating the skin cells to hasten the healing process. Treatment of bruises from paintball should commence immediately you are done playing.  In case you are wondering how to treat paintball bruises, below is how.

1. Ice or Cold Compress

The first step to treating paintball bruises is to give the area an ice or cold compress. This will help in constricting the blood vessels and thus avoid further bleeding. In addition, it will numb the area and stop you from feeling pain or the burning sensation associated with paintball bruises.

• Simply wrap some ice cubes or frozen peas in a clean wash cloth and apply on the bruised area for 15 minutes. Repeat after every hour or as may be necessary.

2. Warm Compress

After a day of applying an ice compress, you can switch to applying warm compresses. These help in improving circulation and help to disperse the pooled blood from the point of injury.

• You can use a dry or wet warm compress. A heating pad applied on the paintball bruise will work fine. In its absence, opt for a clean wash cloth dipped in warm water. 
• Apply this on the skin for 15 minutes and repeat after every hour just as with the cold compress.

3. Epsom Baths

This readily available remedy works wonders on injured skin and will help in relieving the symptoms associated with paintball bruises. It will help you get relief from soreness as well as pain.

• Run a warm bath and add to the tub a cupful of Epsom salt. Soak in this for about 30 minutes.

4. Vitamin K Creams

Vitamin K is one of the best product to treat paintball bruises. When applied on the skin, it helps in regenerating the skin cells. For quick healing of your injury, apply vitamin K cream on the bruises. Follow manufacturer instructions for the best results.

5. Natural Remedies for Paintball Bruises

Witch hazel helps in relieving pain and swelling. It is readily available in drugstores and should be dubbed on the bruised area or used as directed by the manufacturer.

In addition, you can rub banana peels or potato wedges on the bruises from paint balls to help improve circulation to the area. This will in turn help the skin to recover quickly.

How to Avoid Paintball Bruises

The reason paintball bruises occur is due to the impact meted on the skin upon the firing of a paintball or airsoft gun. The impact results in skin injury seen as a bruise. To prevent this from occurring, it is necessary to minimize impact. Find out how this can be achieved using the tips on how to avoid paintball bruises listed below.

1. Protective Gear

Wearing appropriate protective clothing when going to paintball matches is quite necessary in protecting your skin. Ensure you have put on a helmet, goggles, gloves, vest and padded pants. Where you are not in a position to have all these, be certain to have a helmet on as it will help protect your face and head.

2. Wear Layers

In most cases, people who engage in paintball sports regularly are the ones that have full protective gear. In case yours is a one-off event, you can make do with what you have.

Put on more than one layer of clothing, long sleeved shirts, long pants and boots. If you can lay your hands on one, cover up with an overall. 

In addition, it is important to ensure that the most vulnerable parts are well protected. These include the hands, thighs, neck and head. Layer them appropriately for maximum protection. 

While these do not replace the need for the protective gear discussed above, they can go a long way in protecting you against bruises from paintball guns.

3. Avoid Getting Hit

Well, what other better way to stay away from bruises than avoiding paintball hits? While this may sound ridiculous, learning the art of taking cover behind obstacles placed within the playing field can help. Learn how to engage in the sport without being hit directly. This way you avoid paintball injuries and only get away with paint marks on your clothes.

4. Ensure Everyone Observes the Rules

Just like any other sport, paintball has set rules aimed at preventing players from inflicting injuries on their opponents. Some leagues have a rule against shooting on the head, shooting at someone who has their helmet off among others. Where the paintball game is casual, ensure you set some guidelines before you start.

Paintball Bruises with Padding     

Where you are venturing into paintball playing on a regular basis, it is important to invest in protective gear. This includes clothes with extra padding.

When this is done, it reduces the impact of the paint balls. Paintball bruises with padding on your clothes is less severe compared to those acquired without.

Paintball Bruise Won't Go Away

Bruises tend to fade away with time even when no intervention is done. Paintball bruises are no different. While the time taken may differ depending on impact experienced, they should get better with time.

Where it seems like a paintball bruise won’t go away, it is likely that the bruise was severe and left behind a scar. It is best to see a doctor so that the injured skin can be evaluated.

I hope that the above tips on dealing with the unwanted injury that is paintball bruises comes in handy  and helps you in enjoying the game.