More than 12 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the U.S. in 2010, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. For many of these surgical procedures, bruising is a side effect of concern. This causes patients and physicians to take measures to reduce the amount and duration of bruising. Vitamin K, a known nutrient that plays a vital role in the clotting ability of blood, may diminish signs of bruising caused by surgery or other injury.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat soluble nutrient that plays a vital role in your blood's ability to form clots. In a supplement form, it is used to reverse the effects of too much anticoagulation, or blood thinning, medications and is also administered after surgery to speed up skin healing and reduce bleeding. Vitamin K comes in an oral form, injectable form and in topical creams. Topically it is used to treat spider veins, scars, stretch marks, burns and bruises.
Foods With Vitamin K
Vitamin K is found in a variety of food sources with dark green leafy vegetables providing the highest sources. Vitamin K can also be found in foods such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, fish, liver, meat, eggs and some cereals. The Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommends a daily intake of 90 micrograms for adults older than 19. After a surgical procedure, your physician may recommend eating foods with a high vitamin K content in order to reduce bruising and increase healing.
Medical Research
A 2002 study published in the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology" looked at the effects of topical vitamin K on bruising before and after laser procedures. The study looked at 22 patients that were broken down into two groups. The first group received a topical vitamin K gel and applied it to one side of their face and a placebo on the other for the two weeks prior to surgery. The second group did the same but for the two weeks following surgery. The researchers discovered no difference between the two sides in the patients who used vitamin K before surgery but the side of the face that used vitamin K post-surgery showed significantly lower scores of bruising severity.
Considerations
Before having any surgical procedure, talk with your surgeon about the best ways to avoid and minimalize your bruising. Talk to him regarding the use of vitamin K as a post-surgical treatment both topically and orally. Because vitamin K affects your blood clotting, patients on medications such as warfarin to thin the blood should only use vitamin K under the supervision of a physician. Vitamin K, when taken with these medications, can alter their effects, so a physician may need to change your dosage.
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