Does etiquite demand that you cover up a facial bruise? Say you slam into a door and get a black eye. Are you obliged by standards of common decency to cover it up with makeup or sunglasses or something?
Lin, Astoria

Being a smidge on the klutzy side, Gothamist knows a thing or two about bruises.

If the injury is particularly gruesome, it can't hurt to bandage it up, but otherwise, we say wear your battle scars proudly! Black eyes typically elicit one of two responses: "Oh my, what happened?! Are you okay?!" or "Oh, geez, who'd you beat up this time." Unless you're in the habit of getting into fistfights, odds are your new shiner will get more of a sympathetic response. And sympathy can, naturally, be used to your advantage. It's sort of like being the girl in the office on crutches who everyone goes out of their way to help out. An injury on your face is a similar stamp that something traumatic happened. People tend to be nicer to you.

Not that we advocate manipulating people. Just that there is no need to go out of your way to hide these things.