I never noticed anything from those little pellets either...they just tasted like sugar, and for me did absolutely nothing. I do stand by the topical gel, but more for soreness than bruising. I'm not really a bruiser, so I can't speak to its effectiveness for that specifically. Also, I found that I really have to rub it in, to notice much, and I can't imagine you are going to want to be rubbing your face after surgery.