When you’re a teenager, the hickey is regarded almost like a badge of honor, a public demonstration of your incredible sexual abilities (or at least that’s what you imagine). When you’re an adult, the image of the splotchy purple marks in the mirror gives less awe. You’re looking for a way to eliminate an annoyance in a matter of minutes.
While it can feel hot right now, it can be a bit uncomfortable to deal with a hickey or “love bite’ following an exuberant romantic evening can be a snub. However, you shouldn’t be confined to a turtleneck or a scarf for the next few weeks since there are options to reduce the look of that ugly scratch and keep your self-esteem healthy.
We spoke with Dr. Kathy Taghipour, consultant dermatologist at DermConsult, Abbas Kanani, a pharmacist at Chemist Click and Rachael Burns, the consultant dermatologist with Second Skin, about what a hickey actually is and how long they will last, and the best way to cover up your unwanted love bites:
What’s a Hickey?
A hickey can be described as a small purple, blue, or red scratch on the skin that someone is sucking or biting on your skin when you kiss passionately. It’s the result of bruising because of bleeding beneath the skin’s surface due to damage on the surface of blood vessels (blood capillaries).
Since these bruises are visible in making love, they are also known as kiss bites or love bites.
They’re not a significant issue, nor do they cause any significant adverse side consequences. However, hickeys can indeed make your skin very delicate. They can also cause embarrassment, particularly during public appearances or social events.
The size and hue of the hickey can differ. Although they can be seen everywhere on the body, they are usually found on the neck.
How long will a hickey be healed?
The truth is that it sucks (hickey pun in mind). There’s no fast and easy method of getting rid of the hickey. Similar to other types of bruising, they require some time for healing.
But there’s good news. Most bruises last between one to three weeks, and hickies, an extremely superficial type of bruising, won’t take longer to heal than other kinds of bruising.
“The extent of the damage to the skin that causes an hickey isn’t nearly as significant as the damage that can cause for instance, a eyestrain,” claims the doctor. Vij, “so hickies can be healed earlier when compared to other reasons for bruises.”
While the web is packed with DIY strategies that claim to rid you of a hickey in a matter of minutes, the doctor, Vij, says there’s no scientific basis to many of these. Instead, he offers his top suggestions for reducing the appearance of your hickey as it heals.
How do you remove the hickey?
Now, you’ve realized that you’ve got a problem to address. What do you do to remove it? (Because turtlenecks aren’t an option on warm days.) In the end, the importance of timelines is that they are essential. Chimento recommends. Chimento recommends tending to your hickey as early as possible to keep it from becoming more prominent and darker.
“As when you notice the formation of a hickey within your body use a compress that is cold such as an ice cube or a spoon that has been chilled within the freezer,” Chimento advises. Chimento recommends. “Cold temperatures can slow the flow of blood from the blood vessel ruptured into the skin and help prevent the bruise from becoming darker or becoming larger. Apply a cold compress to the hickey for 10 mins at least as often as you can from the beginning up to two days.”
- A cold spoon or cold compress
On the first day following an injury, it is possible to apply cold compresses or a chilled spoon directly on the hickey. This will reduce the blood flow out of the damaged capillaries and may also help to reduce how big the bruise is.
Place a spoon into the freezer or refrigerator to chill for about 30 mins. After that, apply directly to the spot.
- Aloe vera pulp
The gelatinous and thickly textured pulp contained in an aloe vera leaf can help reduce swelling of the skin, as well as discomfort. Place a small amount of the pulp directly onto the blemish every day for two days. Should the material cause irritation to your skin or appears sensitized to it, you should stop applying it. - Peppermint oil
The vital oil, whose principal component is menthol, can increase blood flow wherever applied. This can help speed the healing of bruises. Peppermint oil could also be irritating to the skin.
It’s best to dilute it using an oil carrier. The ratio is 1 to 2 drops of peppermint oil per 15 drops carrier oil, like almond oil or jojoba oil is suggested.
- Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter can be used in a range of skincare products applied topically. Although researchTrusted Source regarding cocoa butter has mixed results, most people swear by cocoa butter for smoothing out scars in the skin, decreasing wrinkles and stretch marks, and reducing or eliminating any other skin imperfections that appear as superficial marks. Cocoa butter can also assist in improving skin elasticity and can improve the appearance of the skin. - Pineapple
Pineapple is high in an enzyme that is known as bromelain. It has been proven to ease soreness and painTrustedSource, when used on the skin, it could help the swelling and inflammationTrusted Source.
Okay, But how do you make hickeys happen?
Let’s spend some time thinking about the word trauma. Let’s get it right, shall we? “Suction onto the skin could cause a bruise,” Robert Brodell, M.D., who is a tenured professor and head in the department of dermatology of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, says to SELF the same thing. The same can be said for similar actions that exert tension on your skin. Therefore, even when kissing, biting, and sucking may feel great as they happen, you’re damaged to the skin the way Dr. Brodell explains. The hickey on your neck is evidence that the force of sucking, biting, etc., may have broken a few capillaries. If you don’t recall anyone biting your neck, you did not realize it was taking place.
Summary
A hickey can be described as a bump caused by someone sucking on the skin. Certain people might need to cover their hickeys if they are visible on parts of their body, such as the neck.
Hickeys aren’t harmful and typically disappear in their way after a few days. Applying an ice pack on the area affected as quickly as you can is the best method to minimize the area’s appearance and any swelling or pain. The use of OTC pain relievers like ibuprofen can help ease the tenderness.
Other at-home remedies, like applying gels or creams to the skin with arnica, comfrey, or vitamin K or vitamin C, can also aid.
For more information and assistance, visit the following websites.
How to Get Rid of Hickies Fast: 8 Tips and Tricks – Healthline
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-get-rid-of-hickies-fast
How to Get Rid of a Hickey: 12 Easy Hacks That Actually Work
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/a51736/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey/
How Do You Get Rid of a Hickey in Seconds? – MedicineNet
https://www.medicinenet.com/how_do_you_get_rid_of_a_hickey_in_seconds/article.htm
How to Get Rid of a Hickey: 9 Tips From Dermatologists | SELF
https://www.self.com/story/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey
8 Tricks for How to Get Rid of a Hickey, According to …
https://www.riverchasedermatology.com/blog/8-tricks-for-how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey-according-to-dermatologists/
How to get rid of a hickey fast: 11 love bite removal tips
https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/sex-life/a35991901/hickeys/
How to Get Rid Of a Hickey Fast: 15 Ways to Remove … – Parade
https://parade.com/1140396/ericasweeney/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey/
How to get rid of a hickey: Best home remedies – Medical …
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324796
How to Get Rid of a Hickey, If You Somehow Are Still … – GQ
https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey
How to Get Rid of a Hickey ASAP, According to Derms – InStyle
https://www.instyle.com/lifestyle/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey
The top methods to get rid of a hickey – MyMed.com
https://www.mymed.com/health-wellness/interesting-health-info/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey/the-top-methods-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey
3 Ways to Remove a Hickey – wikiHow
https://www.wikihow.com/Remove-a-Hickey
Best Ways to Get Rid of or Hide a Hickey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pND7mxptos
How to Get Rid of a Hickey – YouTube
The End-All-Be-All Guide to Destroying Your Hickey—and Fast
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/58687601371968351/
How to Get Rid of a Hickey | Tiege Hanley
https://www.tiege.com/blogs/news/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey
How to get rid of a hickey | 11 Ways to Reduce a Love Bite
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/beauty/body/a30975893/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey/
Everything You Need to Know About How to Get Rid of a Hickey
https://news.yahoo.com/everything-know-rid-hickey-133000661.html
This Viral Hack For Removing Hickeys In 5 Minutes Is Doctor …
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexalisitza/tiktok-hickey-removing-hack
How To Get Rid Of A Hickey ASAP – Refinery29
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/how-to-get-rid-of-hickey-fast
Want to Know How to Get Rid of a Hickey? Let TikTok Be Your …
https://www.distractify.com/p/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey-tiktok
How to Get Rid of a Hickey—or At Least Cover It Up – Health …
https://www.health.com/condition/skin-conditions/how-to-get-rid-of-hickey