How To Get Rid Of A Hickey

If you’ve arrived here after a frantic search for how to get rid of a hickey, first of all, CTFD. It’s only a bruise. Nobody dies of it despite all the rumors you may have heard on the internet. Giving hickeys and receiving them is normal, especially if you’re a teen and not aware of what an uncontrolled make-out session could do to your body. 

Second, hickeys don’t last long. Like any other bruising, hickeys resolve on their own. All you need is some patience to wait for them to fade away. However, if for some reason you can’t wear your hickey like a badge of honor, flaunting your recent exploits, there are ways to speed along the process of making it disappear. And if that’s what you’re looking for, keep reading to learn how to treat hickeys.

What Is A Hickey?

A hickey, or a love bite, is a purplish-red mark left on the skin by aggressive sucking, which causes the capillaries in the skin to rupture. The blood from the capillaries leaks out into the surrounding tissue, creating what we know as a hickey. It’s a common perception that a hickey is caused by biting but often aggressive sucking is enough to rupture the blood vessels. 

The term love bite is pretty much a misnomer as you rarely need biting to create a hickey. People often bite furiously, causing skin damage. If you’re drawing blood, you’re not doing it right. This can make the area sore and may require medical attention. In such cases, the skin may rupture and the wound may lead to infection. There have been cases where oral herpes has been transmitted through hickeys, meaning hickeys aren’t entirely free of STDs. So, bear that in mind.

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Here are some other things you should know about hickeys:

• Hickeys can be given anywhere on the body, but are more likely to appear on the erogenous zones of a person, where getting sucked or kissed may enhance pleasure
• The majority of the time, hickeys are a result of a heat-of-the-moment, passionate make-out session
• Sometimes a hickey may be given intentionally and is considered a way to ‘mark’ one’s territory
• A hickey may also be used to corroborate one’s sexual activity, like Claire in The Breakfast Club uses it to dismantle the perception of virginal personality 
• Receiving hickeys can be painful or shameful to some, or a matter of pride to others. In either case, it can be helpful to know how to remove a hickey

Hickeys may also be considered a sexy secret between the partners. In The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana, tr. by Richard Burton [1883], hickeys are mentioned and classified into several types, along with instructions on how to give a hickey to enhance pleasure. “Even by day, and in a place of public resort, when her lover shows her any mark that she may have inflicted on his body, she should smile at the sight of it, and turning her face as if she were going to chide him, she should show him with an angry look the marks on her own body that have been made by him.” Kamasutra also mentions giving hickeys as a punishment, like after the first fight in a relationship.

How to give a hickey

Place your lips softly but firmly on your partner’s skin, ensuring no air escapes. Once you’ve created a vacuum, suck for a few seconds. The longer you suck, the darker the color of a hickey. Keep checking with your partner if it’s painful. Remember to not use any teeth. You may use your tongue to caress the sensitive spot.

How to give yourself a hickey

If you want to fake a hickey on your arm or an area you can reach with your mouth, you can try the normal sucking method on your skin. However, it’s impossible to perform neck kissing on yourself and, in such a case, you’ve got to get more creative. You could try creating suction using an empty plastic bottle or suction cups. If you want to do it temporarily, makeup can do the trick. We suggest using makeup; that way you won’t have to worry about how to get rid of a hickey.

Are hickeys trashy?

Hickeys are considered proof of wild sexual activity, and therefore, may be stigmatized. So, a love bite may not always be desirable, particularly in a formal setting. So always seek consent before letting your inner Edward Cullen go wild. Having said that, it’s not shameful to have a hickey. We’ve all been there. Even if everyone is looking at you like you sprouted limbs on the top of your head, if you feel like flaunting your love bites, go ahead.

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How long do hickeys last?

The length of the hickey stays depends on the following:

• How deep is the bruise is
• How strong is your immune system
• Whether you’re giving any special attention to the hickey

Depending on these factors, hickeys may last anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks. If some skin is broken, then the wound may take a longer time to heal. However, if the bruise takes longer than a month or is red and sore, then it’s best to see a doctor.

How To Get Rid Of A Hickey

While you may find it pleasurable to receive a hickey, it may not always make for the most pleasant sight. Particularly in places where you want to be taken seriously, a love bite may be considered a sign of sexual immaturity and promiscuity. Hickeys are also among the common ways cheaters get caught. Unless you’re fine with flaunting it, you can try the following methods to get rid of a hickey:

1. Apply something cold to the area immediately

You can contain a lot of damage if you can apply something cold like an ice pack immediately. The drop in the temperature inhibits the blood flow from broken blood vessels. This reduces the size of the hickey considerably. If you don’t have an ice pack, wrapping ice cubes in a dishtowel also works. Never apply ice directly to that area. 

A pack of frozen peas will also do. Never use raw meat to compress your wounds. If there are any openings in the skin, it could lead to infection. Do it for no longer than 10 minutes at a time. You can ice your hickey 4-5 times a day. Just ensure there are adequate breaks between each application. 

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2. Apply heat after 48 hours

After 48 hours, when the blood vessels have been repaired, apply heating pads to the affected area. This promotes blood circulation and helps release the trapped blood flow easily, lightening the bruise. Soak in a warm bath and let your muscles relax. You can also warm water on a stove and dip dish towels in it and use them as a compress. 

3. Try skin supplements

Research suggests skin supplements such as Arnica gel can help heal bruises and swelling. Arnica has anti-inflammatory properties that promote blood circulation and reabsorb the bruise. You could also try a Vitamin K enriched cream to reduce the bruising from the hickey. It could also be a great gift idea for women who have everything.

Applying soothing gels like aloe vera gel can also work, as substantiated by this research. You can also directly apply the pulp of an aloe vera leaf over the bruise. Or try Bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties and flushes out fluids trapped in the tissue. Do not use any essential oils directly on the skin. Essential oils are highly concentrated and, if used undiluted, can further harm your skin. Seeking the guidance of a dermatologist before trying any of these supplements is highly recommended.

4. How to get rid of a hickey while it’s healing? Try covering it up

Use a concealer or color corrector to cover the hickey if it’s in a visible location like the neck. An easier option would be to use a scarf or a broad choker, to let your hair down, or simply wear turtle-neck shirts. If you feel a high-neck shirt might be more inconspicuous than the bruise, then try layering outfits. A tinted mesh top under a dress won’t be a bad idea.

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5. Let time do its job

Time not only helps you get over the love of your life but also heals the wounds you incur – whether physical or mental. You may have seen viral how to get rid of a hickey TikToks where people rub their hickeys vigorously with whisks, coins, and blunt knives, but “hacks” have not been substantiated by any scientific methods. Sadly, there is no such thing as a “how to get rid of hickey overnight” solution. At best, they don’t work. At worst, they could cause more damage. Even if you follow the right directions, the bruise will fade only gradually, not instantly. 

6. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

How to remove a hickey the natural way? Eat healthy. Skin that bruises easily may also indicate an iron deficiency. If you notice that you tend to get hickeys even from gentle kisses, try to improve your diet. The addition of Vitamin C and iron can work wonders for your skin. Add lots of green leafy vegetables and fruits such as kale, spinach, oranges, and papayas to your dies if your skin is highly susceptible to bruising.

7. Practice safe sex habits

Establish consent when it comes to love bites. If you don’t like receiving love bites, convey this to your partner. You can also talk about the places you’d rather have love bites than the places where they are a pain to hide. Establish how much pressure or involvement of the teeth you’d like.

Hickeys are sort of a rite of passage for anyone who is discovering sex but most people grow out of it soon. It is considered one of the different types of kisses that everyone should experience once. However, over time, it either loses the novelty for them or becomes too much of a hassle to cover up every day. Either way, over time, hickeys begin to disappear from the act of lovemaking or making out, at least from the visible places. And when it doesn’t, you know what to do.

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