How to get rid of a Hickey ?

What is a hickey ?

It is a bruise caused by suction. The suctioning process causes the tiny blood vessels under the skin to burst. The vein ruptures, which causes the blood to leak out and forming a bruise. The severity of the mark depends on how hard the suck on the skin.

Hickey can appear on any parts of the body, but mostly on the areas where the skin is thin and delicate such as the neck. Although, it is commonly found on the chest, inner arm, and lips too. The other terms for hickey are love bite or kiss mark.

The mark will not immediately appear after sucking. It usually takes five minutes for the bruise to start evolving. The color of the hickey varies, but usually ranges from pinkish to purplish. For the bruise to disappear, the body needs to reabsorb the blood that leaked from the veins. This turns the color of the hickey from pinkish/purplish to brown, to sickly yellow green, and eventually disappears. ^{(1, 2)}

Image 1 : A hickey or kiss mark on the neck
Photo Source : 2.bp.blogspot.com

Picture 2 : A person with deep seated hickey mark on the neck
Image Source : www.newlovetimes.com

How long does a hickey last?

How to make a hickey go away? Well, it depends on the severity of the bruise. It could take a few days to more than a week. Hickey heals with time and will not leave any scars. However, having a hickey can be very embarrassing. If you have one, you have to think of ways to get rid of it or the least, hide it. ⁽⁴⁾

How to remove a hickey in seconds?

Removing a hickey in seconds is impossible. What you can do is to hide it by covering it with a makeup or wearing clothes that can hide the mark. However, there are a few things you can do to get rid of hickey fast. These are the following:

• Applying cold compress – Cold compress helps break down the blood clot and spreads out the blood. Cold compress reduces bleeding by constricting the capillaries. It also reduces swelling and reduces pain. Just make sure you are not going to apply the ice directly on the skin to prevent ice burn.  ^{(5, 6)}
• Use peppermint – It has a stimulant effect, which can significantly improve the circulation of blood. It hastens the healing of the capillary. How to get rid of love bites in 24 hours? If you notice a hickey, you have to immediately apply a peppermint oil in a circular yet gentle motion. There will be a tingling sensation at first but it will eventually go away. Do this at least once a day and you will notice a significant improvement on the color of the hickey. If you do not have a peppermint oil, a perfect substitute is a peppermint toothpaste. Apply the toothpaste on the affected area for a few minutes and wipe off with a warm cloth. ⁽³⁾
• Rubbing alcohol – If you are wondering how to make a hickey go away overnight, the best remedy is rubbing alcohol. It has cooling and soothing effect. It can make hickey go away the soonest time possible. Just make sure you apply the rubbing oil a few minutes after getting the hickey. ⁽⁷⁾
• Aloe Vera – This plant is known for its natural moisturizing effect. It hastens the healing process of hickey with its soothing and anti-inflammatory property.  Massage the aloe vera gel onto the skin. Do this at least two to three times a day. In a matter of two days, the hickey will disappear.
• Use banana peel – If you love eating banana, then you will surely love its peel. Why? Well, it has the ability to minimize hickey fast. Banana peel has a cooling and soothing property. Use the peel of ripe banana and place the inside part of the peel on top of the hickey. Leave it there for about 30 minutes and after a few hours, you will notice that the hickey’s color is fading.
• Vitamin K – It has the ability to prevent blood clotting, which makes it effective in treating bruises like hickey. Furthermore, it also hastens the healing process. Increase your intake of vitamin K rich foods such as broccoli, brown rice, and fish. Apply lotion enriched with vitamin K directly on the hickey in a gentle massage motion. You can increase your vitamin K by taking vitamin K supplements.
• Parsley – This herb has a powerful anti-inflammatory property, which makes it effective in treating hickey. It is rich in vitamin C, a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It can get rid of hickey in a day. Just apply a fresh parsley leaves on the part of the body that has a hickey and leave it there for a few minutes. Crush the parsley leaves and cover the entire area of the skin that is affected by hickey, leave it there for a few minutes, and rinse with cold water.

A hickey is considered a love mark, but it can be very unsightly, especially if it is in exposed areas of the body like the neck, cheek, and lips. A small hickey is more likely to clear on its own in a matter of hours or in a span of a day. The problem is with deep seated hickey. It usually takes days for deep seated hickey to completely go away. If you want to speed up the process of removing hickey, then you have to follow any of the mentioned procedures above.

If you are going to attend a special event and you are wearing something that exposes the part of your skin that has a hickey, the best thing to do is to cover it up with a makeup. There are liquid foundation and concealer and they are very good in concealing bruised parts of the body, including imperfections such as pimples. At the end of the day, it is up to you on which method you prefer in removing hickey. ^{(8, 9,10)}

References:

1. www.top10homeremedies.com
2. www.buzzfeed.com
3. www.wikihow.com
4. www.cosmopolitan.com
5. hickeysolution.com
6. theorganicbeautyexpert.com
7. www.howhunter.com
8. www.whatisahickey.com
9. www.healthedition.org
10. www.lifestyle9.com