Love is often described as painful, a sentiment echoed in the case of hickeys. In the fervor of passionate moments, kisses and suctions leave behind marks that span from blue to pink and purple. While these marks symbolize love and affection with a partner, they can also be embarrassing. Most wouldn’t want co-workers, friends, or family aware of such passionate sessions. Let’s explore the causes of these love injuries and effective ways to eliminate or conceal them.
What is a hickey?
For those unfamiliar with the term, a hickey, also known as a love bite or love scar, results from biting or sucking on the soft skin layer. Predominantly visible on the neck, arms, and thighs, where the skin is tender, harsh biting breaks tiny blood capillaries beneath the skin. This rupture leads to the dispersion of blood, leaving an unsightly red to purple mark. While more comprehensive anatomy explains the entire process, the critical factor is the breakage of tiny blood cells beneath the skin layers. (1) (2)
How long do hickeys last?
Hickeys may last a day or two to a few weeks. How long the scar stays on the skin and what is the size of it depends upon the intensity of sucking. With each passing day, the color of the bruise fades away. If left alone, it may take a week or two for a hickey to go away. If treated well, hickey may leave the skin within 2 to 3 days. It is also said that people who stay hydrated or eat and exercise well recover faster than those who don’t. So, the healthier you are, the more significant the chances of the hickey vanishing quickly.
Are hickeys harmful?
Knowing that passionate love bites are not dangerous is essential and relieving. It occurs on the sensitive part of the skin and can heal naturally if left unattended. The love scar is not a permanent thing and disappears completely. There is nothing to worry about a hickey apart from the awkwardness. From a health point of view, a hickey is a normal phenomenon that can happen to anybody.
How to get rid of a hickey
Nobody wants the infamous marks to be shown off. So, here are a few tips that will help you get rid of a hickey faster.
1. Effective cold treatment
A cooling agent must be on your sweet love bite as soon as you get one. Wrap an ice in a towel or soft cloth and put it on the affected area. You may also freeze a spoon and use the back portion of it to press on the bruise. Cold compresses not only make the problematic marks vanish away but also reduce the swelling and pain. Try not to apply ice directly on the skin.
2. Vitamin E aid
We all know how essential and powerful Vitamin E is for our skin’s health. Vitamin E, which helps form collagen, reduces the marks of love bites on the skin. Use Vitamin E oil to massage the affected area. However, use it with caution as it may irritate your skin. Avoid excessive massage to avoid further redness and swelling.
3. Brush away the bruise
A toothbrush is handy when you want that embarrassing love bite to leave your skin. We all know that kissing scars are caused by the cells affected by blood circulation, so you can boost the blood flow by rubbing the toothbrush in a circular motion. Choose one with soft bristles and do it with light pressure. Too much rubbing or pressing hard may make it even worse.
4. The massage magic
Take some amount of aloe vera cream or gel and use it to massage the hickey bruise. Try to get some natural aloe vera extract, as it would be safer and quicker to heal. Put the gel straight over the hickey and massage it for 5 minutes. This will work as a fast and effective solution.
5. Toothpaste
A cooling agent is an age-old remedy for those red-colored love imprints on your skin. It treats the mark quickly and stops the redness from spreading. Dab a small amount on your finger, apply it over the affected area, and let it cool. The love bites will fade away and cool down in a short period.
Read Also – 20 Super Effective Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Stubborn Old Scars
6. Use the coin
Another alternative solution is to scrape the bruise with a coin. Use the edge of a coin like a scraper on the hickey. Start from the center and then spread it outwards. Keep repeating the process in the same manner. The idea is to break down the clots and allow enough blood to stream into the veins. Take immense care while scraping, as too much of it may cause further redness.
7. Warm tea bag
It’s one of the most common and readily available remedies to treat the little lovely bruise. The warm tea bag has medicinal effects and is warm on the skin, too. The heat of the bag acts as a fantastic cure for the affected area. The hot tea bag compress helps increase the blood flow and helps speed up the regeneration of dead skin, which ultimately fades away the scars.
How to Hide a Hickey
Another trick apart from the treatment is to cover your hickeys smartly.
Makeup tricks
We agree the makeup technique will not make the mark disappear but will mask it. It’s tentative but a perfect remedy to cover up that tough kissing. So, without giving it a second thought, you can use effective and intelligent beauty tricks to hide your hickey. Wear a high-quality concealer or a foundation to merge the hickey with your skin tone. Apply the right kind of makeup around the love bite, and it will offer you significant results. You may even use glitter or dust.
Covering up
A solution cannot be as easy as a cover-up for an embarrassing love bite. Choose your outfit well to envelop your love scar completely. You may opt for a turtle neck t-shirt, a high-collared dress, or a dog collar sweater; the choice is yours. A scarf or a muffler may also help hide your hickey around the neck.
It’s time to carry on with your crazy stuff and rendezvous with your partner without worrying about the tacky love bites. These handy tips will make things easier for you and help you enjoy the adventurous journey of love life without any botheration.
Read Also – 16 Essential Oils For Healing Your Scars In A Natural Way
Summary
Hickeys, often regarded as love marks, result from passionate moments, leaving blue to purple marks. While symbolic of affection, they can be embarrassing. Learn the causes and effective ways to conceal or eliminate them. Hickeys typically last from days to weeks, with hydration and a healthy lifestyle aiding quicker recovery. To expedite the healing process, consider remedies like cold treatment, Vitamin E, toothpaste, massaging with aloe vera, using a coin to break down clots, applying warm tea bags, and more. Explore these tips for a hickey-free love life and smart ways to conceal them using makeup or clothing.
