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Nevertheless, if you are curious about the concept of these love reminders and want to know more details on getting rid of hickeys, this article is the perfect spot to make you understand.
Surely, you must have faced a situation where you are in dire need of hiding the reddish-blue colored memento of your previous night’s adventures before an important meeting. Or how about the time when you are wearing a turtleneck in 40-degree weather? Or when you are constantly using your hand to cover your neck while having dinner with your parents?
1. What Exactly Is A Hickey
Hickey is a big and round bruise that appears after an intense episode of suction and biting. It is usually either red or purple in color. A hickey is mostly found on body parts such as the neck, chest, and shoulder.
In the heat of the moment, when your partner is sucking and biting on your sensitive flesh, the tiny blood vessels on your skin are broken, which results in an angry and quite noticeable bruise1.
You may call that purple mark on your neck a hickey or a love bite, but the bottom line is that it’s a bruise. And while these bruises might take us back to our wild teenage days when we wore them as a symbol of achievement, it is held in different esteem as an adult. But there are still some days when we lose control and are left to deal with an embarrassing situation afterward.
2. How Long Does It Take For A Hickey To Disappear
Generally, a hickey can last between two days to two weeks. It depends entirely on the size of the bite mark and the ferocity of the trauma made on the blood capillaries. So you can’t heal a hickey overnight no matter how urgently you want it gone. Regardless, there are some alternatives on how to get rid of a hickey. These tricks will speed up your healing treatment and deal with your love scars.
3. Getting Rid of Hickeys
3.1. Cold Compress
If your love splotch is only a day old and still fresh, then your best bet on how to get rid of a hickey is by using a cold compress. Applying a cold compress on the bruised area is the basic rule of first aid and is an old-school way of reducing swellings. Additionally, since a love bite is a bruise, placing a cold compress for at least ten minutes on the concerned area is probably an effective way to lighten the hickey stain.
Alternatively, you can also use a cold spoon or an ice pack to cover your lovebites and help you with the healing process. To get a chilled spoon, place it in the refrigerator or a freezer for a minimum of thirty minutes.
Cold compresses are the most efficient solution for reducing the size of a fresh hickey as they slow the blood flow from broken capillaries and help to get rid of a hickey.
3.2. Warm Compress
Warm compresses are another old-fashioned way of treating bleeding, swelling, and an overnight hickey. It is also a good alternative if you are wondering how to get rid of a hickey. To reduce the pain of your love bite sooner than later, you need to apply a warm compress on your hickey for more than ten minutes.
You can either use a hot water bottle, a heating pad, or a warm towel to reduce the bruising stain. Other than that, you can also soak a section of clean cloth in warm water and apply it to your hickey to reduce its effect.
Warm compresses can give a decent result in lessening the bruise stain since it heightens the blood circulation in the affected area and reduces the number of red blood cells that have flowed through your blood vessels.
3.3. Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel is a great option if you are in no hurry to remove your hickey, but have a big event coming up in a few days. It is also one of the simplest methods out there if you are looking for methods to get rid of a hickey.
You can apply a thin layer of this medicinal plant directly to the concerned area to diminish the hickey. Besides that, you can also freeze a portion of aloe vera using an ice tray and massage it on your inflamed hickey. You would need to apply it two times a day to get your desired results.
Aloe Vera is a widely popular herbal plant known for curing wounds, preventing sunburns, curing mosquito bites, and other medicinal uses, including repairing and treating skin. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that help in reducing bruises.
3.4. Essential Oil
Essential oil is another impressive method on how to get rid of a hickey2. Use prominent essential oils such as lavender, turmeric, rosemary, arnica, and peppermint oil to aid your healing. It is advised to apply it five times regularly to get rid of a hickey and for your skin to return to its normal tone.
Note: Do not directly apply essential oils to your skin. The reason is its undiluted properties, which can cause rashes, irritations, and itching to your sensitive skin. Thus, it is also medically recommended to use essential oils on your skin after mixing them with a carrier oil, lotion, or any other cream of your choice.
Like aloe vera, essential oils are filled with anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties, which help get rid of the hickey and bruises and deal with the healing process.
3.5. Arnica Gel
The orange flower, arnica3, is an old-fashioned herb to treat a hickey, wounds, and other swellings. While it may be a little difficult to grab hold of the plant, both arnica gels and arnica creams are available in several drug stores. Arnica cream is a well-known remedy to treat bruises. Hence, it can reduce your swellings and love bites sooner rather than later.
You need to massage the concerned region twice a day for a few weeks to reduce the shade of the hickey, which will also help you with the healing treatment.
Arnica, in general, aids in treating bruises as it splits the clotted blood and stimulates the blood cells surrounding the wounds resulting in inflammation. Additionally, applying arnica gel evokes quite an immune reaction to physical injuries and bruising.
3.6. Vitamin K Cream
As we are well aware vitamin K is one of the vital nutrients that our body needs. However, not many know that it can be used as an efficient substitute if you are searching for a means to get rid of a hickey. Reportedly, vitamin K cream is beneficial to make your late-night sexy souvenir vanish in the coming days.
Unless you are allergic to it, topical vitamin K does not have any negative reactions. You need to massage the rapidly bruising area with the cream once or twice a day. Other than that, you can also take vitamin K pills or eat vitamin-enriched foods and vegetables such as brown rice, broccoli, and so on.
Vitamin K helps to encourage the body to absorb clots that are caused by pooled blood. It also helps to bring down swelling and heal wounds.
3.7. Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is a vegetable fat produced from cocoa beans. It is also a preferred product often used in skincare regimens and helps in smoothing scars. Apply cocoa butter to the concerned area and rub the skin well for over 10 minutes. It should at least be performed once per day to get rid of a hickey.
The staple treats skin blemishes such as stretch marks, wounds, and wrinkles. Its moisturizing properties aid in slowing aging and hydrating the skin. The hydration process promotes the growth of new blood cells and heals the wounds promptly.
Cocoa butter speeds up the curing process since it is enriched with fatty acids and contains antioxidant properties. The phytochemicals in it help in stimulating the blood flow and nourishing the skin. It also prevents the body from suffering an infection.
4. Conclusion
No matter how progressive the world has become, people are still embarrassed about a hickey. Though it is nothing to be ashamed of, a hickey provides proof of your previous night’s adventures, which might be regarded in a less than prestigious way. As adults, we have to give up our reckless teenage days and step into a society where we are expected to be prim and proper.
Regardless, if you did have a wild night and are looking for ways to get on how to get rid of a hickey, then keep in mind that these tricks will not make the reddish spot disappear in one night. However, they will speed up your healing treatment.
So do inform your partner not to leave any visible mark if you have a big event coming up in one or two weeks. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry!
FAQs
1. How can I prevent getting a hickey in the first place?
A. To prevent getting a hickey, avoid intense sucking or biting on the skin during intimate moments. Communicate with your partner and set boundaries if necessary.
2. Are there any risks associated with hickies?
Hickies are generally harmless and will fade away on their own. However, if you notice any unusual symptoms such as infection, extreme pain, or a hickey that lasts for an unusually long time, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional.
3. Can makeup be used to cover up a hickey?
A. Yes, makeup can be used to conceal a hickey temporarily. Green-tinted concealer can help neutralize the red or purple color of the hickey, followed by regular concealer and foundation to match your skin tone.
Read more
- Du, Zhenjiao, et al. “Recent advances in imaging techniques for bruise detection in fruits and vegetables.” Trends in Food Science & Technology 99 (2020): 133-141. ↩︎
- Black, Sarah, et al. “CODEX multiplexed tissue imaging with DNA-conjugated antibodies.” Nature protocols 16.8 (2021): 3802-3835. ↩︎
- Smith, Amanda G., et al. “Clinical trials, potential mechanisms, and adverse effects of arnica as an adjunct medication for pain management.” Medicines 8.10 (2021): 58. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Suchi
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