How to get rid of a hickey

In the heat of the moment with a significant other it is all too easy to find yourself with a hickey. The next thing you know you’re searching “how to get rid of a hickey” on the internet and hoping to find something miraculously to fix the love bite. Remember that a hickey is really just a minor bruise. This condition is caused when small blood vessel under your skin tear and the blood leaks, causing a blue and black color. So, getting rid of hickey is pretty much like getting rid of a bruise.

How do you get rid of a hickey?

There are lots of different ways to get rid of hickeys. If you use any of the methods below and still can’t seem to get rid of the hickey, you could always try to conceal it. Take note that not all methods work for everyone. Our bodies react differently to different treatments so if one method does not work just try another and hopefully you will see results.

1. Apply ice on a hickey

Perhaps the fastest way to get rid of a hickey is to apply an ice compress to the skin. This ice method works best for getting rid of fresh hickeys. Just wrap a couple of ice cubes with a paper towel and press your home-made ice compress to the part of the skin affected. The cold temperature will make your capillaries constrict, preventing more pooling of the blood under your skin. This stops your hickey from increasing in size even if you ice it a few hours later, but for best results you need to do this as soon as possible after you received the hickey. Make sure you don’t bring the ice cubes directly in contact with your skin, as this is unnecessary, painful and risks damage to your skin.

Putting ice on a hickey can help.

2. Freeze a spoon

If you don’t happen to have ice cubes available, don’t panic. Just put a metal spoon in your freezer for a few minutes. Take out when cooled and press the cold spoon to the skin affected. Make sure though, that the spoon covers the entire hickey as leaving some parts uncovered can lead to an even weirder looking and attention grasping hickey.

Pressing a cold spoon on the hickey.

3. Apply toothpaste

Peppermint has the medicinal property of increasing blood circulation. Hence, applying a layer of mint toothpaste over the skin affected can get the blood moving faster. All you need to do is wait till the tingling stops and wipe it away with a towel. Some people have very sensitive skin which can cause irritation when applying toothpaste. These people should try other methods instead of endangering their skin further.

Apply toothpaste on a hickey.

4. Brushing/Scraping

For some, this is probably the best way to get rid of a hickey. You see, brushing will actually break up the blood that has gathered to form the hickey. For this method you could use different tools.

Toothbrush – Not did you know that you could use your toothbrush to brush away a hickey. Just use a toothbrush and gently but firmly stroke the skin in different directions until the blood is dispersed completely. The bristles of the brush make for a very efficient system in getting rid of hickeys.

Coins – Yes, any kind of coin will do. So if you have a quarter, dime, or any other coin at your disposal, just scrape away the love bite. Yes, it will be like scratching a scratch card, except your prize will be different. With one hand you use your fingers to pull back the skin to stretch the hickey. Then with your other hand you take the coin and start scraping the hickey with the edge of the coin. Start from the center of the hickey and out. It might get a little painful but well worth it.

Remember to ice the area as it might be a little sore after the procedure. In case you don’t have a toothbrush or if your skin is sensitive to metals, you could use other devices like a plastic comb. Whatever you use to scrape make sure not to use sharp objects or anything that could hurt your skin and make things worse.

Scrape your skin with a coin.

5. Massage the hickey

This is a very easy and quick way to get rid of love bites as you do not need anything but your fingers. Just gently massage your hickey with your fingers to disperse the pool of blood that has gathered under your skin. Just apply pressure from the middle of the hickey and drag your fingers outwards so that you break up the blood clot. You should see results after doing this for 5 to 10 minutes.

Massaging a hickey can help.

6. Use herbs and plants

Healing ointments made of herbs and plants like Aloe Vera, Arnica and Witch Hazel don’t only work on regular bruises but also on hickeys. Applying salves containing these ingredients is a very quick way of getting rid of hickeys. These miracle remedies, known for their astringent and swelling reducing properties can work wonders on hickeys overnight. For example, Arnica gel is commonly used for bruise control and has even been recommended by famous doctors like Dr Oz.

Applying arnica for hickeys can fix the situation.

7. Boost up on your Vitamins

Particularly Vitamin C can be very effective when it comes to healing bruises. Vitamin C contains collagen that makes up the capillary wall so you can understand the reason for its miraculous effects.

How to hide a hickey?

Sometimes a hickey can be really hard to get rid of. In this instance one has no other option but to try to hide the hickey. Hiding hickeys is really not that difficult, you just need to be creative. Let us give you a few ideas.

Use clothes – You can cover a hickey by wearing a light scarf around your neck, making sure that it covers the whole area. Hiding a hickey is probably easiest during colder weathers because you need to put clothes on anyway. You can wear a turtleneck without any questioning eyebrows being raised.

Use your hair – Depending on where the hickey is and how long hair you have, you could cover up a hickey by wearing your hair down. Try tucking some hair inside your shirt so it doesn’t expose the love bite.

Use make-up – Use a concealer that matches your skin tone and try your best to cover it up. You can even go for a foundation first, and then apply the concealer. You would really need to experiment and find what works best for you. Just make sure you bring your make-up with you so that you can reapply more make-up in case you need it.

Use a bandage – You can always use an adhesive bandage to cover up the hickey. It might not be the best solution as you might be getting question why you have a bandage on your neck. However, it will cover up the love bite.

You can hide a hickey with a turtleneck.

FAQs

How is a hickey formed?

There are a lot of different types of vessels in your body that carry and transport blood. The smallest of these vessels are called capillaries; they are minuscule and very easily prone to getting damaged. Thus, passionate kisses or love bites can break these vessels and cause blood to pool around the surrounding tissue. Now since the capillaries are so tiny, the blood loss is minimal and your body patches up the break in the wall almost immediately so it’s not really a serious thing to be worried about. The worst that can happen is an itching feeling and some swelling. This is very similar to how a bruise forms and so getting rid of a hickey is not much different from trying to get rid of a bruise.

I just want to know how to get rid of hickeys fast. Is there a cure-it-now method?

A hickey is a bruise, and as any other bruises some need time to heal. However, many have experienced applying ice or brushing the hickey with a coin to be very successful. Often a combination of both is used for best results

How does a hickey look like?

As mentioned earlier, it looks like a bruise, and you will sure notice if you have one. Take a look at a the image below showing several hickeys around the neck area.