How to get rid of hickeys
How to get rid of hickies fast
If you need swift and immediate cover, you can always play around with scarfs, collars, or turtlenecks. Concealer will work in a pinch, too. These won’t help the hickey disappear more quickly, but it might spare you a few quizzical looks.
No treatment will make a hickey go away overnight, but these quick hickey treatments might take a day or two off the bruise’s longevity.
1. Cold spoon or cold compress
In the first day after a new bruise, you can apply a cold compress or chilled spoon directly to the hickey. This will slow down the flow of blood from the broken capillaries, and it may help reduce the size of the bruise.
Place a spoon in a freezer or fridge for 30 minutes. Then, apply it directly to the spot. Leave it for 10 minutes, and repeat several times through the first 48 hours or until it begins to lighten. If you have an ice pack, you can do the same. A washcloth dampened with cold water is also a good option.
Shop for cold compresses online.
2. Aloe vera pulp
The thick, gelatinous pulp inside an aloe vera leaf may reduce inflammationTrusted Source, skin swelling, and pain. Apply a thin layer of the pulp directly to the bruise two times per day. If the pulp causes irritation or your skin seems sensitive to it, stop using it.
3. Peppermint oil
This essential oil, whose main component is menthol, may help stimulate blood flow where it’s applied, which could speed up bruise healing. But peppermint oil can also irritate skin.
You’ll need to dilute it with carrier oil. A ratio of 1 or 2 drops peppermint oil to 15 drops of carrier oil, such as jojoba or almond oil, is recommended.
Massage the oil into the area with light pressure. Too much pressure could make the bruise worse.
Shop for peppermint essential oil online.
4. Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter is used in a variety of topical skin treatments. While researchTrusted Source on cocoa butter reveals mixed results, many swear by cocoa butter for smoothing scars, reducing stretch marks and wrinkles, and eliminating or decreasing other superficial marks on skin. Cocoa butter may also help with skin elasticity, which may improve appearance.
Apply the thick cream to the area one to two times per day. Don’t use a lot of pressure, or you risk making the bruise bigger.
Shop for cocoa butter online.
5. Pineapple
Pineapple is rich with a type of enzyme called bromelain. It’s been known to reduce pain and sorenessTrusted Source, and when applied to skin, it may help ease ease inflammationTrusted Source and swelling.
Using this treatment is as simple as applying a slice of pineapple right to the effected spot. You can do this four or five times a day, but watch for irritation. Pineapple is a very acidic food, and the delicate skin of your neck may become irritated quickly.
6. Vitamin K cream
Vitamin K plays a role in helping your blood clot properly. In cream form, it may speed upTrusted Source bruise healing. Apply vitamin K cream directly to the skin one to two times per day.
You can also boost your vitamin K levels by eating foods rich in the nutrient, like leafy greens, soy beans, pork, and poultry.
Shop for vitamin K cream online.
7. Banana peel
The banana fruit isn’t the only beneficial part of a banana. The peel hosts a great number of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants, and it can have a soothing and calming impact on skin.
You can apply the peel directly to your hickey, and it may help reduce signs of bruising and irritation. Leave the peel in place for up to 30 minutes, or until the banana peel turns brown. You can do this two to three times per day, but stop using it if your skin becomes irritated.
8. Vitamin C cream
Vitamin C may be best known for its ability to boost the immune system, but it also plays a vital role in the production of collagen, a protein that helps skin stay strong and gives it its elasticity. Applying a vitamin C cream directly to the bruise may also speed up skin healing and eliminate the bruise quickly.
How long do hickeys last without treatment?
If left alone, a hickey will fade on its own in about 10 days to 2 weeks. Your body will slowly break down the bits of blood that sit under the skin and reabsorb them. The bruise will darken a bit after the first few days and begin to change colors until it fades entirely.
Some of these treatments may speed up the healing by a day or two, but you could also prolong the hickey by aggravating the bruise with too much pressure. Be gentle when applying any of the treatments or massaging the skin.
Takeaway
A hickey takes only a few seconds to form, but requires several days to more than a week to heal. You might be able to help ease irritation and inflammation, and some self-treatment techniques could even help speed up the healing time by a day or two.
Ultimately, however, the body just needs time to repair the broken capillaries and reabsorb the blood.
What are hickeys?
Hickeys tend to happen while you’re not paying attention. Just a few seconds of passion and the next thing you know, you’re left with a big purple mark on your skin. Whether you call it a hickey or a love bite, it’s essentially a bruise.
The suction from your partner’s mouth causes damage to the capillaries, which are small blood vessels under your skin. This damage causes your capillaries to leak blood, but the blood doesn’t have anywhere to go. As a result, it gets trapped under your skin, where it appears purple.
Just like a bruise, a hickey can last anywhere from one to two weeks, changing color along the way as your body absorbs the blood.
What’s the healing process like?
Your hickey should fade within a week or two, depending on how much damage was done beneath your skin’s surface. The trapped blood — which is the dark mark you see on the skin — breaks down and is reabsorbed by your body.
Your hickey will change colors as it heals. Here’s what you can expect along the way:
- Your hickey will start off as a reddish mark under your skin. This is caused by the blood that leaks from the damaged blood vessels.
- With a day or two, the hickey will appear darker as the hemoglobin in your blood changes color. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that carries oxygen and is responsible for giving your blood its red color.
- By day four or five, you’ll likely see your hickey beginning to fade in some spots. It may appear blotchy as it heals.
- Within a week or two, depending on the amount damaged caused by the suction, your hickey will fade to a light yellowish color or disappear.
Source- https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-do-hickeys-last#tips
How do I get rid of a hickey?
If you’re anxious to make your hickey disappear, some treatments can help with healing, but they aren’t overnight fixes. If it’s not an emergency, your best bet may be waiting it out.
“Time is going to take care of most of this,” says Corey L. Hartman, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist, medical director of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, and member of the Men’s Health advisory panel. “And some of these things may be effective just because time goes by.”
So if you have a big event, like, tomorrow, and home remedies are your only option, you may want to put on that trusty turtleneck, dab on some concealer, or slap on a Band-Aid and hope for the best. (And one more thing before we get into our list: If you’re on blood thinners or certain other medications, you may want to avoid the medical products or check in with your health care provider.)
Grab an ice pack.
But try it right after the hickey happens. In general, ice helps with inflammation, and Frey explains you can use ice early on to constrict blood vessels with cold (and potentially limit bruising).
Or try a cold spoon.
It won’t make your hickey disappear, but it also may soothe early inflammation. Put a spoon in the freezer for 10 minutes, then place the curved side against your skin.
Switch to warm compresses.
Once your hickey sets in, heat can help increase circulation and clear trapped blood. As Frey explains, warm compresses can help the body heal itself. For this hickey treatment, heat water in a bowl in the microwave until it’s warm (but nowhere near boiling). Then dip a washcloth and apply it to your hickey until the cloth cools. You can try this two to four times a day until the hickey heals.
Schedule a laser treatment.
It’ll cost you, but if you really need to get rid of a hickey fast, this can help. Frey says she’s used an Aerolase Nd:YAG laser for bruising in her practice, with improvement in a few days. Just remember: If you have darker skin, choose your medical provider carefully, since darker skin can be damaged by certain lasers or if the provider isn’t experienced with darker tones. Because you don’t want to turn a short-term hickey—however hideous—into a longer-term problem.
Rub on Vitamin K.
This vitamin helps break up the blood and stop it from clotting, Hartman explains. Try applying a topical Vitamin K gel or cream directly on the hickey. (The oral version has some risks, according to the Cleveland Clinic.)
Consider topical arnica.
This remedy has been used for centuries and can be applied today as a cream or ointment to treat sore muscles, bruises, and other issues. It works by helping the blood dissipate, Hartman says. To treat a hickey, buy a topical arnica product online or from the drugstore, and apply the product as directed. (Be sure not to apply topical arnica to an open wound. Take care and talk to your health care provider if you have questions.)
Source- https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a40449968/how-to-get-rid-of-a-hickey/
