Get Rid of a Hickey Fast : Did you know that a hickey, or as it is more commonly known, a love bite, is actually a kind of bruise? It is usually given on the neck or arm. Often, couples use a hickey as a way of branding his or her lover so as to let other people know that, “he or she is in a relationship.” But many people prefer not to be “marked” in such a way as it causes embarrassment, and, are often concerned about how to get rid of a hickey!
A hickey appears when someone sucks on your skin too hard, causing capillaries to break and blood to pool, turning the skin either red or purple, or a little bit of both. It can last for over a week – typically 5 to 12 days – but heals with time. You might have noticed that permanent scars or marks are seldom left behind. Hickeys can be treated the same way as other bruises.
While you can hide hickeys with make-up or clothing, there are several easy-to-follow home remedies that can help you get out of this embarrassing situation. Here are a few quick hacks on how to get rid of a hickey fast and easy!
11 Top Home Remedies to Get Rid of a Hickey
1. Cool It Down with a Cold Compress
Getting rid of a hickey can be tricky! And, if you find yourself in a fix, try a cold compress. This is one of the most effective methods to get rid of a hickey. It is a quick and simple process. Application of a cold compress on the affected skin area helps to break the clotted blood apart, allowing the blood spread out.
How to use: Take an ice pack and gently press it against your skin for about 15 minutes. Do this several times a day. The icepack aids in the prevention of swelling and reduces pain. To prevent an ice burn, avoid applying ice directly on the skin.
Refrigerate a spoon for about 10 minutes. Once the spoon is chilled, wrap it in a piece of cloth and gently rub it over the affected area until the spoon is back to its normal temperature. Again, this too must be done several times a day until the hickey is gone.
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2. Heal It with Peppermint
Peppermint comes in very handy if you are trying to get rid of a hickey. Its stimulant effect will help improve your blood circulation. Another good thing about peppermint is that it also heals the capillary vessels. This is one of the most inexpensive and easiest ways of getting rid of a hickey!
How to use: Gently apply peppermint oil on the affected area. You will initially feel a tingling sensation, but this quickly goes away. Using this remedy more than twice a day is likely to cause skin irritation.
Take about a pea-sized amount of peppermint-based toothpaste and apply it on the hickey for a few minutes. Once the tingling sensation is gone, wipe it off with a warm cloth. You are better off using this remedy just once a day. Also, this remedy works best if you use it as soon as possible after getting a hickey.
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3. Disinfect with Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a perfect remedy if it has only been a few hours since you got a hickey. Alcohol is a great disinfectant besides having soothing and cooling qualities that can help to quickly get rid of a hickey.
How to use: Take a ball of cotton and apply some alcohol to the affected area. Next, gently rub the area for a few minutes as this helps to minimize any discomfort. Apply moisturizing lotion on the same area when you are done as rubbing alcohol can cause skin dryness. Repeat these steps several times a day for one or two days.
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4. Rub Away the Hickey- The Coin Method
This remedy may be slightly painful, but often works. Make sure to exercise caution when trying this method- as you may end up making it worse than it already is!
How to Use a Coin: Find a nickel and keep it handy. Use two of your fingers to gently pull back the skin on either sides of the hickey till you have stretched it flat, Now, use the edge of the coin and gently scrape the hickey away! When you attempt to scrape the hickey away, what you are doing is trying to break up and spread the blood around the hickey, so that it is less dense and dark, and makes it easier for your body to absorb it.
You will need to scrape the hickey outward, that is, away from the center. Your skin will turn red from all that scraping, but the redness will vanish in a few minutes and so will your hickey!
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5. Soothe It Away with Aloe Vera
We all know that aloe vera has natural moisturizing properties which help in the reduction of sensitivity of the affected skin area. Besides acting as a natural moisturizer, aloe vera also has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties. These qualities will help the busted capillaries under your skin to heal much faster.
How to use: Extract fresh aloe vera gel from your plant and massage this gel into the hickey. Repeat this process two to three times a day.
If you are unable to find fresh aloe gel, you can always use a cream or lotion that is aloe vera-based. Apply the cream or lotion two to three times daily until the hickey disappears.
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6. Speed Up Healing with Vitamin K
When you get a hickey, your blood coagulates or clots. Using Vitamin K is a sure way to prevent this from happening. This vitamin helps in absorption of pooled blood, thereby speeding up the healing process.
How to use: Apply a Vitamin K-enriched lotion or cream on the hickey two to three times a day until it has completely disappeared.
Eat more foods that are rich in Vitamin K for a couple of days. Some of these Vitamin K-enriched foods include brown rice, spinach, soybean oil, broccoli and fish oil.
Vitamin K supplements also help to facilitate the healing process.
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7. Lighten It with Banana Peel
Another handy and simple home remedy you should try out is banana peels. They have soothing and cooling properties that help you quickly get rid of your hickey.
How to use: Cut the peel of a banana according to the size of your hickey. You then place the inside of the peel for 10 to 30 minutes. Repeat this process two to three times a day to lighten the hickey.
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8. Repair Your Skin with Oranges
Oranges are very useful if you want to get rid of a hickey as they have a high Vitamin C-content. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that is needed by our body to repair skin. The Vitamin C in the orange has healing properties that will help in the quick removal of a hickey.
How to use: Immediately after getting a hickey, drink plenty of orange juice. For best results, we recommend you drink fresh orange juice rather than the packaged variety. If oranges are unavailable, you have the option to take 500 milligrams of Vitamin C thrice daily for about a week as this helps to rebuild your collagen.
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9. Heat and Heal with Warm Compress
If your hickey is two or three days old, heat can be very useful. Heat helps to dilate your capillaries, making way for a fresh supply of blood to circulate and clean up the mess.
How to use: Take a washcloth and saturate in hot water. You then need to wring out the excess water and press it against your hickey for about five minutes. Do this three times daily.
A hair dryer can also be very effective in removing hickeys. Apply heat from the hair dryer and once done, gently massage with the tips of your fingers for improvement of circulation.
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10. Massage Your Hickey Away
As we have already mentioned, you should massage the affected area. This helps to circulate your blood, which, in turn, helps you get rid of the hickey.
How to use: For an older hickey, gently massage the affected part with your fingers, moving from the bruise’s center and the out to the edges. Repeat this process at least two times a day.
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11. Cocoa Butter for Beautiful Skin
Cocoa butter is a very effective healing agent for hickeys. It is an excellent moisturizer and helps promote new skin tissues.
How to use: Apply some cocoa butter after application of a warm compress. Massaging the area gently for a few minutes breaks up the blood clot and stimulates circulation. This process must be repeated a few times throughout the day.
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Getting rid of a hickey is not difficult. As you have learned, all it takes is a few simple home remedies. The best part is that these are all natural which means that they are safe to use. So the next time you have a hickey, do not worry – just look around your home and chances are that you will find a great remedy.
