A hickey, which is also known as a ‘love bite’ or a more sedate ‘kiss mark’, tends to occur after a passionate physical exchange between lovers. It may happen to you if your lover kisses or bites on your skin a little too hard. Hickeys can appear anywhere your lover chooses to appreciate a little too passionately, the most common area being the neck and the breasts. However, the science behind the formation of the hickey is not as romantic.

Hickeys are formed when blood capillaries are broken and the escaped blood pools under the skin, making it appear red or purple. It tends to look like a small bruise, which may be circular or oval in shape. The shape is distinctive enough, which would make it really hard to explain it away as an accident. The affected area may turn brown as the hickey heals.

How Long to Hickeys Last?

Hickeys are not permanent by any stretch of the imagination and even if they are left completely untreated, they will disappear in anywhere between 5 to 12 days. However, in certain cases hickeys may last a lot longer. The duration as to how long a hickey may last is dependent on the following factors:

Severity: Common sense suggests that the amount of time a hickey will take to heal will be directly proportional to the number of blood capillaries that were damaged to begin with.Personal Physiology: There is a very popular saying that states ‘everyone is wired a bit differently’. Hence some people may heal faster than others. It could be due to a wide variety of factors, such as a person’s complexion, physiology and nutritional balance. The external environment may play a role as well!

Home Remedies to Remove Hickeys

Some choose to flaunt their hickeys as physical proof of their conquest. However, they may be inappropriate in several social situations, such as if you were about to meet the parents of your significant other, or if you are due to appear for a job interview. You need not fret as there are several home remedies that can help you out in such a scenario.

Cold Compress

This is one of the most common cited home remedy to remove hickeys, probably because it is the most effective. The scientific reasoning behind the same is pretty impeccable as well!

The rationale is that the extreme cold from a cold compress will shrink the blood capillaries, which will in turn stop leaking blood under the skin. Ice is also known as a natural inflammatory, because it will constrict the blood vessels, which will help relieve the swelling and the pain.

To apply the cold compress you can use a traditional ice pack, a bag of frozen vegetables or even wrap around a few ice cubes in a washcloth. Some even take a spoon, put it in the freezer for about ten minutes and then wrap it with a piece of cloth and apply that instead. Irrespective of the method you choose, please make sure that you apply the treatment for only 10 – 20 minutes at a time. There is no limit to the number of times you may apply the cold compress during the course of the day.

While applying this treatment, please make sure that the ice is never in direct contact with your skin, as it may cause some permanent damage.

Toothbrush

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that suggests that using a toothbrush may either get rid of the hickey, or it may spread it in such a way that it would be far less noticeable.

You should simply take a strong-bristled toothbrush (preferably new) and gently massage the affected area for about 15 minutes. The rationale behind this is that massaging the area will improve circulation, which will in turn help dissipate the blood that has pooled in the area.

It is suggested that one should use this remedy in conjunction with the cold compress.

Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is effective for treating hickeys right after you receive them because of the following reasons:

It is a natural disinfectant, which can help protect the area from secondary infections.It is an emollient, which can help soothe the pain, if any.It cools the skin when it comes in contact with it. Hence it can help get rid of the hickey in almost the same way that a cold compress would.

One can simply pour some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and apply it several times during the course of the day. Please note that rubbing alcohol is also an astringent, hence it can leave your skin feeling extremely dry after application. Hence it is recommended that you moisturize the area after you apply the rubbing alcohol. We would recommend using cocoa butter or Aloe Vera for this, which are effective home remedies for hickeys by their own right, as we will explain later in this article.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a natural moisturizer with anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, which can help expedite the healing of a hickey. Aloe Vera gel can be applied on the affected area throughout the course of the day and is at its most effective when its usage is combined with that of rubbing alcohol.

It is best if you source your Aloe Vera gel directly from the leaf of an aloe plant. Simply pluck a leaf and chop off the rinds to take the leaf apart. Then scrape the natural Aloe Vera gel with the help of a cotton swab and apply it on the affected area.

If you cannot get hold of an Aloe Vera plant, the next best thing would be a bottle of organic Aloe Vera gel, which should be available at your local pharmacy