Hickeys, also known as love bites, can be embarrassing and difficult to cover up. If you have a hickey, you probably don't want it on show - but how can you get rid of it? There are many remedies that have been passed down over the generations that can get rid of hickeys.
If you can't get rid of your hickey, there's at least advice you can follow to conceal a hickey, such as wearing turtle neck sweaters or scarves, and using beauty products to conceal their appearance.
To get rid of a hickey fast, you should use some of the natural remedies listed below. These remedies will help get rid of the swelling and speed up the healing time to reduce the appearance of the hickey.
Causes of a Hickey
A hickey is caused by blood vessels breaking underneath the skin. This typically happens when your partner bites or sucks on the skin. The broken blood vessels pool around each other, forming a small bruise. Hickeys are typically formed in places where the skin is more delicate, such as the neck and collarbone.
Natural Remedies for Hickeys
Thankfully, there are many home remedies for getting rid of hickeys. You should use a combination of some of the solutions below, and can always cover the appearance of a hickey with makeup. The makeup may hide the appearance, but, of course, it won't get rid of your hickey.
Let's take a look at the best remedies for getting rid of a hickey.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera can help with the bruising that causes the appearance of a hickey. Aloe vera can also reduce the inflammation and pain that can occur with the hickey. You should apply aloe vera gel to your hickey throughout the day. This won't cause the hickey to go away, but it may help reduce the symptoms along with the hickey.
Cold Spoon
A cold spoon may be able to reduce the inflammation in the area of the hickey. Using a cold spoon should help reduce the size of your hickey as it can slow blood flow to the skin, shrinking the bruise.
For this remedy, place a spoon in the fridge or freezer for ten to fifteen minutes. Apply the spoon directly to your hickey. You can use the shape of the spoon to apply a small amount of pressure to the hickey to target it more effectively.
Vitamin K
Applying vitamin K cream has been shown to heal bruises at a faster rate and heal the skin. This means that vitamin K cream is an excellent treatment to help get rid of a hickey. Eating foods high in vitamin K may also help you with healing a hickey faster. Found in kale, spinach, broccoli, and other green foods, this vitamin is essential for blood clotting, working to heal the bruise and reduce the blood pooling that is responsible for the purple appearance of the hickey.
For faster results, it's worth picking up a tub of vitamin K cream from your local drugstore and applying the cream as directed on the package. Repeat this until your hickey reduces in appearance. You can also eat vitamin K-rich leafy greens for extra nutritional value. If you can't get your hands on cream, and you don't enjoy leafy greens, vitamin K supplements may also be able to assist in the healing process.
Ice Pack
A cold compress can help slow blood flow from the vessels to the skin where the appearance of a bruise can form. The cold constricts the capillaries and can reduce the inflammation of the hickey. You can make your own ice pack by wrapping ice cubes in a paper towel. Apply the compress to the bruise and hold in place, making sure the ice doesn't directly touch your skin. Repeat this throughout the day and move the paper towel around gently to break up any blood clots.
Toothbrush Bristles
Using toothbrush bristles, you can break up clotted blood and help stimulate blood flow to the area. This should help speed up the healing process of your hickey and help promote blood circulation in the wound.
You should gently massage the hickey with the toothbrush bristles for the best effect. Be careful not to press too hard, as this may irritate the area further.
Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter is a common beauty ingredient that may be able to help with hickeys. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, cocoa butter should help reduce the size and appearance of your hickey over time. The butter's moisturizing properties may help with hydrating the skin, and will promote a good environment for wound healing. Hydration of the skin encourages the formation of new cells, which may help treat bruises and reduce the appearance on the skin's surface.
To use cocoa butter as a treatment for hickeys, gently rub the butter onto the skin's surface where the hickey is. You should be careful not to press too hard, which could cause more trauma to the bruise. Repeat this a few times throughout the day.
Banana Peel
Banana peels contain vitamins and nutrients that can help with the symptoms of a hickey. The peel from a banana can help reduce inflammation and reduce the pain you may feel from a hickey. It won't, however, help with healing bruises that form hickeys. If you decide to use a banana peel to treat your hickey, it's best to also use one of the other home remedies to reduce it in size.
For this remedy, gently rub a banana peel into the hickey for five to ten minutes. This should help soothe inflammation in the affected area.
Vitamin C
Applying vitamin C to your hickey can help strengthen the skin around your blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, which helps promote wound healing, boost skin health, and maintain healthy blood vessels.
To use vitamin C to reduce your hickeys, apply a vitamin C cream as directed on the packaging. You can also take a vitamin C supplement or eat high vitamin C foods, like citrus fruits.
Peppermint Oil
Massaging peppermint essential oil into your skin can help increase blood circulation around the hickey. This can reduce the hickey's size and dull the pain you may be feeling. You should dilute peppermint oil in a carrier oil such as coconut oil or olive oil first, which will prevent the oil from irritating your skin. Apply the oil twice a day until your symptoms reduce.
You shouldn't use peppermint oil more than two times a day, as too much oil can cause the skin to become irritated.
Pineapple
Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that can help treat the appearance of a hickey by reducing swelling and inflammation. Bromelain can break up blood clots and help promote blood flow in the affected area.
For this remedy, slice up a small piece of pineapple and apply it to the hickey. Keep the pineapple pressed against your hickey for ten minutes, then clean the skin afterward. You can repeat this process multiple times throughout the day to help heal your hickey.
You may also be able to find bromelain supplements in a health food shop, which should help treat the hickey as well.
Orange Juice
The vitamin C in orange juice can help heal a hickey. Orange juice can help strengthen the skin and speed up the healing process for your hickey. You should drink one to two glasses of orange juice a day for this remedy to be effective. Be sure to drink fresh orange juice, as orange juice from concentrate can contain added sugars packs fewer health benefits.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is something you should definitely have in your home - and this bathroom essential can stimulate blood flow to the affected area. The peppermint in toothpaste will cause the area to tingle, helping to reduce the size of the hickey.
You should apply toothpaste to your hickey once a day. Be careful not to apply it more often. as toothpaste can be very irritating for the skin, and can cause inflammation if applied too many times.
Warm Compress
A warm compress can help reduce the appearance of hickeys. The heat from the compress can open up the blood vessels and help clear away the pooled blood from the skin.
You should warm water in the microwave or by boiling the kettle. When the water is warm to the touch, dip a cloth into the water and apply it to the affected area. Repeat as needed until the hickey has reduced in appearance.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can help disinfect a hickey and soothe the area. Apply rubbing alcohol with a cotton ball soon after the hickey occurs. Only do this once to disinfect the area, as rubbing alcohol can irritate the skin. Applying rubbing alcohol can help prevent the hickey from appearing worse.
Arnica
Arnica, a herb that's sometimes used to flavor foods, may be able to help reduce the size of a hickey and reduce any swelling and inflammation that can occur. Arnica helps to increase blood flow to the area and reduces the buildup of fluid around bruises helping to heal the hickey.
You should apply arnica cream or gel to the hickey a few times a day or as directed on the packaging to help reduce swelling and relieve pain in the hickey. Do this for a few days until the hickey has healed or greatly reduced in size.
Conclusion
Home remedies for hickeys can help reduce your hickey's size, ease pain, reduce swelling, and increase blood flow to the area. Using an ice pack can help with inflammation and pain in the hickey, while vitamin C cream, vitamin K cream, and arnica cream can help you get rid of a hickey faster. When massaging creams into your skin, be careful not to apply too much pressure, as it could cause the bruising to get worse.
You should patch test any new products you may be trying on the skin before using them, as they may cause a reaction. To do this, apply the product to your arm and cover it with a bandage. After a few hours, check to see if your skin is irritated or has hives.
If you believe you are bruising very easily and that this is the cause of your hickeys, you should talk to your doctor, who can run some tests and provide medical advice.