When you are an adolescent in love, risks of hickeys are higher than in adults. But with passion running wild, anything is possible, no matter how old you are. However, you may not want to show up at work with a big hickey on your neck, Monday morning. That said, hickeys are not dangerous and will not leave a mark, once it is completely gone, about a week or so later, when left untreated. So what can you do to get rid of hickeys fast?
What is a hickey?
Also known as a love bite or a kiss mark, the hickey is when humans come closest to vampires. Although they don’t end up sucking blood out of the neck of their loved one, the perpetrator of the hickey, does suck on the blood vessels inside the skin, strongly enough to break some and create a bruise. This will leave a mark in the shape of red or purple skin. Hickeys can be done on any part of the body, but is typically found on the neck.
This bruise usually lasts less than a week and goes away by itself, like any other bruise on your body, leaving no scar behind. But some feel uncomfortable showing this love mark to the people they meet, and so they find ways to hide it. The two easiest and fastest ways for hickeys to disappear, is to put clothing over it (wear a turtleneck or a scarf around the neck) or to cover it with make-up. But to treat the hickey, so that it disappears completely, you will need to use one of the following methods.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K prevents blood cloth to form, which makes it the perfect treatment against hickeys. When you apply it to the skin, it will help reabsorb the blood accumulated in the area and make the recovery phase shorter.
The method is to buy a cream which contains a good amount of vitamin K and to apply it on the hickey several times a day. Keep going until the hickey is completely gone. You can also ingest food that contains vitamin K to help in the process. It can be found in higher level inside spinach, soybean oil, brown rice and broccoli as well as fish oil. Finally, you can also buy Vitamin K as a food supplement, in capsule form, though you may want to talk to your doctor before doing so, just as a precaution.
Cold Compresses
Placing cold on a hickey will help by breaking apart the blood that has clotted together, which will in turn make it easier for your system to get rid of it more rapidly. If the hickey just formed, pressing a cold compress on it will reduce the bleeding, and so the hickey will be smaller.
The best way is to wrap several ice cubes inside a light towel and keep it pressed on the skin, where the hickey is located, for about 10 minutes. It will reduce the swelling and the pain (if any). Never apply ice directly on the skin. Otherwise, you will get ice burns, which are much more dangerous for your health.
Rubbing Alcohol
In all methods, the sooner you start, the faster the results will come. With rubbing alcohol, the first thing it will do is sooth the skin bruised. Thanks to its disinfectant properties, it will also treat the hickey and help get rid of it quickly.
Place a cotton swab inside the bottle of rubbing alcohol, so it is wet. Apply gently over the region where the hickey is located, and then rub the area very gently for a few minutes. When you use alcohol, you should also apply moisturizing cream afterwards, as it will dry the skin. Repeat this process three to four times a day for as long as necessary.
Peppermint & Coffee
Peppermint will act as a stimulant and help the blood flow. Caffeine will also do the same. The result will be that the hickey will leave much sooner and the blood vessels will be regenerated faster as well. If that is the method you choose, keep in mind to only use it twice a day, otherwise, it could create burns on your skin.
Banana Peel
If you use banana peel, you will need to leave it on the hickey for 30 minutes. Therefore, it is a method which takes more time. But the soothing properties found inside the banana peel will help reduce the hickey. Cut pieces of banana peels the size of the hickey, then take one and place it on the skin for 30 minutes. Keep the other pieces in the fridge and repeat a few times per day.
Aloe Vera
If you don’t already have aloe vera at home, go out and get some. Its numerous properties make it a great friend for your skin. It is a moisturizer, which will help make hickeys less sensitive. It is also a great anti-inflammatory which will soothe and add to the healing process.
