Hickey Help

Hickey Help Question: My boyfriend and I were kissing and he gave me a hickey. I don't want anyone to see it. Is there a way to make it go away faster?

Two words: makeup and ice. If you get home right after it happens, an ice pack to the area MIGHT help minimize the damage. But, don't freeze your neck! You can burn your neck from an ice pack and certainly from just an ice cube. Don't just place an ice cube to your skin ever. Frostbite can occur. Always wrap ice or an ice pack in something like a bandana or thin towel.

Anyway, a hickey is just a bruise, and it will go away like any other bruise does. Bruises gradually disappear over a number of days without needing to do anything. (The leaked blood gets digested by other cells in your body and it is kind of absorbed). See bruising for more details on bruises.

How Does A Person Get A Hickey?

Everybody always talks about hickeys in school, but how do these purple "marks" appear on peoples necks or elsewhere? A hickey is actually broken blood vessels beneath the skin. It's kind of like a bruise, as mentioned above. You're seeing the result of broken blood vessels and in the case of a hickey the bruise is caused by a person's mouth.

How Do You Get One Or Give One?

You place your mouth against the side of their neck, in a kissing shape. Leave your mouth slightly open in the middle, like you're saying the letter “O”. Now you suck in. In reality you're injuring the area and causing the blood vessels to break. This turns that circular area bright red. It doesn't take very long, maybe 30 seconds, and yes, it hurts the person you're doing it to. To some people it is a temporary mark of love. IF you have any kind of blood disorder or if you bruise easily, tell the person who is doing this to you to stop, as you bruise too easily.

I’m not encouraging you to give hickeys to people, but answering a common question I get. Yes, you can get a hickey on other parts of your body. Some of those can be painful. If you start to feel pain from heavy kissing, let your partner know.

How Long Does A Hickey Last?

Just like any other bruise, it will fade over time. Everyone heals at different rates. You probably have been bruised before in your lifetime, so you know how long bruises tend to last. If you notice bruising on your body for no reason, call your health care provider, as sometimes this is a sign of something more serious!

To hide a hickey, use concealer makeup and try that while it fades away naturally. Wear turtlenecks or a bandana if it’s not summer or too hot out. If you tend to be a really slow healer, eat healthy foods so your body has a better chance of healing.

See fab foods for more on good nutrition. Or, some people want their hickeys to show. Whatever.

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