Last night got a bit steamy! Your partner already has a repertoire of biting and sucking, and the tell-all-purple splotch is too prominent to hide. If it’s not the turtleneck weather, then it is high time you check out how to get rid of a hickey.
While compiling this digital write-up, we have taken help from experts who have previously dealt with such cases. He and She Fitness details the processes for you with some dress techniques to hide your bite before you step out.
Table of Contents
Techniques about how to get rid of a hickey?
For the unversed, a hickey is caused when your blood vessels or capillaries are ruptured under the skin. The blood that has been spilled over gets pooled in one place and creates a bruise-like feature. The first thing that you must do is –
1. Use a compress on the affected area
If you want to know the first step of how to get rid of a hickey – there’s nothing better than a compress. Start with a cold compress or an ice pack. The cold affects the blood flow from the vessels to the skin, thereby reducing it. You can opt for a cold press towel, or an ice pack or even a chilled spoon or coin (this is part of the famed spoon and coin hacks to remove a hickey).
If you are using a towel, then dip it in chilled water, rinse it lightly and apply on the love bite. Do it for 10-minutes 5-6 times a day (you may do more if you can manage) for the first 2 days. If you are uncomfortable with the towel, always use an ice pack.
You have a basic idea about how to get rid of a hickey at the earliest. To amplify this process, you will have to continue this compression process with a warm towel. Heat up a bowl of water and dip a towel in it. Wring it and then apply the towel on your skin. Let it sit there until it reaches the room temperature. Repeat this for 5-6 times (if you can do more that’s great) for the next 2 days. You will by the end of this period see a marked change in the bite. Its on the path of healing.
It is no secret that the hickey will take close to 2 days to a week to heal. Once you are done with the compress, here are some other tips that you can try to accelerate the healing process –
2. Massaging the area lightly
The second way to know how to get rid of a hickey is by massaging the area slowly in a straight motion. You may use your hand to massage the area or may do the same with peppermint oil. These techniques assist in improving the blood flow of the area and stimulating the healing process.
To enhance the massaging process, you may use a jaded roller, naturally or wrapped with peppermint oil. Just ensure you blend any essential oil with a carrier oil to dilute the concentration. In this case, you may use either almond oil or coconut oil as the carrier oil.
Are you not comfortable with or allergic to peppermint oil, or for that matter, any essential oil? You may also use cocoa butter to massage the area. Basically, cocoa butter is known for improving skin elasticity, but, it also helps to heal skin scars.
3. Applying creams on the affected area
If you want to know how to get rid of a hickey – applying a range of topical creams will help you. You can try using topical Vitamin K, which helps to accelerate the skin healing process by affecting the blood clotting process. To better the process, you may add Vitamin K capsules or brown rice to your diet.
You can also use topical Vitamin C cream to reduce the bruise mark. As an antioxidant, this enhances the collagen production of the body. Thus, on the whole, the tissues around the bruised area heal up nicely and accelerate the fading of the mark. You can also use a Vitamin C – based cream on that area and increase consumption of leafy vegetables.
You can also apply aloe vera gel on your ‘love-bite’ to get rid of it fast. As you already know, aloe vera gel is an anti-inflammatory agent, and you can apply the same on your mark to get rid of it at the earliest.
Apart from all these gels, if you want to know how to get rid of a hickey otherwise – arnica gel is a great alternative. Use it as a topical gel on the affected area to get relief.
4. Banana peel mask
You have read the compress and massage techniques well and understood how to apply them. However, you are still wondering how to get rid of a hickey using a natural mode. A banana peel mask is a great alternative. Packed up with vitamins and nutrients, ripe banana peels are great to halt your hickey marks. Rub it on your hickey twice a day for 30 minutes (make sure it turns brown in the process).
5. Pineapple application
Pineapple, for the record, is enriched with bromelain. This enzyme categorically assists in reducing area-based inflammation. So, if you have a hickey to get rid of fast, a bowl of pineapple or a glass of pineapple juice is a great addition.
Though it is acidic, you can apply that to your hickey to get better results. However, if it hurts too much, refrain from applying it directly. Rather, you could get a topical bromelain gel to apply on the hickey.
6. Laser treatment as a final resort
In your quest for how to get rid of a hickey – the last resort you may try is getting pulsed dye treatment. With this treatment, the blood cells which have been ruptured heal, and the overall blood flow improves.
Just ensure that you choose the correct laser treatment, especially if you have dark skin.
#Conceal it with a concealer – It is understood that you will try all of these techniques, but, how to get rid of a hickey if you have an emergency meeting or some other matter that requires your immediate attention? In such cases, there’s nothing better than a dab of makeup.
The color of the hickey may vary from purple to red to dark brown or maybe a tint of yellow, depending on your skin tone. Therefore, you will need a color corrector first (a green one to neutralize a red-toned hickey or a red one to conceal a purple-toned spot. If your hickey is of the bluish-purple type, then a salmon or orange corrector can be a good choice.)
Once you have attained the correct color combo, next you need to pick a concealer that is lighter than your skin tone. This will assist in covering the mark and blending it with the skin. You may use a concealer brush to blend the mark. Set the concealer with a setting powder and a spray.
How to style the clothes to hide that hickey?
As you already know how to get rid of a hickey, you will surely apply those techniques at the earliest. But till then, you could style up your clothes in a manner that hides your ‘love bite’ (only if you do not wish to flaunt it).
- If you are wearing shirts or tops – you could always knot a scarf to your outfit. Whether it is the tie-shaped knot or the ruffled knot, this look will be perfect for you to hide your mark.
- High-neck blouses or turtlenecks are the alternatives you may try.
Summing up
These are some of the techniques about how to get rid of a hickey. Use them well, and see for yourself how soon you will be able to get rid of the mark of love. For more details like this, keep checking this website for more.
Monalisa Mukherjee is a content writer, copywriter and editor with 4 years of experience. She has written for websites like Biography Talk, The Rich Net Worth, Contour Cafe, He And She Fitness and Fiction Pad. She is currently associated with a noted Digital Marketing Agency and specialises in writing press release, guest posts, articles on travel, entertainment, food recipes, celebs, lifestyle, tech, health, and fashion.
