Oh yes, those were the days when the author of this article proudly wore them on his neck, the eye-catching red marks, the trophies of lust. We are of course referring to the hickeys that are still popular today. Hickeys have long been considered rather childish, and many see them as an embarrassing remnant of more or less intimate encounters. Today, a hickey is seen more as an accident, which is why most people would rather make it disappear. If you don’t want your family, friends or colleagues to see that things got hot during your dates, you can find out how to get rid of a hickey quickly here.
Visible passion
In almost every passionate snog, the kisser stops off at the neck on their way to other parts of the body. While one person’s lips touch the other’s neck gently, tenderly and extremely sensually, other kissers feel as if they are trying to suck deadly poison out of your carotid artery. Regardless of the degree of enthusiasm during a snog, there is always the possibility that marks will be left behind.
Hickeys are almost always associated with the neck, which is only natural because they are visible to everyone unless you are wearing a turtleneck, which is one way to get rid of hickeys quickly or make them invisible. In principle, however, you can have hickeys on any part of your body that your partner thinks is suitable for sucking on while kissing. So you can also have a hickey on your arm, on the inside of your leg and even on your bum. It probably won’t cause you much concern in these places because they simply won’t be visible. If you do, for example if you work as a lifeguard or are a competitive swimmer, tips can help you get rid of the hickey quickly.
How do hickeys actually develop?
Basically, hickeys are bruises, albeit ones that look very sexy. They are generally completely harmless and are caused when your partner, or you, suck hard while kissing, causing the blood vessels under the skin to burst and spreading blood. Making hickeys may not sound like a very erotic process, but the result is sexy. Incidentally, hickeys are only unpleasant if they cause pain.
Health tip: If you or your partner notice bruises on areas of the body where you didn’t kiss and which weren’t caused by bumping into each other, it would be a good idea to see a doctor to find out the cause.
How long do hickeys last, and how do you get rid of them quickly?
Well, although it only takes a few minutes to ‘make’ a hickey, it remains visible for several days. Exactly how long depends on how intensively you sucked and how many blood vessels were damaged in the process. There are actually hickeys that are visible for up to two weeks, but this requires a really aggressive suction session. However, there are various methods you can use to speed up the healing process so that your hickeys disappear more quickly.
‘Wonder weapon’ gel with aloe vera
Gel with aloe vera as the main ingredient is considered to be the Swiss army knife when it comes to healing the skin. Although the effect of aloe vera has not yet been sufficiently proven by scientific studies, it is often used to treat burns or bruises, for example. If you use the gel externally and apply it to the bruise, it has a cooling effect and keeps your skin moisturised. The aloenins and glycoproteins contained in aloe vera are said to have a wound-healing effect.
Cream or gel with arnica
Another plant that has long had a reputation as a medicinal plant is arnica. It can help with insect bites as well as sunburn, bruises and bruises and thus hickeys. Creams or gels containing arnica are available over the counter in pharmacies, drugstores and even well-stocked supermarkets. Please note that arnica is only suitable for external use.
Banana peels
What the excessive sucking has caused can be alleviated by massaging with banana peels. You heard right. Bananas are not only a phallic symbol and taste delicious, they can also help to soothe a stubborn hickey. All you have to do is treat the affected area with a banana peel for up to 30 minutes. To do this, simply place the inside of the peel on the hickey. This can help to reduce the size of the mark.
Hot and cold compresses
Heat or cold can also speed up the healing process by reducing inflammation and swelling. A hot pack in the form of a heating pad or a warm towel dilates the blood vessels, promotes blood circulation and thus the healing process. You should start heat treatment at the earliest 48 hours after the hickey has developed, and make sure that the hot compress is not too hot.
A cold compress, on the other hand, also helps to reduce swelling and inflammation. To do this, however, you must apply it to the affected area and cool it for the first 12 hours after the hickey appears. Again, the compress should not be too cold, otherwise there is a risk of frostbite.
Vitamins promote skin health
Vitamins, when applied externally, have a reputation for promoting skin health. Vitamin K in particular plays a role in the formation of clotting factors and thus helps to regulate bleeding from wounds. Vitamin C, on the other hand, supports general skin health and can help to alleviate the discolouration of the skin caused by a hickey.
Reaching for the concealer
You can’t get rid of a hickey overnight, so you should think about covering it up and concealing it. A concealer is suitable for this. You can use it to largely cover the discolouration while your blood vessels regenerate and the hickey slowly disappears.
Practical tip: If it’s not the height of summer, you can also hide a hickey from prying eyes without the use of cosmetics, for example with a scarf, a shawl or a jumper with a high collar. Even in the warm summer months, you can use light and thin scarves or shawls to avoid the comments of friends or colleagues.
What doesn’t help with hickeys
One thing that won’t get rid of a hickey quickly is massaging the affected area. By putting pressure on the already damaged blood vessels, you run the risk of making the hickey even worse. Also, don’t try to remove the blood from the hickey by sticking a needle under the skin. Firstly, this would be very painful, secondly, you would cause yourself an injury and thirdly, you risk inflammation of the self-inflicted wound. Smoking is also counterproductive for the healing process because smoking disrupts the blood supply.
Just let the hickey heal
Yes, it may be unpleasant to walk around with a hickey, but ultimately it’s an expression of affection and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s why you should consider skipping all the fuss and simply giving the hickey time to heal on its own without using any products. Wear it with pride as long as it is visible. Next time, have one done where you can’t see it.
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