A hickey can take several days to more than a week to heal. You may be able to use certain self-remedies to help ease irritation and inflammation or even speed up healing time by a day or two.
A hickey results from ruptured blood vessels or capillaries under the skin’s surface. They break when someone sucks or bites on the skin, and the spilled blood pools, creating a dark bruise.
Rest assured that many horrified hickey-wearing lovebirds have come before you, which means a lot of people have tried many treatments to find ones that can remove that bruise more quickly.
Keep reading to learn at-home tips for getting rid of a hickey faster.
If you need swift and immediate cover, you can always play around with scarves, collars, or turtlenecks. Concealer can work in a pinch, too. These won’t help the hickey disappear more quickly, but it might spare you a few quizzical looks.
No treatment will make a hickey disappear overnight, but these quick treatments might take a day or two off the bruise’s recovery.
On the first day after a new bruise, you can apply a cold compress or chilled spoon. This will slow down the flow of blood from the broken capillaries and may help reduce the size of the hickey.
Place a spoon in the freezer or fridge for 30 minutes. Then, apply it directly to the spot. Leave it for 10 minutes, and repeat several times through the first 48 hours or until it begins to lighten.
If you have an ice pack, you can do the same. A washcloth dampened with cold water is also a good option.
The thick, gelatinous pulp inside an aloe vera leaf may reduce inflammation, skin swelling, and pain.
To try it, apply a thin layer of the pulp directly to the bruise twice daily. If the pulp irritates or your skin seems sensitive to it, stop using it.
This essential oil, whose main component is menthol, may help stimulate blood flow, which could potentially speed up bruise healing. However, peppermint oil can also irritate the skin.
You’ll need to dilute it with a carrier oil. A ratio of 1 or 2 drops of peppermint oil to 15 drops of carrier oil, such as jojoba or almond oil, is recommended. Massage the oil into the area with light pressure. Too much pressure could make the bruise worse.
Essential oil safety
While research suggests there are health benefits, the FDA doesn’t monitor or regulate the purity or quality of essential oils. It’s important to talk with a healthcare professional before you begin using essential oils, and be sure to research the quality of a brand’s products. Always do a patch test before trying a new essential oil.
Cocoa butter is used in a variety of topical skin treatments. Cocoa butter contains antioxidants that may benefit skin health.
Though research hasn’t found that cocoa butter can reduce bruising or skin discoloration, many swear by it for smoothing scars, reducing stretch marks and wrinkles, and eliminating or decreasing other superficial marks on the skin. Cocoa butter may also help with skin moisture and elasticity, which may improve appearance.
Apply the thick cream to the area one to two times per day. Don’t use a lot of pressure, or you risk making the bruise bigger.
Pineapple is rich in a type of enzyme called bromelain. It’s been known to
This treatment is as simple as applying a slice of pineapple to the affected spot. You can do this four or five times a day, but watch for irritation and stop using it if you notice any itchiness or discoloration. Pineapple is a very acidic food, and the delicate skin of your neck may become irritated.
Vitamin K helps blood clot properly. In cream form, it may speed up bruise healing. Apply vitamin K cream directly to the skin one to two times daily.
You can also boost your vitamin K levels by eating foods rich in the nutrient, like leafy greens, soy beans, pork, and poultry.
The banana fruit isn’t the only beneficial part of a banana. The banana peel also contains many vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants. It may have a soothing impact on the skin.
You can apply the peel directly to your hickey, and it may help reduce signs of bruising and irritation. Leave the peel in place for up to 30 minutes, or until the banana peel turns brown. You can do this two to three times per day, but stop using it if your skin becomes irritated.
Vitamin C may be best known for its ability to boost the immune system, but it also plays a vital role in producing collagen, a protein that helps skin stay strong and gives it its elasticity. A deficiency in vitamin C
Applying a vitamin C cream directly to the bruise may also speed up skin healing and eliminate the bruise quickly.
If left alone, a hickey will fade on its own in about 10 days to 2 weeks. Your body will slowly break down the bits of blood under the skin and reabsorb them. The bruise will darken a bit after the first few days and begin to change colors until it fades entirely.
Some treatments may speed up the healing by a day or two, but you could also prolong the hickey by aggravating the bruise with too much pressure. Be gentle when applying any of the treatments or massaging the skin.
A hickey takes only a few seconds to form, but requires several days to more than a week to heal. You might be able to help ease irritation and inflammation, and some self-treatment techniques could even help speed up the healing time by a day or two.
Ultimately, however, the body needs time to repair the broken capillaries and reabsorb the blood.
They usually go away on their own. But if they don’t go away or you seem to bruise easily in general, it may be worth mentioning to a doctor.