They can last as long as two weeks. There's surprisingly little research done on hickeys, but the general consensus is that they rarely last longer than two weeks, with many hickeys clearing up within just a few days.
Your best bet is to treat your hickey with good old-fashioned warm compresses. “Warm compresses can help open up your body's blood vessels and break down the stain, taking away the red blood cells that have spilled out from the blood vessels and into your skin,” Dr. Vij explains.
Usually, neck areas are popular spots for giving a hickey, which is fine if your partner has long hair. You can also consider other spots like the crook of the elbow or the inner thigh. To give your partner a hickey, make an O with your lips and press them firmly on your partner's skin.
Other hickey site contenders could include around the collarbone, on the inner thigh, on the stomach, or even the skin in the crook of your elbow. The back of the neck may involve less cover-up work, too, for people with longer hair. Some people call the act of giving a hickey as “marking” a partner.
To be on the safe side, try not to give or receive a hickey close to the carotid artery. That's the area at the top of your neck, just to the side of your chin.
I know this isn't what you really want to hear, but when in doubt, the easiest (and fastest) way to hide a hickey is with your favorite concealer or foundation. Blend your go-to formula on clean, dry skin with a damp makeup sponge and lock it all in with a quick dust of setting powder.
Cold packs or compresses: Applying cold or ice compresses over the skin may help clear the hickey through various mechanisms such as controlling bleeding under the skin and reducing inflammation. It may also make the skin less painful and sensitive.
Hickeys start out red because of the intact red blood cells in the bruise loaded with hemoglobin underneath the skin. After a few days, the red blood cells begin to break down, and shades of blue and purple appear. You may even see some shades of brown as your body breaks down the red blood cells (Jeney, 2013).
The methods described below do not offer immediate results, unfortunately, nothing will make a hickey disappear overnight, but they may help you to get rid it a few days earlier.
Hickeys are harmless and normally go way on their own after several days. Applying an ice pack to the affected area as soon as possible is the best way to reduce the appearance and any pain or swelling. Taking OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen can also help relieve tenderness.
For others it's a show of affection. Simply a regular part of a passionate kissing session. Usually the recipients are quite happy to show off to their mates that they're getting some. Although this behaviour is usually reserved for those just beginning their dating lives.
Give yourself a mini massage.
“Massaging the skin where a hickey is present can regulate blood flow to the area and may be able to help the bruise fade quicker,” Dr. Chimento says.
No, hickeys don't cause cancer, and they aren't dangerous. A hickey is a bruise that forms when a person sucks and lightly bites an area on another person's body, causing the blood vessels under the skin to break. While some people enjoy giving or getting hickeys, other people may find them painful.
People usually hickeys to their partners during romantic or passionate moments, and typically in sensitive areas of the body like the neck, shoulders, or chest.
"It's not the hickey itself that's making you aroused, it's the act of kissing that's causing the arousal," Dr. Jaber says. For some people, it can feel good to get kissed on the neck. The neck is full of nerve-endings, which can make a kiss there a lot more pleasurable.
Aloe vera: One of the easiest ways to get rid of love bite is applying aloe vera gel. You can freeze aloe vera gel in an ice-tray and apply it on the concerned area. It will help to reduce swelling and redness. Apply it regularly for 2-3 days to get rid of the love bite completely.
Does toothpaste get rid of hickeys? No, toothpaste is not an effective way to get rid of hickeys. It can even cause irritation and make the hickeys worse because of its ingredients. So, do not use it on your skin.
Love bites can prove to be extremely dangerous for you as there is a high chance of a small vein of the body getting suppressed, increasing the risk of stroke. At the same time, the possibility of having a paralysed attack from a love bite also increases.
For the first 48 hours after getting the hickies, avoid activities that may increase swelling, such as hot showers, hot tubs, hot packs, or alcoholic beverages. Protect the area from further “trauma.” Gently massage the hickey to increase blood flow and relieve pain. Be careful not to rub the area if it hurts too much.