In the heat of the moment, a make-out session can escalate to your neck, back and other body parts. While love bites or hickeys aren’t bad, they take a week or two to subside. What is irritating though is that you have to answer all sorts of questions about them! So, they’re definitely not something you want to flaunt in front of your folks or colleagues. If you haven’t got a dozen scarves or a wardrobe full of turtlenecks (which look stupid in the summers anyway) you’re going to need some legit home remedies – Yeah, no kidding!

So, read our post ahead and follow these 15 tricks, tips and tested remedies that are quite effective and will help you get rid of hickeys quickly…

Symptoms Of Hickeys:

When somebody bites, kisses hardly, or aggressively sucks one’s body, the blood vessels beneath the skin surface rupture and cause a black-and-blue mark. This results in instant swelling and blood clot (a type of hematoma) in the affected area.

While hickeys are not dangerous – in an extreme case – if there is sudden damage of nerves, one might even get a stroke or get paralyzed due to internal bleeding.

Home Remedies:

1. Cocoa Butter:

There are numerous benefits of cocoa butter; it moisturizes your skin, strengthens your damaged hair and even helps heal your scars. Yes, cocoa butter, which is an excellent source of antioxidants, actually is the best salvation for people who are battling love bites. Derived from fatty acids (which consist of stearic, oleic and plamitic acids), cocoa butter fights free radicals, hydrates your skin deeply and leaves it incredibly soft and supple. So, if you are looking for a simple treatment, then follow the steps below.

What You Need:

• Cocoa butter
• Lukewarm water
• Clean towel

How To Use:

As the hickey gets older, apply a warm compress – you can take a clean towel, soak it in warm water, wring it out – and place it on the affected area. Once done, take little pieces of raw cocoa butter and gently massage on the hickey for about 5 – 10 minutes. Repeat this process for 4 – 5 times a day. This will help in stimulating the blood circulation and aid in hickey removal.

Tip: Instead of the raw butter, you can also slather a good amount of cocoa butter in the form of lotion, oil or cream.

2. Toothpaste:

Another simple and incredible treatment is this application of toothpaste that works in fading and minimizing the scar tissue. Now, there are two reasons to pick a peppermint or mint based toothpaste – a) it contains menthol that has cooling and soothing properties, b) most toothpaste brands include baking soda that can be used to dry up problem spots.

What You Need:

• Peppermint or Mint based toothpaste
• Clean towel
• Lukewarm water

How To Use:

There are a couple of different ways you can use toothpaste to treat your hickey. One such way is to dab toothpaste on the affected area and rub it gently for few minutes. Wait for the tingling to stop. Once applied, and the sensation has stopped, clean the area with a clean towel soaked in lukewarm water. Now wait for a few hours and repeat the process until you eliminate the mark. You can also apply the toothpaste before you go to bed and allow to dry overnight.

3. Makeup:

Makeup is one of the oldest, most common and probably the easiest trick to get rid of blemishes. So, why not use this method to hide an embarrassing hickey? You can use any form of makeup product, starting from primer to a foundation, but ensure that it does not make the injured area irritated. Here are a few makeup steps for an quick fix.

What You Need:

• Primer
• Concealer
• Foundation
• Translucent loose powder
• Makeup Brush or sponge

How To Use:

Pat on a makeup primer, like Topshop Beauty Airbrush Primer, over the area for extra staying power. Next, dab a concealer close to your skin and hickey color.

Tip: Pick a green corrector if your hickey is purple in colour – try Maybelline New York Cover Stick Concealer, Green. If your love marks are yellow or green in color, we recommend Bobbi Brown Corrector.

Once done, be sure to pick a good foundation and apply quickly with the finger to cover up. Try Max Factor All Day Flawless 3-in-1 Foundation. Make sure you blend it properly – you can also use a brush or a sponge to avoid any lines on the injured area. Finish it off by pressing loose powder directly onto the foundation to set it. We recommend Mineral Power Finishing Veil Translucent Loose Powder In Translucent.

4. Orange:

Now we are aware that orange juice or its peel powder is used in several skin care recipes, but did you know that it equally comes in handy when trying to heal love bites? Yes, oranges can help to get rid of hickeys quickly. This is because oranges are high in vitamin C (has many healing properties,) which is an essential nutrient that can strengthen the capillaries. So, once you take fresh orange juice, it helps to stabilize the collagen and repair your skin.

What You Need:

• A glass of fresh orange juice instead of packaged orange juice

How To Use:

Just after getting a hickey, make a fresh orange juice and drink it regularly – twice or thrice a day should be good – this will help you repair your skin quickly. If oranges are unavailable, then you can take other vitamin C enriched fruits like guava, papaya and other citrus fruits. As an alternative, you can also take vitamin C supplements (about 500 milligrams) thrice a day for about a week. Not only will this prevent the hickeys, but will also help rebuild your collagen.

3. Ice Cubes (Ice Compress):

Ice cubes constrict blood vessels and restrict the initial flow of blood into the injured area, which also helps in reducing the swelling. Furthermore, it allows recirculation and prevents blood clotting. Basically, if you prevent the clotting of blood, then you can also prevent leaving any love marks on the skin. If not ice cubes, you can also take an ice pack or any cold compress that will help to constrict the ruptured capillaries. This can also reduce the bleeding.

What You Need:

• Ice cubes or Ice pack
• Towel

How To Use:

If you notice a fresh hickey, just take a clean towel, wrap it around an ice cube, and place it on your marks to get rid of them quickly. While pressing the ice towel, make sure you press and move the ice firmly and slowly around the surface of the hickey. After 5 minutes, leave the ice on for 15-20 minutes (or as long as you can bear it), and remove and reapply this compress. Keep repeating this step several times, especially after you noticed a fresh hickey to get rid of it completely.

Tip: Ensure you don’t place ice directly on your skin; if not a towel, you can also use an ice pack.

6. Aloe Vera:

Used for medicinal purposes for centuries, Aloe Vera is another effective way for treating hickeys. Along with natural soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, the plant has a tendency to reduce sensitivity of the injured skin and help the capillaries heal faster.

What You Need:

• Aloe Vera gel extracted from the leaf

How To Use:

Squeeze out Aloe Vera pulp from the leaf – you can find this gel under the leaf’s skin. Now apply this gel directly on the affected area. Not only will this lessen the surface swelling and severity of your hickey, but will also keep your skin moisturized while it heals. If not a fresh gel, you can also use Aloe Vera based creams and lotions that will deeply penetrate into the skin and help increase the collagen production in your skin to promote healing. Just slather a good amount on the affected skin area twice a day for 3 – 4 days to cure it completely.

Tip: You can store the remaining gel in a container or can wrap the leaf with plastic transparent foil and keep it in refrigerator. You can preserve it for about 20 days in the refrigerator.

7. Alcohol:

Though the numerous benefits and alternative uses of rubbing alcohol are easy to miss, the indispensable first-aid tool has long been a popular choice for removing hickeys. Thanks to the disinfectant and cooling properties, this widely used antiseptic can enable you to get rid of a hickey soon. Not only that, with 70% concentration of Ethyl or Isopropyl alcohol, this topical liquid solution kills bacteria and some viruses and fungi too – just remember to not over-do this one.

What You Need:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton pads/buds/balls

How To Use:

So, if your hickey is fresh, then this mild counter irritant with its soothing and disinfectant properties can help to get rid it quickly. Take a cotton pad, dip it in the rubbing alcohol and apply it on the hickey. Gently massage the affected area for a few minutes to help minimize any discomfort. Once you are done with the massage, make sure you dab a moisturizing lotion since it dehydrates the skin.

Tip: Consider this as a friendly warning – rubbing alcohol is a denatured alcohol, which means it is non-edible alcohol.

8. Tea Bag: 

Everyone is aware of the countless health benefits of tea – it repairs cellular damage, and reduces the risk of stroke and other diseases. But do you know that the used tea bags that you are planning to discard are equally beneficial? The small tea bags (while they are still warm) are reusable and can work wonders for your skin.

What You Need:

• Used Tea Bags

How To Use:

Once you notice your hickey, put a soaked (put the tea bag in boiling water for few minutes) or used tea bag to provide relief and help you heal faster. Continue this for a few minutes until the warm bag cools off completely and continue this process for about 4-5 times. After several applications, you’ll feel the cooling and soothing effects that will help in getting rid of the hickey and its dark spots on the skin. Once done, if required, clean the injured areas with a clean towel soaked in water. This method also works for healing bruises.

9. Apple Cider Vinegar:

Many people also swear by using apple cider vinegar to wear off the marks. And why not? The product is rich in natural minerals, vitamins, enzymes and acids, and is effective for almost everything — for glowing skin, long hair, healing bruises, etc. Be it raw, organic or unpasteurized, apple cider vinegar is a “mother” of health benefits.

What You Need:

• Apple cider vinegar
• A bowl of warm water
• Clean towel
• Cotton pad

How To Use:

Mix half a cup of apple cider vinegar in a bowl of water (four cups). Dip the clean towel in the solution, and apply to the hickey. You can spread the concoction around the area to reduce intensity of the discoloration. Leave the solution for a few minutes without disturbing it. The acids in the vinegar help balance the pH levels of the skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties can calm hickey, and its acetic acid increases circulation and promotes healing. Repeat the method for 2 – 3 times a day till the hickey heals.

You can also take a cotton pad and soak it in an undiluted apple cider vinegar for a few minutes. Next, dab the cotton pad on the hickey and secure it with a bandage. Leave on for an hour or so.

10. Pineapple:

Though pineapple is often associated with tropical locations and sunny weather, do you know including pineapple in your diet can treat your hickeys completely and quickly? As you know it, pineapple contains bromelain, an anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory agent, which can heal new scars. So, when it is applied directly on the skin, it aids in decreasing the pain and effectively breaks down the blood proteins that clot to form love bites.

What You Need:

• Pineapple pieces or a bowl of pineapple juice
• Cotton pads

How To Use:

In the first procedure, take a few pineapple pieces and gently rub them on the hickeys and the affected skin. Continue this process to get complete relief from the hickeys and reduce the intensity of the skin discoloration that is formed due to hickeys on the skin.

In the alternate procedure, take a bowl of pineapple juice and soak a cotton ball in the juice for a few minutes. Now remove the ball and wring it to remove the excess juice. Next, dab this ball on the area affected by hickey for a few minutes. Once done, allow it to dry for sometime. Continue this process until you get relief from the hickeys completely.

11. Massage:

Another effective tool to hide the hickey is by massaging the affected area using a soft bristles toothbrush, a lipstick cap or a coin. Though a bit painful, massaging can help break up the coagulum and also increase blood flow. This will eventually help you in getting rid of a hickey.
What You Need:

Soft bristles toothbrush, lipstick caps or a coin

How To Use:

Take a soft bristles toothbrush and gently rub it on the hickeys for 2-3 minutes. This process will help you in pushing the blood away from the center of the hickey.

Tip: Do not massage the injured area if it causes pain, otherwise a serious problem may be present.

You can also take a small coin, and with the help of your two fingers, stretch the affected area of your skin flat. Now, scrape the hickey with the help of your coin. This way you will be breaking the blood clot so that it is less dark, and easier for you to cure the hickeys completely. With this process, chances are that the skin will turn red, but this will go away in a few minutes.

You can also use a lipstick or a pen cap (or any cylindrical object) and massage the area to relieve pain and encourage blood flow.

12. Peppermint Essential Oil:

A really fast alternative solution to clear away love bites is by using peppermint oil on a hickey. Used for over 200 years now, peppermint oil – also known as the multi-tasking essential oil – gives a soothing sensation and has a calming effect on the skin. This can help in relieving sore muscles during your massage or when added in bath water. Not only this, the hybrid species of spearmint and water mint also has antimicrobial properties that can help improve mental focus, clear respiratory tract, soothe digestive issues and freshen breath.

What You Need:

• Peppermint essential oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Sweet almond oil
• Bandage or clean towel
• Warm water

How To Use:

In the first procedure, take a small bowl and add all the essential oils in it, i.e., peppermint, lavender and sweet almond oil. Mix the solution well and directly apply this on the affected areas on the skin. Next, wrap your hickeys with a bandage. This method will help your blood to circulate, which in turn will reduce the swelling and cure these hickeys. Lavender oil, on the other hand, will help to relieve the pain that is caused due to hickeys. Continue this process for several times a day until your hickeys are healed.

Tip: Remember not to apply peppermint oil immediately on the broken skin, you can just dab the oil around but not on the open wound.

In the second method, soak a cotton ball in the peppermint essential oil and dab this oil directly on the hickeys. Repeat this remedy for not more than twice a day or else it causes some skin irritation. If a tingling sensation persists, don’t worry – it goes away in a few seconds, hopefully along with the hickey.

13. Banana Peel:

Banana peels are rich in nutrients (especially potassium), tryptophan, and contain high fiber even while compared to their flesh. Other than that, the peel has plenty of unusual uses for the environment and your body which includes healing your love bites.

What You Need:

• Ripe banana
• Bandage

How To Use:

Take the peel and cut it into the size of your hickeys. Next, place this peel on the love bite and wrap it with a bandage for about 10 – 15 minutes. Now, take off the banana peels from the area and wipe it gently. Continue repeating this process for about 2 – 3 times a day and this will help in reducing the appearance of these marks completely.

14. Medications:

If you couldn’t heal your hickeys and they are still causing pain, then you can take medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, Excedrin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), vitamin K (even a lotion or cream rich in vitamin K would work) or naproxen (Aleve) etc., to get relief from the pain and speed up the healing process. You can also take bromelain health supplement.

Point to be noted: Remember to consult a doctor or health care provider before taking any medicines to know the correct dosage for treating the hickeys.

So, what are you waiting for? Try these home remedies and get rid of the hickey quicker than you imagined! Hope you liked this post! If you have any suggestions, please feel free to write to us by commenting below. We value your feedback.

The post How To Get Rid Of A Hickey? appeared first on STYLECRAZE.

by Anisha Pradhan via STYLECRAZE