What Is a Hickey?
A hickey is a bruise-like mark resulting from ruptured blood vessels or capillaries under the skin’s surface. The blood vessels or capillaries break because of minor trauma, such as sucking or biting, creating a dark bruise. A hickey is not a serious condition and poses no serious side effects. However, hickeys can make the skin a little tender. Hickeys usually appear as a patch of decolorization. When they first arise, these are typically pink, red, or purple colored patches. As the bruise heals, these patches may become blue-colored. Hickeys can develop anywhere on the body but are frequently located on the neck.
How To Get Rid of Hickeys?
No treatment or therapy can make a hickey go away overnight, but some quick remedies can help them go away quickly.
These remedies include:
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Apply Warm Compresses to the Hickey: If 48 hours have passed since the hickey appeared, hot compresses can accelerate healing. Warm compresses help by opening the body’s blood vessels and breaking down the stain, removing the red blood cells that have come out from the blood vessels and into the skin. One can use a clean washcloth dampened in warm water directly on the bruise. Gentle massage with a heating pad or warm towel from the center of the hickey outward helps move the clotted blood away from the injured skin. Following this regime several times a day throughout the hickey may be helpful.
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Cold Packs or Compresses: Applying cold packs or ice compresses to the hickey within the first 12 hours of getting the hickey can help clear it. Cold compresses control bleeding under the skin and reduce inflammation. It also makes the skin less painful and sensitive. Applying ice cubes covered in a clean cloth over the bruise can also be a good option. On the first day after a new bruise, a metallic object such as a small spoon or metal bowl kept in the freezer can also work as a cold compress.
In addition to the warm and cold compress methods, one can apply the following gels or creams to hickey to help speed the healing process:
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Arnica: Arnica has been found to help hickeys heal more quickly. But it should be avoided if a person is on blood thinner pills. Arnica is an herb that has long as a traditional remedy for pain, swelling, and bruising. It is available in the form of an ointment, a gel, and homeopathic pellets. Research suggests that topical application of arnica in doses above 10 percent may subtly affect healing bruises.
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Vitamin C: Vitamin C is known to help blood clots, which helps lower the amount of bruising. Vitamin C can also boost the immune system and plays a vital role in producing a protein called collagen that provides elasticity and strength to the skin. Therefore, applying vitamin C topically to the bruise may speed up skin healing and clear the bruise faster. In addition, eating plenty of vitamin C-rich foods can also help boost skin healing. Vitamin C-rich foods are citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, red and green peppers, kiwifruit, broccoli, tomatoes, and fortified breakfast cereals.
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Vitamin K: Vitamin K may help fade bruises, but it is usually advised to apply it topically instead of orally, as oral administration is associated with more potential risks. Vitamin K plays a major role in wound healing and blood clotting. Therefore, vitamin K deficiency can make people more prone to bruising and bleeding problems. People can also eat foods rich in vitamin K or take vitamin supplements to boost healing. Good sources of vitamin K include green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, meat, dairy products, eggs, vegetable oils, and certain fruits, such as blueberries, grapes, and figs.
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Aloe Vera Gel: This commonly used, safe, and natural remedy may help a hickey heal faster. The thick, jelly-like pulp inside an aloe vera leaf effectively reduces inflammation, skin swelling, and pain. Applying a thin layer of the aloe vera pulp directly to the affected area twice a day can benefit. Stop using it if the pulp irritates or the skin seems sensitive.
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Banana Peel: Gently rubbing the hickey with the inner side of a banana peel for 15 to 30 minutes thrice a day may help reduce signs of bruising and irritation. Banana peels have healing properties. In addition, they are enriched with many vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants and can have a soothing impact on the skin.
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Rest: Avoid irritating or disturbing the affected area, as it can worsen the wound. If the hickey does not improve in a few days, or if there is severe pain or swelling, consult a doctor.
How Long Does a Hickey Take To Disappear?
There is no quick and easy way to get rid of a hickey. Like other types of bruises, they require time to heal. The body slowly breaks down the blood bits under the skin and reabsorbs them. After the first few days, the bruise darkens and changes colors until it fades. It is impossible to get rid of a hickey in seconds or minutes because the bleeding below the skin often takes some time to clear up. It may take from a few days to two weeks to heal completely. The time it takes to heal typically depends upon the size of the bruise. A larger hickey may take longer to go away than a smaller one.
Conclusion:
A hickey is a bruise-like mark on the skin resulting from ruptured blood vessels or capillaries under the skin’s surface. It may take only a few seconds for hickeys to form but require several days to more than a week to heal completely. Unfortunately, no treatment can make a hickey disappear overnight, but some quick remedies can help them go away a little faster.
