Hickeys are the last thing young lovers want showing up on their necks or anywhere else for that matter.
These embarrassing marks aren’t particularly painful or harmful to your health, so there is no cause for serious concern in that regard. However, they do signal to others just what kinds of activities you were up to in private. After all, hickeys don’t happen on their own!
Hickeys are caused by the bursting of small blood vessels just under your skin’s surface. These vessels burst when put under pressure, usually from another person sucking on your skin too hard. Obviously, they’re a big sign you have been up to something. By using the options listed below, you can dramatically speed up your skin’s healing process and keep your love life private.
Remember when kissing at the garden gate; love is blind, but the neighbors ain’t.
1. Cold Compress
One of the most basic home remedies for how to make hickeys go away is a cold compress. The cold compress breaks apart the clotting blood, constricts ruptured capillaries and reduces the under skin bleeding or bruising.
What to do:
- Place some ice cubes in a thin towel or paper towel and press it against the affected area for about 15 minutes several times per day.
- An alternative is to place a spoon in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Rub the spoon over the affected area until the spoon is no longer cold.
- Repeat either of these remedies several times per day for the first two days.
2. Warm Compress
A warm compress is also a viable remedy when it comes to how to make hickeys go away. When the hickey is two to three days old the use of heat dilates the capillaries and allows new blood circulation to flow through the area and cleat out the clotting.
What to do:
- Soak a small hand towel or washcloth in hot water.
- Wring out the excess water and hold it on your skin for five minutes or until the towel cools.
- Repeat this several times per session 3 to 4 times per day.
- Alternatively, a heat patch will also help do the trick.
3. Cocoa Butter
An effective means of how to make hickeys go away is cocoa butter. Not only does it moisturize and improve circulation to the area, but vitamins and minerals found in cocoa butter help to promote the growth of healthy skin tissue in place of the tissue that was damaged.
What to do:
- Warm up the affected area with a warm compress to aid absorption.
- Massage cocoa butter into the affected area for several minutes.
- After massaging, apply the warm compress again for a few minutes.
- Repeat this several times a day for a couple of days.
4. Oranges
Another simple remedy in how to make hickeys go away comes from the power of oranges. The high amount of vitamin C in oranges helps to speed up the process of healing the damaged skin by encouraging the growth of collagen.
What to do:
- Extract the juice of two medium oranges and drink it.
- Repeat this several times per day for a few days.
5. Gentle Massage
Gentle massage is also effective when it comes to how to make hickeys go away. After the bruised area has aged a few days, gently massaging the area can help increase circulation and clear out the clotted blood.
What to do:
- Use a warm compress to warm the area for a few minutes.
- Gently press from the center of the affected area outward toward the edges.
- Repeat this for 5 to 10 minutes 3 or 4 times per day.
6. Banana Peel
Believe it or not, one of the strangest remedies for how to make hickeys go away is also one of the most effective. Banana peels have tons of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to help promote and encourage the growth of new skin tissue as it clears away the damage.
What to do:
- Cut off a piece of a ripe banana peel and place the moist side of the peel against the affected area.
- Leave it in place for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Repeat this process 2 to 3 times per day for a few days, using a fresh banana peel each time.
7. Vitamin K
Vitamin K is also an effective remedy for how to make hickeys go away. Because vitamin K inhibits coagulation (clotting of blood), it is an effective way to treat bruises. Vitamin K helps to reabsorb pooled blood and speeds the healing processes as well as making the hickey disappear.
What to do:
- You can apply creams or lotions with vitamin K 2 to 3 times per day for a few days.
- In addition, consume vitamin K rich foods such as brown rice, spinach, broccoli, soybean oil and fish oil for a few days to help heal from the inside out.
8. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is awesome for so many things and it is also a top remedy when it comes to how to make hickeys go away. Furthermore, it’s got anti-inflammatory properties as well as vitamins and minerals which help to rejuvenate damaged skin tissue.
What to do:
- Split open a chute from an aloe vera plant lengthwise.
- Extract the gel from the inside and apply the gel to the affected area by gently massaging it into the skin.
- Repeat this process several times a day for several days.
- You can also make use of creams or lotions with aloe vera in them.
9. Rubbing Alcohol
Though you might not need to disinfect the cooties from whoever gave you the hickey, rubbing alcohol is an effective remedy in how to make hickeys go away. Rubbing alcohol has soothing and cooling properties which can get rid of any discomfort that you might be experiencing from the bruising and it also promotes circulation to the area.
What to do:
- Soak a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol.
- Rub the moist cotton ball over the affected area for several minutes.
- As the alcohol evaporates, it will cool the area.
- Apply cocoa butter, aloe vera or other moisturizer to the area.
- You can repeat this several times per day for a couple of days.
10. Peppermint Oil
A great essential oil which is beneficial for how to make hickeys go away is peppermint oil. The stimulant effect of peppermint oil not only soothes the affected area, but it also helps to heal damaged capillaries and improve blood circulation to the area.
What to do:
- Gently massage a few drops of peppermint oil into the affected area and allow it to soak in.
- Only repeat this twice per day as the oil can irritate the skin if used too often.
- If you do not have peppermint essential oil, you can make use of peppermint based whitening gel or toothpaste in the same manner.
11. Pineapple
A sweet way for how to make hickeys go away involves the power of the pineapple. Contained in pineapples is a compound known as bromelain. Bromelain helps to reduce inflammation as well as promoting the growth of new tissue in the affected area.
What to do:
- Cut a slice of fresh pineapple and apply it to the affected area.
- Leave it in place for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Repeat this process 4 to 5 times per day for several days.
- Dipping a cloth in pineapple juice and holding over the area will also work.
- Go ahead and eat the pineapple to induce healing from the inside out.
12. Apple Cider Vinegar
One of the most common home remedies for any ailment or injury is apple cider vinegar and it is also effective when it comes to how to make hickeys go away. Similar to pineapple, apple cider vinegar contains special, anti-inflammatory compounds as well as a ton of vitamins and minerals to help encourage new tissue growth. Be sure not to use this remedy until after 48 hours after the hickey first appeared.
What to do:
- Pour 4 to 5 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a couple of cups of warm water.
- Soak a piece of gauze or a cotton ball in the solution and bathe the affected area with it for several minutes.
- Repeat this 4 to 5 times daily for several days.
13. Witch Hazel
An excellent herbal remedy with plenty of success when it comes to how to make hickeys go away is witch hazel. This herb also has anti-inflammatory properties and also promotes circulation to the affected area.
What to do:
- Make witch hazel tea, and then dip a cotton ball in it.
- Bathe the affected area with the tea and repeat this process several times per day for a few days.
- As an alternate treatment, you can make witch hazel paste, apply it to the affected area and leave it in place for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing it off.
- You can repeat this process a couple of times a day for several days as well.
14. Parsley
Parsley is another herb which is quite effective in how to make hickeys go away. It contains a broad number of vitamins and herbs which do wonder for rejuvenating your skin and they will also help to restore damaged tissue from a hickey.
What to do:
- Thoroughly grind several sprigs of parsley into a paste.
- Apply the paste to the affected area and cover it with a piece of gauze.
- Leave it in place for an hour before rinsing off the paste.
- Repeat this several times per day for several days.
15. Tuna Oil
Another strange but effective remedy for how to make hickeys go away involves tuna oil. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, tuna oil has the necessary ingredients to help regenerate damaged skin.
What to do:
- Apply tuna oil to the affected area and leave it in place for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing it off.
- You can repeat this 4 to 5 times daily for several days.
Conclusion
A hickey can cause you quite a bit of embarrassment, so knowing how to make hickeys go away while you hide at home is pretty useful to know. By making use of our home remedies for making hickeys disappear, you will be right back out among your friends socializing in no time. If you have other remedies, questions or success stories for getting rid of hickeys add them in the comments section below.
Images: depositphotos.com.