How to get rid of a hickey, if you somehow are still getting hickeys

Hello teens, and adults who act like teens. If, in a fit of passion, an overzealous someone did a number on your neck, and now you’ve got a bruise, well, you’re in the right place. It’s embarrassing, but this is a safe space. The good news is, you might be able to contain the damage. We asked a doctor to explain how to get rid of a hickey, because someone needed to be the adult in the room.

So let’s cut to the chase: You’re here because you need to lose the hickey (and maybe the partner, but I’ll leave that to you). I spoke with Dr. Ehsan Ali, MD, otherwise known as “The Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor”, who has helped a few of his own patients with the aftermath of an overly enthusiastic romantic encounter.

“Hickeys appear due to burst vessels beneath the skin,” says Ali. “This then causes blood to accumulate in a small area, which creates a bruise.” He says the only way to heal an existing hickey is time—a couple days, at least, and sometimes a week or more. You can, however, treat them immediately. Acting quickly will help hickeys heal faster, or to bruise less. Here are Ali’s suggestions for exactly that, as well as a few pointers on concealing hickeys, or preventing them altogether.

How to get rid of a hickey

1. Press a cold spoon on the bruise: “The back of a cold spoon will help reduce swelling,” says Ali. “This has the same effect as applying ice. It constricts the blood vessels, therefore minimising bruising and bleeding.”

2. Apply aloe vera: “This will speed up the healing process,” Ali says. “Aloe’s anti-inflammatory properties can reduce skin swelling and pain, too.” GQ recommends: Jason Aloe Vera 84% hand and body lotion.

3. Apply pressure immediately: This slows blood flow to the site, and will stop the bruise from becoming larger.

How to conceal a hickey

1. Apply a large square bandage: There’s no rhyme or reason here except that you can tell everyone you had a cyst drained from the side of your neck, says Ali. It’s worked for a few of his clients, and it makes for a cool story. (Hardcore necking was a cool story in high school, but if you’re an adult it’s a bit embarrassing—no offense. The cyst story sounds more on brand, so stick with that, and know that everyone will make hickey jokes anyway.)

2. Use concealer: What an aptly named product. Concealer can match your skin tone to cover blemishes like zits… and hickeys! Find a brand that offers numerous shades, like Mënaji with its CAMO Concealer, and apply lightly, using your ring finger to gently blend it in and hide the welt.

3. Turtlenecks and scarves: A scarf is a reliable move, but a little questionable in the office. Maybe it’s time for a black turtleneck.

How to prevent a hickey

1. Avoid aspirin: “Don’t take anything that thins the blood,” says Ali of aspirin and many other pain killers. (Save it for a broken heart.) “These will increase the chance of bruising, and if a hickey appears while you’re on aspirin, the bruise will be larger.”

2. Spread the love: “Avoid prolonged kissing of one specific area, and make sure your partner doesn’t keep kissing hard on one area for too long,” he says.

3. Minimise pressure: I hope your partner’s idea of TLC isn’t to latch on like a leech. If that’s the unfortunate truth, communicate! Or, say nothing and just plan on nursing lots of hickeys. But really, just tell your partner to lay off the intense neck chomping—it’s a favour for you both.

4. If you see a hickey, immediately apply ice: Or something else cold. I said this before, but it merits repeating: “Pressure from something cold (like the backside of a spoon that you put in the freezer) stops the bruise from getting bigger or more painful,” Ali says.

**Now read: **

The definitive guide of how to kiss well

This is how long sex should last (from a woman’s point of view)