A hickey, which is a type of bruise from suction, typically lasts 3 days to 2 weeks, fading as the blood under the skin is reabsorbed, often going from red to purple/blue and then greenish-yellow before disappearing. The duration depends on the intensity of the suction and your body's healing, with more severe hickeys taking longer.
Like other bruises, hickeys can take anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks to go away. Hickeys are superficial bruises, which means they are on the surface of your skin. These types of bruises usually don't take as long to heal as deeper bruises like black eyes.
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).
A hickey is a type of bruise that forms when pressure or suction causes small blood vessels under the skin to break. Blood leaks out of damaged blood vessels and becomes trapped beneath the skin, creating a red or purple spot.
The neck may be the most popular spot, but you can technically give a hickey to any area of sensitive skin. For a less visible and more intimate mark, try giving her a hickey on the top of her breast or the inside of her upper thigh.
3. They show up fast. It doesn't take long to get a hickey — 20 to 30 seconds of targeted sucking can do the trick — and they often appear quickly, too. You might be surprised to emerge from a makeout session to the sight of a visible hickey as soon as five to 10 minutes later!
Beyond pulse dye laser, Zeichner says that topical creams like Arnica or Vitamin K are your best bet for a speedy recovery. Plus, Zeichner says if the skin barrier is disrupted and the hickey becomes dry or itchy, you can also apply Vaseline petroleum jelly to protect the skin from infection and keep the wound clean.
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.
Best Excuses to Use to Explain Away a Hickey
A hickey is sometimes used to mark someone as being the target of a partner's romantic affection or as belonging to them.
A fresh hickey has red or purple tones, which you can color correct with a green or yellow color correcting cream. Then, go in with a concealer that matches or is one shade lighter than your skin tone. Set the makeup with powder.
The 90/10 kissing rule, popularized by the movie Hitch, suggests that one person leans in 90% of the way for a kiss and pauses, allowing the other person to close the remaining 10%, which signals their consent and involvement, preventing it from feeling forced and creating anticipation. This technique gives the other person control, allowing them to either lean in for the kiss or pull away, indicating their comfort level.
If she seems to want to keep kissing you after you pull away, try gently kissing her on her earlobes, jawline, neck, or shoulders. Then, kiss her on the mouth again after exploring these areas of her body. Avoid sucking on her neck or other areas of her body.
The neck is considered a highly sensitive area due to its concentration of nerve endings, which makes gentle affection there especially powerful. Psychologists suggest it isn't just physical — neck kisses trigger feelings of closeness, safety, and desire, often releasing bonding hormones like oxytocin.
Other skin conditions that look like hickeys
First, we found that men generally considered medium to large, but not extra-large, sizes to be the most attractive, thus confirming some results from previous studies (Gueguen, 2007a, b; Horvath, 1981) but not others (e.g., Furnham & Swami, 2007; Singh & Young, 1995).
“Children who have recently weaned from breastfeeding will often grab at breasts out of habit. They also do this when they have learned to associate mommy's breasts with comfort and self-soothing,” explains Dr. Walfish.
Erotic lactation is generally safe for adults who are otherwise healthy, but there are some considerations and potential risks you might consider discussing before beginning breastfeeding. Some infections and diseases can be transmitted to your partner through breast milk.