The longest a hickey typically lasts is about two weeks (10-14 days), as they are essentially bruises that fade as the body reabsorbs the trapped blood, though smaller ones might go away in a few days. The duration depends on the severity of the suction and your individual health, with more intense hickeys and poorer circulation (due to diet or certain supplements/alcohol) potentially leading to longer healing times.
How Long Do Hickeys Last? 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.
Like other forms of bruising, hickeys need time to heal. So, you likely won't be able to get rid of your hickey overnight let alone in a few hours. But there's good news. Most bruises last anywhere from three days to two weeks.
How to Get Rid of a Hickey Quickly?
There's no proven method to make a hickey disappear, but cool compresses, arnica cream, and creams with vitamin K may help it fade faster. A hickey will fade over time, but it can take up to 2 weeks for it to completely disappear.
A hickey, often referred to as a love bite in British English and specialised use, is a bruise or bruise-like mark caused by biting or sucking the skin of a person, usually on their neck, arm, or earlobe.
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.
Other skin conditions that look like hickeys
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.
“It's just a bruise.”
However, if you observe the following problems, consult a doctor:
Then, put your lips against their skin and form an “O” with your mouth. Draw in your breath and suck; it should create a bit of a vacuum effect. Teeth aren't needed to cause a hickey — suction alone will do it — but you can mix in a bit of light biting and nibbling here if your partner is interested in that.
Makeup can be a useful tool for covering hickeys and tattoos, providing a temporary solution for concealing marks on the skin.
Neutralize the Discoloration
Use a green color corrector for red undertones or a peach corrector for purple tones. Lightly dab it on the hickey and blend out the edges to balance the skin tone before applying foundation.
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.
Hickeys, or love bites, are harmless. However, some people may find that they need to cover or reduce their appearance. Remedies such as applying an ice pack can help to reduce the appearance. A hickey is a temporary mark that can appear after someone sucks on another person's skin.
You want to suck hard enough to create a decent seal but not so hard that you cause pain. This will take about 20–30 seconds. After you're done, the hickey will typically start to appear right away and may get more intense over the next hour. The bruise will first appear pink or red and then start to darken.
Hickeys are a mark of passion. They are often done in the heat of the moment. Contrary to popular belief, hickeys should be shared as a token of physical affirmation and pleasure as opposed to showing ownership over a partner.
8 Simple Ways To Get Rid of a Hickey Fast
Lip balm cap
Using the cap from a tube of lip balm to massage the skin is yet another suggestion that pops up all over Google. As with the massage techniques listed above, this won't “break apart” the hickey either.