A love bite or hickey is a discoloration of the skin. It is a bruise caused by prolonged suction of the mouth against the skin. Giving or receiving a love bite is pretty easy, but removing one is not so easy. Displaying a love bite in public can be embarrassing, so think twice before allowing someone to give you one. If you do end up with one, try these quick home remedies to minimize the appearance of the bite.
Home Remedies for Removing Love Bites
- Cold pack: Apply an icepack to the love bite. Do this asap. You can wrap some ice in a towel or put a spoon in the freezer for a few minutes or use a pre-frozen ice pack. Gently hold the cold compress to the skin for several minutes. Remove the compress and then apply it again. You will need to repeat freezing, if the compress starts getting warm. Or else you can wait for 15-20 minutes till the redness and swelling get reduced and less obvious. Apply a cold compress.
- Brush and comb method:Lightly brush the area with a stiff-bristled soft brush, tooth brush or a comb. Doing this breaks up the blood clot and gets circulation going again.
- Use a coin: This is painful and complicated bt you can try it if you really do not want others to see the love bite. This method proven VERY effective. First, stretch the skin flat. Then, use the edge of a large coin to scrape the skin. The coin must be presssed on the skin quite hard to your comfort level so that there is no bleeding. This pushes the excess blood, which has escaped from the capillaries, out of the surface skin. There will be redness from the scraping of the coin, but that will go away much faster than the love bite.
- Toothpaste:Get some toothpaste, smear some on your love bite, and leave it there for 10 minutes. Do this three times a day. Just try this out. How effective it is varies from person to person. Just because it works for one person doesn't mean it's gonna work for the next.
Herbal Remedies
- Apply arnica salve. Arnica is an herbal salve that helps in reducing the swelling and can reduce the appearance of a hickey.
- You can also apply aloe vera gel on the bruise.
Style Tips for Hiding Love Bites
- Conceal the love bite with makeup. The most effective makeup will be the green-tinted concealer, as it is designed to negate red skin tones.You can try an eyeshadow that’s lighter than your skin tone if you don’t have a concealer.
- Apply a foundation that is a little lighter than your skin tone. Apply it directly on the area and all around it so it doesn’t look like that you’re trying to hide something.
- Cover the area with something. If you have long hair, you can keep it open and style it so that it hangs down over the hickey. You can use a scarf around your neck or wear a collared top or blouse. For men, wear a turtleneck, a collared shirt to cover the love bite. Frequently check the positioning of your shirt or your hair to make sure the hickey is still covered.
