It’s Sunday evening and as you look at yourself in the mirror: Horror! There’s a red mark on your neck. Now, you are wondering “how do you get hickeys to go away fast?” Thankfully, there are several natural, home-made remedies you can use, providing you have them at home or the shops aren’t closed yet.

What is a hickey?

If you have one on your neck, then you already know what it is, since it doesn’t suddenly appears by itself, out of the blue. Hickeys, also called kiss masks or love bites, come from a prolonged strong sucking of the skin. It causes the capillaries to break, which creates a pool of blood that can be seen outside, on the skin, as a red or purple mark.

Hickeys are not dangerous. They are like a bruise that you could get falling on the ground or hitting yourself on an object. But they do take time to heal. Some can remain on you for as long as a week before they go away. Therefore, if you feel uncomfortable walking around with this love sign on your neck, you may want to try some home remedies to make them go away faster. Of course, you can always wear a turtleneck to hide it and get rid of it instantaneously, but it could be quite strange and uncomfortable in hot weather. You can also use covering cream, but it is better to just take steps to get rid of it, once and for all. Here are some of the actions that can help.

Ways to Get a Hickey off Your Neck

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is almost magical. Those who use it, swear that it can make miracles. It is true that it can stop the bleeding from small cuts, so it is quite practical to keep at home. Aloe vera possesses anti-inflammatory compounds that will not only sooth the hickey, but also get it to heal much more rapidly. Since it is a natural moisturizer, it will also help reduce the pain (if any).

Method:

All you need to do is apply the aloe vera gel on the hickey, and rub it gently so it can enter the skin. Repeat two to three times per day until the hickey goes away.

Cold compress

This is one of the best-known methods to get rid of a hickey fast. The cold will break apart the blood clots and help flush them out of your system more rapidly. If it just happened, it would also stop the bleeding.

Method:

Take a clean towel and place a few ice cubes inside it. Once the towel is cold, apply it on the skin where the hickey is located. Keep it there for about 10 minutes. Repeat the process three to four times per day.

ATTENTION: Do not put the ice cubes directly in contact with the skin. This could cause ice burns.

Vitamin K

Using vitamin K to reduce and relieve hickeys is advantageous in different ways. It is an anti-coagulant, making it the perfect tool to treat bruises. It will also speed-up the recovery process as it will help the body to reabsorb and get rid of the pooled blood.

Method:

There are three ways to benefit from vitamin K’s effects. You can apply it as a cream on the hickey, several times a day, till the hickey disappears completely. You can also eat food which contains a lot of vitamin K, which will help relieve the hickey from the inside. Spinach, soya beans oil, brown rice and broccoli are good choices. Finally, you can also ingest vitamin K as a food supplement in capsules.

Rubbing alcohol

If you keep some in your pharmacy at home, rubbing alcohol will also help get rid of hickeys fast. The disinfectant properties found inside alcohol will help treat the hickey. It will also provide a soothing sensation as it cools the area.

Method:

First, take a cotton swab and put some rubbing alcohol on it. Gently rub the area of the hickey with it, for several minutes. Repeat two to three times per day until it goes away.

NOTE: After using alcohol on your skin, you should always apply a moisturizing cream to replenish it, as alcohol dries the skin.

Banana Peel

The banana peel solution is great for those who like to eat them. That way, you can use the peel instead of throwing it away. That is because it has cooling compounds with soothing properties inside it, which will help get rid of the hickey more rapidly.

Method:

Once you are done eating your banana, cut the peel in small square pieces, the size of the hickey. Put one piece on the red mark, for 30 minutes at a time. Once you are done, rinse the skin with hot water. Repeat three to four times a day till you are hickey free.