Let’s face it, hickeys or love bites, can be embarrassing. Whether it’s an accidental souvenir from a steamy night or a mark you simply don’t want to explain at work or dinner with grandma, getting rid of a hickey quickly becomes priority number one. Good news? There are some surprisingly effective hacks out there. Here are the top three ways to fade that mark fast and reclaim your neck (or wherever it landed).
The cold spoon trick
Timing is everything. If you catch your hickey early, within the first few hours, go straight for the cold spoon trick. Pop a metal spoon in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then press it firmly onto the hickey. The cold helps constrict broken blood vessels under the skin and reduces swelling and discoloration.
Tip: Use a rolling motion, not just pressing, to help ‘massage’ the pooled blood back into circulation. Do this a few times a day for best results.
The toothbrush method
This one sounds odd, but it works. Take a soft-bristled toothbrush or a clean mascara wand and gently brush the hickey in a circular motion. The idea? Stimulating the area helps break up the clotted blood beneath the skin and encourages it to spread out, making the mark fade faster.
Important: Don’t scrub too hard! You don’t want to cause more damage or irritation. Follow up with a warm compress after brushing to enhance circulation.
Conceal & heal
While your skin works to heal, why not speed up the process and hide the evidence? Apply a vitamin K cream (commonly used for bruises) to help dissolve the clot. Then, top it with a green-tinted concealer to neutralise the purple tones, followed by your usual foundation.
Tip: Arnica gel is another hero, used by athletes for bruising. Apply a small amount 2–3 times daily.
