The pacifier, also known as a "love bite", is a temporary mark left on the skin by kissing and sucking the skin with enough force to break the capillaries. It usually goes away on its own in a week or two, but you can use some remedies to hide it or speed it up. This article offers some tips that will help you remove and hide a hickey.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using Home Remedies
Step 1. Apply ice
By putting an ice pack on the hickey, you can narrow the blood vessels and reduce swelling. Also, you will make the minus sign noticeable.
- Wrap the ice in a clean cloth to avoid freezing injuries from the cold. You can also keep a cold spoon on the affected area, but avoid rubbing it on the skin.
- You can also use a package of frozen vegetables, such as peas, or freeze a Styrofoam glass filled with water if you don't have ice.
- Leave the ice on the hickey for 20 minutes, but be sure to wait an hour or two before applying it again. Use the compress several times a day within 24 to 48 hours.
Step 2. Apply heat
If the pacifier has persisted for a couple of days, you may want to use a warm compress on the affected area. It will promote blood vessel dilation and circulation, accelerating healing.
- Use a heating pad or a cloth dipped in hot water;
- Apply heat for 20 minutes, several times a day. Before repeating the treatment, make sure your skin is back to its normal temperature, otherwise you risk getting a burn injury.
Step 3. Apply some aloe vera
Aloe vera is a natural moisturizer that can facilitate healing of the hematoma. Try spreading a generous layer of it on the affected area. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then, remove it with a tissue. Repeat this twice a day until the hickey is gone.
Step 4. Try using banana peel
While there is no scientific evidence to support this remedy, some believe that the inside of the banana peel can cool the area affected by the pacifier, reducing its size. Next, peel a banana and put the inside side on the stain. Keep it for a maximum of 30 minutes, then wipe off the residue with a paper towel or damp cloth.
Method 2 of 3: Accelerate Healing
Step 1. Eat foods rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin K
A deficiency in these vitamins could make you more sensitive to bruising. Therefore, increase your consumption of foods that contain them or consult your doctor to find out if you should take supplements.
- The best sources of vitamin K are kale, spinach, broccoli, liver, and eggs;
- Foods rich in vitamin C are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sweet potatoes, and red peppers.
- It is usually easier and healthier to increase the consumption of certain foods than to take supplements. However, you can ask your doctor if you need to add the vitamins you are lacking to your diet. You can also talk to your parents about how essential the intake of these substances is. If you don't want to explain why, try saying, "In the classroom we learned the importance of vitamins for health and I think it would be useful if I increased our consumption."
Step 2. Stop using tobacco products
If you smoke or are a smoker, stop doing it when you have a hickey. Smoking impairs blood circulation and can delay the healing of the hematoma.
- See your doctor if you want to quit smoking. There are medications and smoking cessation programs that may make it easier for you.
- If you are a minor, know that smoking is a bad habit. Your body is still developing and smoking can impair this process. If you have started smoking, talk to your parents, a family member you trust, or a school counselor. Tell them that you would like to take steps to lead a healthier lifestyle and stop smoking. Even if you have a hard time, know that the health benefits will be worth any effort on your part.
Step 3. Avoid massages and blood drainage maneuvers
While you may be tempted to massage the area around the hickey, avoid it. You could make the condition worse because you risk spreading bruising and making it more noticeable. Also, don't try never to drain the blood with a needle, otherwise you could make the injury worse and seriously injure yourself.
Step 4. Let the area around the hickey rest
While some treatments can speed up healing and reduce its size, it will take some time to heal. If pacifiers are a pleasant practice that you can't give up, ask your partner to focus on another area of the body that is not visible or has no obvious injuries.
A hickey - a bruise or small hematoma - is a wound. You need to let the area rest as you would any other type of bruise
Method 3 of 3: Hide the Soother
Step 1. Put on a turtleneck sweater or collared shirt
It can help hide it for a day or two. Choose a turtleneck sweater to completely cover the neck or try buttoning the collar of your shirt.
- A turtleneck sweater is probably the best choice, as a collared shirt cannot completely hide the hickey stain.
- Keep in mind that others may get suspicious if you wear neck-hiding shirts for several days in a row. Try covering it for a day or two with the right clothing and then switch methods.
Step 2. Hide it with an accessory
It can be a cute way to disguise a hickey and add a touch of style to your outfit at the same time. A scarf, bandana, or even a large piece of jewelry, such as a chain necklace, can temporarily cover it.
Again, people might get suspicious if you use this trick for several days. Try adding some variations to the accessories you use and switch methods after a couple of times
Step 3. Use your hair to conceal the hickey
If you have long hair, you may want to cover the area of the neck that has the stain. Surely, it is not a solution that allows you to camouflage the bruise all day, but you can use it if necessary to cover it temporarily, for example if your parents suddenly emerge. If they unexpectedly enter your room, you can quickly move a strand of hair on the hickey.
Step 4. Apply the green corrector
Initially the pacifier is red. The green corrector will compensate for the discoloration by fading the stain.
- Apply the concealer. Don't be afraid to overdo it. It's always best to overdo it when you need to cover a hickey.
- Use a concealer that matches your skin tone. Apply it on top of the green one with a makeup brush.
- Using a makeup sponge, gently pat the area where you applied the concealer until it is gradually blended so that it takes on the natural color of your skin. When you look in the mirror, you don't have to feel like you are wearing makeup.
Step 5. Use a pink concealer if the hickey changes color
As it heals, the hematoma tends to turn yellow or greenish. At this point, use a concealer with a pink tone to better hide the stain. Apply it the same way you applied the green concealer.
