Hickeys: Excuses, Understanding, and Treatment
We’ve all been there – a fun night out with someone you’re attracted to, leading to some kisses on the neck, only to wake up with a visible mark on your skin. Hickeys, also called love bites, are a common result of passionate kissing.
In this article, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about hickeys: excuses to use, understanding what they are, and how to treat them.
Excuses for Hickeys
Hickeys can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, especially if you don’t want others to know about your romantic escapades. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some excuses you can use:
Believable Excuses:
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Paintball or Sports Injury
Whether you love outdoor activities or you’re a sports enthusiast, a hickey can be explained by a friendly fire incident during paintball or an injury during sports.
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Birthmark or Mole
If you have a birthmark or mole on your neck, you can simply say that the mark was already there, and it’s not a bruise from a hickey.
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Curling Iron or Hot Water Burn
If you have long hair, you can blame a hickey on a curling iron accident or spilling hot water on your neck.
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Insect Bite or Mosquito Bite
Although it’s not the most convincing excuse, you can blame a hickey on an insect bite or mosquitos that were active the previous night.
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Temporary Tattoo or Stamp
Another way to hide a hickey is by covering the mark with a temporary tattoo or party stamp.
Skincare or Allergy Excuses:
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Toothpaste Allergy
Using a new toothpaste can stimulate an allergic reaction, which can cause skin rashes or hives that look like a hickey.
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Fragrance Allergy
If you’re allergic to a fragrance in a lotion or perfume, it could cause a reaction on your skin in the form of a hickey-like mark.
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Virus
A virus could be responsible for a rash on your skin, leaving a mark that looks like a hickey.
Sports or Hobby Excuses:
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Volleyball or Basketball Injury
An accidental elbow from a teammate during a game can easily explain a hickey on your neck.
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Archery Mishap
If you love archery, a hickey can be explained by a bowstring hitting your neck.
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Caught in Something
If you’re wearing clothes with buttons, the fabric can easily cause an accidental suction on your neck, leaving behind a hickey.
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Party Stamp
If you’ve been to a party with stamps, the ink can sometimes leave a hickey-like mark on your neck.
Creative Excuses:
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Deny
You could simply deny that the mark on your neck is a hickey, and explain that it’s just a regular bruise.
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Fake Hickey
It’s possible to create a fake hickey using makeup or even a vacuum cleaner. Blaming it on a fake hickey can save your blushes.
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Animal Attack
Blaming a pet or even a wild animal for the mark on your neck is another creative option.
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Apple to the Neck
If you’re a movie buff, you can blame a hickey on a scene from Twilight, where the hero Edward uses an apple to leave marks on Bella’s neck.
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Makeup Accident
If you accidentally smudge lipstick or foundation on your neck, it could create a hickey-like mark.
Understanding Hickeys
Even though hickeys are a result of a harmless act of affection, it’s still important to understand what they are and why they happen.
Definition of Hickeys:
Hickeys are caused by excessive kissing, suction, or biting of the skin.
The physical act of sucking on the skin causes a skin lesion, which is essentially a bruise that results in broken little blood vessels. This suction, combined with the release of blood droplets, can create a visible mark.
Hickeys are typically located on the neck but can happen anywhere on the body.
Reasons for Giving Hickeys:
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Feeling Good
The primary reason for giving a hickey is the feeling it gives to those involved. It’s a sensory experience of release and passion.
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Sensory Experience
Kissing and sucking create an increased sense of intimacy, which can lead to more arousal.
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Unintentional Creations
Hickeys can often be unintentional, especially if there’s passion involved or the person giving them is unaware of their actions.
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Intentional Creations
In some cases, a hickey can be intentionally created as a sign of ownership or possession between partners.
Treatment for Hickeys:
If you’re looking to get rid of a hickey, there are some ways to speed up the healing process:
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Wait for the hickey to fade
Over time, the hickey will naturally fade as your body heals itself. This can take anywhere from a few days to a week or longer.
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Concealer or Makeup
If you need a quick fix for covering up a hickey, using makeup can help. Choose a concealer that matches your skin tone and apply it to the hickey.
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Cold Compress or Lotion
Applying a cold compress or lotion to the hickey can reduce swelling and inflammation, making it less noticeable.
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Daily Massaging
Massaging the area around the hickey can help break up the blood that has pooled beneath the surface of your skin, speeding up the healing process.
In conclusion, Hickeys may be a common occurrence, but they can be embarrassing or uncomfortable. Knowing the excuses to use, understanding what a hickey is and why it happens, and knowing how to treat it can be helpful if you find yourself with a visible love bite.
Now, go forth and kiss with passion, but remember to use your skills in hiding a hickey if necessary!
Comfort with Hickeys
For some, getting a hickey can be a source of embarrassment or discomfort. It can be awkward to explain to friends, family, or colleagues, and often leave you in a sticky situation.
However, it’s important to remember that hickeys are a relatively harmless result of affection. With the right knowledge, you can be comfortable with hickeys and avoid feeling ashamed.
One way to avoid embarrassment is by openly communicating with your partner. While some may feel comfortable with visible marks, others may not want any visible signs of their intimacy.
Openly communicating your boundaries and limits can prevent any misunderstandings and reduce the likelihood of getting a hickey in the first place. Another way to be comfortable with hickeys is to remember that they are temporary.
Hickeys typically take between a few days to a week to heal, depending on their severity. This means that even if you do end up with a visible mark, it’s only a temporary inconvenience.
While it’s understandable to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable with hickeys, remember that it’s okay to enjoy them if that’s your preference. There’s nothing wrong with engaging in consensual acts of affection, even if they result in visible marks.
Healing Process
If you do end up with a hickey, you may be wondering how long it will take to heal or if there are any ways to speed up the process. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help the healing process:
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Cold compress or lotion:
Applying a cold compress or lotion to the hickey can reduce swelling and inflammation, making it less noticeable and speeding up the healing process.
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Daily massaging:
Gently massaging the area around the hickey can help break up the blood that has pooled beneath the surface of your skin, increasing blood flow and promoting healing.
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Wait for it to heal:
While it may be tempting to try out quick fixes or cover-ups, the best thing you can do is wait for the hickey to heal naturally. Over time, the hickey will naturally fade as your body heals itself.
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Concealer or makeup:
If you need to cover up a hickey quickly, using a concealer or makeup can help.
Choose a product that matches your skin tone and apply it to the affected area.
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Treat it gently:
When you have a hickey, it’s important to treat the area with care. Avoid picking, scratching, or irritating the skin, as this can worsen the bruise and delay the healing process.
It’s important to remember that while hickeys can be unsightly and uncomfortable, they are not a serious medical condition. While it can be helpful to take steps to speed up the healing process, there’s no need to worry if it takes a bit of time for the hickey to disappear.
In conclusion, while hickeys can be a cause for embarrassment or discomfort, learning to be comfortable with them and understanding the healing process can make it easier to cope with them. It’s important to remember that hickeys are not a serious condition and that it’s okay to enjoy consensual acts of affection, even if they result in visible marks.
With the right knowledge and tools, you can be confident in dealing with hickeys and avoid unnecessary embarrassment. In conclusion, understanding hickeys is not just about finding excuses and healing remedies.
It’s about acknowledging that consensual acts of affection are a normal expression of intimacy, and hickeys are simply one possible result. While some may feel embarrassed or uncomfortable with visible marks, knowing the reasons behind them and how to treat them can alleviate those feelings.
Whether you choose to embrace or avoid hickeys, remember that consent and open communication are the most important factors when engaging in any physical act with a partner. Understanding, communicating, and respecting both yours and your partner’s boundaries is key in any relationship.
