Hickey’s are just bruises. They’re nothing to be ashamed of — in fact, they’re a sign that you got some action, so honestly, congrats. But sporting a hickey isn’t necessarily appropriate in every situation. Normally, they can take anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks to heal. But what if you don’t have that kind of time?

You can’t get rid a hickey instantly, but there are also a few hickey remedies that are effective enough to speed up the process. Here are our top tips.

“The best way to heal a hickey quickly is to help the skin clear the red blood cells as effectively as possible,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.

While there’s not much scientific evidence that the cold spoon method works for hickeys specifically, it’s a doctor-recommended treatment for bruises, and a hickey is simply a type of bruise.

A cold object — such as a cold spoon, frozen peas, or even ice — can accomplish this by reducing blood flow and cooling down the blood vessels. This is the single most effective method for helping a hickey heal (or not to bruise so much in the first place).

With this method, time is of the essence. Start immediately after the hickey forms. You’ll want to be pretty proactive because hickey’s start to form immediately after the sucking occurs.

Remember to never apply cold objects directly to the skin. Instead, wrap them in a cloth or towel first.

Arnica is a “botanical extract rich in antioxidants,” Zeichner says. It’s potentially helpful, although research on arnica’s ability to heal hickeys is sparse.

An old, small 2006 study suggested that arnica may reduce the appearance of bruises. So, it’s at least worth a try.

“It is thought to have anti-inflammatory effects, improving conditions ranging from muscle aches to bruises,” Zeichner says. Though he admits the exact mechanism isn’t known.

Arnica is typically used in gel or lotion form for bruises, and can be applied topically directly to the bruise several times per day. An oral version is also available, but it’s not FDA-approved. Your doctor might recommend that you use both topical and oral forms.

Again, research on the effectiveness of vitamin K for hickeys isn’t exactly robust. It’s almost like hickeys aren’t a priority for scientific research?!

Clearly, something must be done about this. In the meantime, the small studies that do exist on the effectiveness of vitamin K for bruises are quite promising.

“Vitamin K is an essential co-factor for the production of clotting factors in the blood,” Zeichner says.

Vitamin K is available as a gel or cream, which can be applied directly to the bruise twice per day.

If you’re not in a rush to heal the hickey but still want some relief from having a big ole bruise on your neck, you can use certain natural ingredients to soothe the skin.

Just be gentle and don’t apply too much pressure, or you risk making the bruise worse!

Cocoa butter is high in fatty acids, so it hydrates the skin, improves elasticity, provides a protective barrier, and just generally feels really good to apply.

Aloe vera can also be used to soothe skin. You can get the gel straight from the plant by simply cutting a leaf in half to reveal the thick pulp inside (some natural foods stores actually sell the leaves), or you can buy the bottled gel.

Aloe vera has a cool, soothing effect, which is why it’s the go-to treatment for sunburns.

Lastly, you might try using the inside of a banana peel. Strange, yes, but also very eco-friendly.

The banana residue contains vitamins and minerals to help moisturize and hydrate the skin, and the peel also contains polysaccharides to reduce inflammation.

Physically covering a hickey is the most reliable solution. If you hate turtlenecks with a passion, it’s the middle of summer, or your hickey is in an awkward spot that even the most modest clothing can’t conceal, then it’s time to practice your makeup skills.

Start with a primer, then add a color-correcting concealer

Depending on your skin tone and how old the hickey is, it may appear red, purple, dark brown, or yellow.

Rules of color correcting

  • green concealer will neutralize redness
  • red concealer will hide dark purple or brown spots
  • orange or salmon correctors are also helpful for bluish-purple tones
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After the color corrector, add concealer that’s one shade lighter than your skin tone

Use one with salmon undertones if your skin has less pigment. One with orange-red tones is better for skin with more pigment.

Now blend, blend, blend

Make sure the coverage matches the surrounding area and avoid rubbing or brushing too much, as that may move the makeup out of place or make the bruising worse. Gently tapping into the skin works best.

Lastly, finish with a setting spray or powder to make sure your makeup lasts.

There are a ton of DIY hickey solutions out there that not only aren’t effective, but might make things worse. Here are some suggestions to stay away from.

Massage

Supposedly, massaging a hickey will physically “break it down” until it disappears, but that’s not really a thing.

Your body will break down and reabsorb the blood all on its own, and massages can actually make a hickey worse. If you apply too much pressure, you’ll break more blood vessels under the skin and increase the bruised area.

Rub with a coin

Why a coin of all things? We have no idea. But the internet won’t let this idea die.

Applying pressure with a coin uses a similar concept as massage. But it involves even more intense pressure that could make the hickey much worse, says Zeichner.

Toothbrush or toothpaste

Once again, using a toothbrush rests on the false idea that massage will help heal a hickey. While this technique is quite gentle and likely won’t make anything worse, there’s just no evidence that it will help the healing process.

Since we’re on teeth… at some point in human history, we decided toothpaste is a DIY solution for everything, and hickeys did not escape this lore.

Zeichner theorizes the reason toothpaste was recommended so ubiquitously is that it used to contain an anti-inflammatory ingredient called triclosan, which may have helped calm the skin.

Since triclosan is no longer used in toothpaste, this technique is a total dud.

Lip balm cap

Using the cap from a tube of lip balm to massage the skin is yet another suggestion that pops up all over Google. As with the massage techniques listed above, this won’t “break apart” the hickey either.

Zeichner says the lip balm itself may be more useful than the cap since it contains oils and waxes that soothe and protect the skin overlying the hickey.

Peppermint oil or other essential oils

Although peppermint oil has anti-inflammatory properties, undiluted essential oils can irritate your skin — not a great idea when you already have a bright bruise, says Zeichner.

It’s best to stick with gentler alternatives like aloe vera.

If you want to avoid this whole ordeal in the first place, but you also really love making out (who can blame you), then simply ask your partner(s) to avoid sucking too hard.

If you avoid excessive suction, you’ll avoid bursting those blood vessels under the skin, Zeichner says.

Some people bruise more easily than others, so only you can know how hard is too hard. If getting into it is your jam, then experiment with different placements for those hickeys. Aim for areas that won’tbe visible under your clothes — like your collarbone, chest, or even hips.