It is not unusual to get a little too carried away in the bedroom and end up with a hickey following a romp with your lover.  A hickey is, basically, a bruise and like any other bruise, it is when your capillaries undergo trauma causing them to break and release blood, which pools under your skin to create a bruise.

So even though biting, kissing, and suction can feel good when they’re happening, you are actually temporarily damaging the skin a little, Dr. Brodell explains. Your hickey is evidence that the pressure from biting, sucking, etc., broke a few capillaries. So even if you don’t really remember anyone nibbling on your neck, you probably didn’t notice while it was happening.

Not to worry, we have listed some ways to get rid of a hickey.

Apply Pressure ASAP
If you suspect someone has given you a hickey and apply pressure immediately, you can help your blood stop pooling. The sooner the blood stops pooling, the smaller and lighter the hickey is, which means it should be less visible and take less time to heal. For this to happen, it means you have to stop do apply pressure to the spot mid-hookup. Alternatively, you could apply pressure to the spot while continuing your hookup if you happen to be extremely anti-hickey and also great at multitasking.

Applying A Cold Compress Immediately
Once your hookup session is over, you can apply a cold compress to the hickey to reduce some of the redness and inflammation. Heat or pressure might work as well But these methods aren’t foolproof. Instead, you might just have to live with your hickey for a few weeks.

Allow It To Heal
The only tried-and-true hickey-removal methods are time and patience, so just sit back, relax, and give it time. Most hickeys will “change color and fade” within a few weeks.  So your strongest option is just to let your body heal at its own pace.

Use A Vitamin K Cream
Researchers found a few small studies that suggest vitamin K creams can reduce bruises. These studies have been pretty small and fairly limited, so the jury’s still out on whether these products will make an actual difference. In short: Vitamin K creams might be worth a shot, but don’t expect your hickey to vanish immediately after using them.

Use Concealer And Foundation
Using makeup to hide your hickey does not technically get rid of it but it does “get rid of it” temporarily. Use a little makeup or something, and just cover it up until it goes away.

Wear A Turtleneck Or Scarf
Okay, yes, much like the above tip, this is also not a real way to actually get rid of a hickey. But it definitely is a way to look chic as hell while you camouflage your hickey instead. And don’t think you have to limit yourself to following this tip only in certain seasons. While it may feel more intuitive to pile on the layers in fall and winter, you can absolutely opt for something like a sleeveless turtleneck or fancy silk scarf if you’re figuring out how to get rid of a hickey in the warmer seasons. Voila, now you’re hiding your hickey and feeling cute while doing it.