It’s no use denying: bites and hickeys are part of our life, for one reason or another. The problem is that, even so, it’s not always convenient to show these brands around – at college, at work, at family Sunday lunch: here are just a few examples of times when we might end up embarrassing ourselves because of such brands.
The thing is, as they are a kind of bruise, the marks left by hickeys and bites don’t come off that easily, and it’s easy to end up despairing when we realize that not even the best of our concealers are doing the trick.
Fortunately, there are some ways to get rid of this type of mark faster, without having to be a ninja in the art of makeup and tricks to leave a purple mark on your skin tone.
One of the great advantages of the tips that you will learn about right now is the fact that many of the ingredients that promise to speed up the process of removing these dreaded marks can be easily found in your home. Check it out and then tell us if you already knew these methods and if you have already used any of them:
1. Arnica-based ointment
Marks left by bites and also by hickeys are nothing more than blood stains that accumulate under our skin. At first, they are purple and dark, but then they become more yellow, as time goes by.
Even though these marks aren’t permanent, we don’t always have time to wait for them to disappear before some important event, like a job interview – let’s face it: no one would want to go through that experience sporting a big hickey on their neck.
If you have an arnica-based ointment at home, you can use the product on the stain and massage the area a little. Arnica is a substance that helps eliminate blood clots under your skin, and the only care you should be aware of is allergic reactions. So, apply a little ointment to a region of your body, such as your hand, and wait to see if there will be redness, itching and irritation there.
2. You can use ice too
This is really an item that everyone has at home, and ice works because it reduces blood circulation to the affected area and helps reduce the size of the stain. So as not to hurt the skin, the ideal is to wrap some ice cubes in a cloth or in a plastic bag – only then can you let the ice rest on the skin for a few minutes, until the melting begins.
You can also make circular motions with the ice cubes against the skin, and repeat the process until the bruise starts to disappear.
To ensure that this procedure is even faster, you can pass the teeth of a fine comb over the area, even before the application of ice.
3. Make a warm compress
When the bite or hickey mark has been on the skin for more than a day, you can try placing warm compresses on the area to help break up the clots that give the skin its typical color.
Heat water and when it is warm, wet a small towel and leave it on the affected area for about 20 minutes. You can repeat the compresses several times a day.
4. Bet on aloe
Aloe vera is a plant known for its many medicinal and cosmetic properties – it is also called aloe vera, and that name must be quite familiar to you, right?
As it has a moisturizing action, aloe vera can regenerate the skin, and all you have to do is remove the gelatinous part that is inside the plant’s leaf or, of course, buy the substance already prepared. When applying aloe vera on the bruise, the ideal is to leave it acting in the region for about 10 minutes. Then remove excess gel with the help of a tissue. This procedure can be done up to twice a day.
5. Do you have bananas at home?
The banana is a very popular fruit among Brazilians, and if you are not in the habit of consuming this fruit, we have one more good reason for you to include it in your list at the fair: the banana peel is a great ally for those who wants to get rid of hickey and bite marks.
The ideal thing is that you leave the white part, from the inner region of the shell, on the stain for half an hour. This procedure helps to cool the skin and lightens the tone of the bruise, and after removing the skin, simply clean the area as normal.
6. Improve your diet
Bet on foods that are rich in vitamins C and K. The lack of vitamin K makes the person susceptible to the appearance of bruises, and the deficiency of vitamin C damages the health of our blood vessels and, consequently, facilitates the production of bruises.
The solution is to start including foods such as eggs, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, liver, berries, red peppers, sweet potatoes, oranges and lemons in your diet. Fortunately, these are generally healthy items, so you can only benefit from eating them more often.
Bonus
If you want a little help from makeup, know that the best concealer to disguise purple bruises is the green one, which is also effective in reducing dark circles under the eyes. When the hickey is already more yellow, the ideal is to apply the pink concealer.