“Looks like you get off on picking up a few souvenirs when you…get off.”
-Jordan Castillo Price
Definition
A hickey is a mark left after sexual activity, usually on the neck, by a kiss that involves heavy sucking. It can sometimes look like a bruise, but more often than not it looks like a slight abrasion. A hickey is caused by the sucking action, which on the delicate skin of the neck can break the blood vessels near the surface of the skin. Hickeys tend to last for up to 2 weeks, depending on the severity, and if you want to get rid of them faster you can try to put some Arnica gel on them or put other salves that are meant to help alleviate bruising. Often a symbol of a first romance, and rarely seen on older adults, there is also a growing fetish community of freaks who find deeper meaning in the shape, size, color or duration of the marks themselves.
Etiquette
Hickeys are something that everyone can see, and they are pretty obvious about their origins, so it’s really not polite to give someone a hockey in an area that is plainly visible to the public, or if they are married and fucking you on the down low. If you do want to leave a mark, you should definitely ask if leaving a hickey is OK before you do it. If your mate is not OK with it, you can ask if you can leave one where other people can’t see. Often they can be covered by a well-placed scarf or turtleneck until it goes away. You can also put cover up on it to hide it away, especially when it is a bit lighter, but many relationships have ended abruptly because one mate left a mark on the other without asking ahead of time.
Urban Legends About Clotting
There has been an urban legend going around that you can actually die from getting a hickey, or too many hickeys. Some have said that the sucking and bruising in the neck can create a blood clot, which is not a good thing for anyone, since it can travel to your brain or lungs and really do some great damage. Up until recently this story was really just an urban legend, but there is some truth to health concerns with anyone who may have a clotting disorder or other health issue. Again, always discuss it ahead of time, and heed the warnings a doctor gives you if relevant.