Maybe it was a first date that got heated, or perhaps a night in the sheets that’s left its mark – visible hickeys can make you feel judged or divulge some information you’d rather remain private. In that case you might be in need of the best excuses for hickeys? Well, you’re in luck and you’ve landed on the right page – because guess what – we’re the experts. Whether you need excuses for hickeys on your neck, or for a hickey somewhere else, we’ve got you covered.
Hickeys aren’t dangerous, in fact they’re totally harmless, and no worse than bruise, but even though they pose no harm to you as a person – it doesn’t mean you might rather not have one. You might be regretting your hickey because social stigma has labelled them (and people wearing them) as immature, trashy and otherwise frowned upon – which if you ask us is all bull@#$%. In our view, hickeys are a form of endearment, and at least the intention behind them is usually sweet. However, that doesn’t mean they suit all people and situations, or that they won’t cramp your style.
Were you cheating on your partner, or got together with someone in your friend’s circle? Will your parents or friends think less of you for your actions, or are you worried a hickey will make you look unprofessional in the workplace? These are all very good reasons to have an excuse for a hickey and knowing how to play them off could prove useful at one time or another.
Regardless of the reason you need a hickey excuse, we’re here to provide just that, so without further ado, let’s jump right into our list of the best excuses for hickeys.
The 20 most believable excuses for hickeys
In the wide world of hickey excuses there are some that are more believable than others. Think about it, if you were in your parent’s shoes, would you accept just any old excuse for the presence of a hickey? No, you probably wouldn’t, which is why our first category of excuses for hickeys includes some of the most believable options we’ve heard.
1. It’s a bruise, not a hickey
This is a totally plausible hickey excuse because bruises happen all the time. Maybe you tripped, stumbled or fell and some obstacle hit you in the neck leaving a mark. If you play sports, that’s perfect too, because anything from an errant tennis or squash ball, to an encounter with a rough opponent will work as an explanation for why there’s a mark on your skin where there shouldn’t be. Use the fact that many hickeys look just like mild bruising, so playing it off as such only makes sense.
2. You had a deep-tissue massage
People often get massages, and sometimes those can leave marks – it’s true. Especially deep tissue massages can leave unsightly bruises or red marks, and your neck or upper body area is a likely candidate to have seen some massage work. You can say you went to a massage for a stiff or cramped up neck, a headache, or just for some much-needed relaxation – it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it’s not a hickey!!
3. You used a temporary tattoo, and it left a mark
Do you remember those fake tattoos we had when we were younger? The ones you lick, stick, then peel to pretend you had a real tattoo on your arm, neck, chest, or elsewhere? Well, those can be an excellent excuse you can use to convince people your hickey isn’t actually a hickey. You could have had a mild allergic reaction to the pigment, or the glue in the fake tattoo, or maybe you really had to scrub to get the thing off. Whatever reason you choose, it was a fake tattoo that left a hickey-esque mark on your skin.
4. You were resting your head on your arm for too long
No worries! This type of thing happens all the time at school, during a boring meeting, while riding the bus, or even while watching your favorite TV show. Take some extended skin-on-skin contact, add a little pressure, and voila – there’s a mark on your skin that for some reason resembles a hickey.
5. You left a heating pad on for too long
Perhaps you had a headache, or your neck muscles were feeling super tight, and you decided that a heat pack would alleviate your discomfort. Then either it felt really good, or you forgot about it, but the heating pad was left on for too long and irritated your skin. It’s a fact that heat packs can leave marks on the skin (sometimes even permanently, so be careful) so this excuse for having a hickey is very realistic and difficult for others to question.
6. You had an allergic reaction to something you ate
An allergic reaction to food can definitely cause a mark on your body that looks similar to a hickey. This is a great excuse because food allergies are very common these days so who’s to say you don’t have one? That said, you are using a medical condition as an excuse so it might be wise to learn a few things about what you’re claiming in case you get asked some follow-up questions.
7. Your acne is acting up
Ok, so acne usually doesn’t look like a hickey on its own, but if you’ve itched, scratched, or otherwise played with the affected area then it really could. In that case, acne might certainly be confused with a hickey, which is why this excuse was deemed a valuable addition to our list of most believable hickey excuses.
8. You slept in a bad position
Sleeping on your arm or on another object can often leave a bruise mark. This is especially true for side sleepers who often sleep with one arm tucked up under their neck. The continued pressure on the contact point can cause blood to accumulate in the area and leave a shallow bruise-like mark that could easily be mistaken for a hickey.
9. It’s a heat rash
A heat rash will typically manifest itself as a reddening of the skin that can last for just an hour, or sometimes stick around for days. You could have been suntanning, enjoying a sauna or a steam, or maybe you overdid it with some sort of exercise. Long story short, you performed said activity and then noticed you had a few red marks on your upper body, the last of which is on your neck and has yet to dissipate. Easy enough to say and works like a charm if you pull it off.
10. It’s an insect bite
A pesky mosquito, a nasty bee, an angry wasp, or maybe even a curious spider got you and now you have a red mark on your neck. Happens all the time, right? For sure it does, especially if you’re a person that reacts badly to bug bites. It’s one of the no-brainer excuses for having a hickey that we wholeheartedly recommend you use if you’re in a pinch. A+ excuse rating from the excuseindex.com team.
11. You’ve got a plain old rash
A rash can be anything that isn’t clear skin, and it can affect any area of your body. As such it really makes for the perfect hickey excuse, and it’s actually one that many people might just come up with on the fly when an immediate excuse is needed. One caveat with this excuse is that it kind of sounds like an excuse, but regardless, who’s to say it isn’t true.
12. You tried cupping therapy on your neck
Neck pain is annoying, to say the least, and a cupping therapy session has been known to help. While it feels good and can alleviate muscle soreness issues, cupping also leaves behind nasty hickey marks wherever the suction cup was placed. The mechanics behind cupping are literally the same thing as those needed to create a hickey, which is good because this means cupping segways perfectly into your excuse for an actual mouth-induced hickey.
13. You iced the area for too long
Over-icing can leave a nasty red burn mark (yes, ice can burn you) on your skin, sometimes even a blister that ends up showing for weeks. You could say you were icing an insect bite, a minor sports injury, the site of an ingrown hair follicle, or any number of other reasons as to why you needed to ice. Bottom line, you iced for too long, and now there’s a red mark on your skin. It’s a pretty darn airtight hickey excuse in our books.
14. You spilled a hot beverage
You were taking a sip of your hot drink when someone bumped into you, which made you spill some and scalded your neck in the process. It doesn’t take much heat to burn the sensitive skin on your neck, and some hot drink spillage is a totally legit excuse to use. It might even be one of the best excuses for leaving work early. There’s no real way to refute it and it’s highly plausible, especially if you’re a known tea or coffee drinker.
15. Your skin turns red when you’re embarrassed
It happens to some people, red skin and flushing at the slightest sign of embarrassment or anxiety. Wouldn’t it make sense that it might happen when you’re accused of something mortifying like having a hickey on your neck?
16. You suffered an ingrown hair
A trapped hair follicle can happen to anyone, and it can often be quite a painful experience. When it happens, a normal side effect is a larger red mark surrounding the afflicted area, which could end up looking like a hickey to the casual observer. This is one of the easiest excuses to pull off and a very believable one at that.
17. You had an outbreak of hives
Another medical condition that can play into your favor as an excuse is hives. Unless the person you’re serving the excuse to knows a lot about the said condition, no one will be able to call you a liar because hives can indeed look like a hickey – especially if you’ve irritated the area by messing with it.
18. Your seatbelt left a mark
This excuse could still work even if you don’t drive a car yourself because you could have been a passenger. It’s not an outlandish excuse by any means, because a seatbelt can pinch your skin causing a blood blister, or just as easily leave you with a carpet burn-type mark on your neck. Top excuse alert for hickeys!
19. You’re allergic to animals
Rashes, hives or other outbreaks are all common signs of an allergic reaction to animals. You could have been at your aunt’s house, or at a friend’s place where their furry friend got too close and now you have an outbreak (right in the spot where you might also have a hickey). It’s a good excuse because these kinds of allergic reactions manifest in several different visual ways, so playing your hickey off as a pet allergy is easy.
20. Whatever, just get off my back
Sometimes you just know it won’t work, or you just don’t feel like making an excuse. Instead, you tell the nosy person to buzz off and mind their own beeswax – after all, it’s just a hickey and that’s not a crime, is it? Probably not a great idea, but imagine you used this as an excuse for being late to work, it might just get you fired.
@excuseindex Five excuses for hickeys: 1. It’s a bruise, not a hickey 2. A temporary tattoo left a mark 3. You had an allergic reaction 4. It’s a heat rash 5. It’s an insect bite #playful #necking #kissing #kisses #couldnthelpmyself #couldntresist #gettingiton #hickeys😍 #hickey #excuses #excuse ♬ original sound – ExcuseIndex
Best excuses for hickeys for guys
We did our best but found it tough to single out excuses for guys and gals specifically. Most hickey excuses are essentially unisex, or better placed under a different category. However, we managed to pick a few that will mostly apply to men especially, even though not exclusively.
1. You had an accident shaving
Easy enough to pull off, especially if you’re a guy, even though women might need to shave or trim their neckline as well. Razor burn is a pretty common excuse (and not just for hickeys), and as such, no one would really question it. If the hickey is rather large or doesn’t look particularly like a cut, you can always just say it got infected and that’s why it looks the way it does.
2. You went paintballing
If you’ve ever participated in the sport, you’ll know that the marks left by the balls when you get hit closely resemble a hickey. Depending on your regular lifestyle, it could prove difficult to convince people you were actually paintballing, but if you can, it would certainly make for a believable excuse.
3. You were playing sports
Sports can leave marks on your body – that’s a given and not really up for debate. Maybe you took a misplaced shot to the neck in road hockey, or you got fouled going for a lay-up – it doesn’t really matter how, but you were playing a sport and got messed up – end of story.
Best excuses for hickeys for girls
Same as for the guys, we had some issues separating hickey excuses for girls specifically, but we managed to find a few. We’re not saying only women can pull these off, but they’ll likely be less believable coming from a guy.
1. You just joined a sorority
So technically it is a hickey, but not in the way you’re thinking. The mark is more like a right of passage or initiation and you had no real choice in the matter. Oh, and you’re also not the only one who got one. A hickey is a hickey, but the backstory matters just as much as the mark itself.
2. You burned yourself with a curling iron
This is a great excuse for anyone out there who is taking care of longer hair, or anyone with a specific style to maintain. In order to do their job, those curling irons get really hot, and you wouldn’t be the first person to have a slip-up and receive a burn mark while using one. That’s why this is another top hickey excuse you can use to fool just about anyone.
3. Your skin reacted to a new makeup brand
One of your friends recommended you try out her concealer but it’s a brand you’ve never tried. Shortly after application, you noticed that you started developing an odd rash on your neck that looks embarrassingly like a hickey.
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Sports related excuses for hickeys
Generally, playing sports opens your body up to any number of injuries – from scrapes and bruises to broken bones or worse. Let’s hope you never experience either of the latter, but the odd scrape can be handily used to cover up a hickey if you ever needed to down the line.
1. You got hit in the neck by a ball
Be it tennis, floor hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, or even golf, these types of sports usually involve some sort of flying ball. Who’s to say you didn’t accidentally catch one in the neck and receive a hickey-looking mark for your trouble?
2. You got roughed up wrestling
Wrestling, judo, BJJ, MMA, whatever, these are some of the closest contact sports there are, and as such your skin is likely to sustain some damage. You could collect bruises, scrapes, blood blisters, and lots more injuries that can resemble a hickey. If you’re into any of these sports, then you have a ready-made excuse for the hickey on your neck.
3. Your protective equipment chaffed your skin
Contact sports often require you to wear some padding under your uniform. Take hockey for instance, where the shoulder pads usually aren’t the softest things in the world, and their placement on your body could for sure put bruises and marks on your neck. Isn’t it great when sports equipment does more than just protect you from a physical injury?
Outdoor related excuses for hickeys
The outdoors is a take no prisoners kind of place, especially for your sensitive skin. Being outside is also what most of us do on a regular basis, which makes it such a good basis for building a believable excuse for having a hickey.
1. You contacted poison ivy while out for a hike
Poison ivy is all over the place outdoors and it doesn’t take much to get contaminated. You could have put your backpack down in a patch of it, and then when you put it back on, you spread some of the toxins to your neck area. Follow up on your excuse by asking for some calamine lotion.
2. You got caught up on a tree branch
You were walking speedily down the hiking trail when you had to maneuver around a fallen tree or some overhanging brush. In the process a sharp branch scraped across your neck leaving a mark – no it’s not a hickey.
3. Your friends dared you to attach a leech to your neck
Blood blisters are a normal occurrence when leeches are involved, and they just happen to look a lot like hickeys. So, the story is, you were with your friends at a lake and discovered some leeches. That’s when your friends dared you to let a leech attach itself to your neck. It was ill advised and now you have a mark to prove your stupidity, but don’t worry, you won’t be doing that again.
4. It’s a bug bite, not a hickey
We’re recycling this hickey excuse from our “most believable” category because it just fits so perfectly. Anyone who’s ever spent time in the woods or outside around dusk, knows that bug bites are basically unavoidable. Even better, many bug bites can look like a hickey, especially if you scratch them or if you have an allergic reaction.
Funny excuses for having a hickey
If you’ve somehow run out of hickey excuses, or you really just don’t care anymore, then the following excuses are for you. You might not be believed, but at least you’ll get a smile for your trouble.
1. You signed up for a test trial
You needed a couple of extra bucks, so you signed up to test a new drug, or skin care treatment, or vitamin supplement. Maybe the dosage was administered sci-fi style via syringe straight into your jugular, or you’ve had an allergic reaction to whatever they gave you – either way, it left a mark.
2. You’re part of a sadist cult
It’s a bit of a stretch, to say the least, and maybe what that admission entails is a bit worse than a hickey, but hey, here it is. You’re into sadism, and blood bruises (you don’t call them hickeys) are just par for the course.
3. Hickeys are part of your belief system or a ritual you practice
Some people say prayers before bedtime – you give yourself a hickey. Don’t ask how you do that, just know that it’s nothing romantic but instead a vital ritual aspect of your rare and misunderstood belief system.
4. Your granny loves you too much
Many people have the experience of visiting granny’s house and getting the cheek-pinching of a lifetime. Well, your experience is the same, almost, but instead of cheek pinches, your granny likes to give you a hickey – gross!!
Best excuses to give your parents for having a hickey
1. Your friend gave you a fake hickey
If you’re wondering what we mean by “fake hickey”, it’s when someone doesn’t use their mouth to give you a hickey, or they do but it wasn’t romantic or sexual. Maybe it was part of a round of truth-or-dare or included in a drinking game of some sort, but the hickey, while it is technically that, isn’t really a hickey. Does that make sense?
2. Refer back to our category of the most believable excuses for hickeys for more ideas.
Vacation related excuses for having a hickey
Vacation hookups are always a likely possibility and are often the times when it can be most difficult to hide a hickey. It could also be a time when you have your family around, or friends that will give you a hard time, which means sporting a hickey is less than ideal. Luckily, the following excuses are meant for vacation time and will have a high probability of working in your favor.
1. You got stung by a jellyfish
Skin irritation from touching a jellyfish could definitely look like a mean hickey on your neck. This excuse is great for when you’re on vacation because you could have gotten stung while in the ocean for a swim. A good idea is to make sure people know you went for a swim earlier, so you can say that’s when it happened. In the ocean, not in the bedroom!!!
2. A nightclub entry stamp done it
Ok, we realize usually those stamps go on your wrist or the top of your hand, but not at “this” party, where they got applied to your neck. Then when you went to wash off the ink stamp you ended up irritating your skin, and that’s why you now have a hickey-ish-looking mark on your neck. It could work in a pinch!
3. You missed a spot when applying sunblock
In the rush to get to the ocean or the pool you weren’t careful enough to put on your sunscreen and missed a small circular section on your neck. It might look like a hickey but it’s really just a mean sunburn, but thanks for insinuating.
Need a few more good excuses for hickeys?
- You were doing wine shots with your friends, and some got on your neck creating a stain
- You pinched yourself really hard to stay awake during a long and boring lecture
- It’s not a hickey, it’s just a make-up mess up
- It’s a test hickey that your friend gave you as practice for their partner
- Hickeys are the new trend, didn’t you know?
Can a hickey be a good thing?
We mentioned earlier that hickeys are usually somewhat frowned upon but truth is, that’s not always the case. The fact of the matter is that hickeys are usually only undesirable if you have something to hide. This could be because of how you got the hickey involved in something pretty bad like cheating on your partner or hooking up with someone you shouldn’t have. It could also be because you don’t want your parents to know you’re dating someone or because you think it will look unprofessional in the workplace. For example, your college professor probably won’t think your hickey is sweet, and your parent’s wont like what it means either, but hey, hickeys are a sign of affection which is almost always a good thing.
We suggest figuring out when to hide it and when you don’t need to bother so you don’t ruin the mood with your partner or drive yourself crazy because of it. If all else fails, then at least have a great backstory to go with your hickey, either an excuse, a rationalization of some kind, or a funny story.
An affectionate hickey really isn’t a big deal – in fact, it’s totally kind of sweet.
How to get rid of a hickey (faster)
The hickey is on your neck and it’s all you can see when you look in the mirror. You’re worried about others thinking less of you if they see it too, so you’d really like it to be gone, or at least covered up. Unfortunately, a hickey is the result of damaged or broken capillary blood vessels in the skin, which means there’s not much you can do to get rid of it immediately.
Even though actually getting rid of a hickey isn’t really possible, you can make it go away quickly and it doesn’t hurt to try. Here are things that will help get rid of your hickey faster:
1. Grab an ice cube and carefully cool the area of the hickey
It’s not an instant fix, but just like with bruises, icing a hickey for the first couple of days can help shorten the time it takes for it to recede.
2. Apply a treatment cream
Choose a cream or gel that contains aloe vera, vitamin E and vitamin C. Arnica is also great for reducing bruises and swelling. Using a topical treatment will help reduce the appearance of your hickey and will shorten the time it remains visible on your skin.
3. Use the inside of a banana peel to soothe the area
It’s an old home remedy that can help make your hickey go away faster.
4. Stimulate blood flow in the area to speed up the healing process
You can apply a warm compress (after cooling for two days) or gently rub the area with the bristles on a toothbrush to stimulate circulation.
5. Make the hickey area look worse so it doesn’t look like a hickey anymore
Now please don’t go doing anything drastic (it’s just a hickey), but small tweaks like slapping yourself with a spoon, or irritating your skin with a hairbrush can leave the area looking less like a hickey. You’ll still have to supply an excuse to go with the mark, but at least it will be easier to sell.
6. Cover up the hickey
Efforts to remove the hickey won’t work immediately, in which case your best bet is to cover it up – more on that below.
TLDR; The fastest way to get rid of a hickey
The winner in our experience is a mixture of hot and cold compresses, combined with the application of a bruise healing cream (Arnica, aloe vera, vitamin E, and vitamin C). This is the fastest way to get rid of a hickey.
How to cover up a hickey
Seeing as getting rid of a hickey isn’t something you can get done immediately, your best bet is to cover it up instead. Covering up a hickey is probably also the easiest and quickest way to deal with the problem and it usually works really well. One problem with covering up a hickey is that if the makeup rubs off or gets washed off, then you’ll be left exposed. This means a hickey cover-up might not really work to hide it from your significant other who will likely see you during or after a shower, or at bedtime etc.
1. Use makeup to cover a hickey
The best way to cover up a hickey is with makeup (of course, duh), just make sure you match your skin tone, otherwise, people will know something is being hidden (this goes doubly for guys).
- You could try stage makeup, that’s designed to be used in just such a way and is great at covering things up.
- A base foundation that matches your skin color will also do a good cover-up job.
- Concealers, especially those with a green tint (the green helps negate red in your skin tone) will do the best job of hiding your hickey and will look the most natural. Looking natural is important for people who don’t usually wear makeup.
2. Choose concealing clothing
Wearing a turtleneck sweater, collared shirt, blouse, or even a scarf will keep your hickey out of sight from prying eyes. You’ll need to make sure that your clothing of choice doesn’t slip and leave your hickey secret exposed though.
3. Use your hair to hide your hickey
If your hair is long enough to do so, you can use it to cover a hickey on your neck. It’s a good way to temporarily hide a hickey from someone, but because you’ll have to mind the position of your hair pretty much the whole time, it’s difficult to use this hickey-hiding method for extended periods.
What is a hickey?
A hickey is basically just a bruise caused by damage to capillary blood vessels inside your skin. This causes a dark red or sometimes purple bruise-like mark to appear on your skin. The usual culprit of a hickey is prolonged sucking, but biting and hard kissing can also contribute. A hickey isn’t dangerous and just like most bruises, will fade away eventually. Sometimes it only takes a few days to go away, but sometimes it can take up to two weeks.
How does a hickey happen?
A hickey can happen anytime there is intense suction on your skin that causes blood capillaries to break. It happens during cupping therapy but usually comes from a romantic encounter when your partner sucks on one area of your skin for too long. It usually only takes about 20 to 30 seconds of sucking for a hickey to happen, even though you might only see it appear a few minutes later. Softer, more sensitive skin areas, like that on your neck are more susceptible to getting a hickey, and this is also an area that’s very accessible during a make-out session.
How to give someone a hickey
It’s super simple to give someone a hickey. During a makeout session, ask your partner if they are comfortable with you giving them a visible love souvenir, and if they are, you can start warming up their neck (or wherever you want to give a hickey) with some soft but long kisses. Then place your lips against their skin, forming an “O” shape with your mouth and begin sucking. Make sure your lips are creating a vacuum effect and continue the suction for about 20 to 30 seconds. This should result in a nice hickey within the next few minutes.
A hickey doesn’t need to be given on the neck either, you can give or receive one in a less visible location too. Other sensual options are the collarbone, stomach, inner thigh, or maybe even just the back of the neck so it’s easier to conceal. Hickeys are affectionate and fun, just make sure they don’t get you into hot water later on.
When is a hickey a bad thing?
Hickeys are uncomplicated until they aren’t. That’s usually when the love mark is something that can cause issues in other areas of your life. For example, if you were cheating, then a hickey can lead to an end in the relationship with your partner if it gets you caught. A hickey can also get you in trouble with your parents if they don’t know you’re dating or don’t think you’re ready to get intimate with someone. Another situation where a hickey could suck (pun intended), is if you hooked up with someone inside your circle of friends and you’d rather people not know about it. Hickeys can also make your professional work life difficult and leave you feeling embarrassed in front of your co-workers.
At the end of the day, hickeys aren’t bad in and of themselves, but they can let others know what you’ve been up to, which often isn’t a good thing.
Other things you might need to know about hickeys
We’ve gone over just about everything there is to know about hickeys already but let us give answers to a few more questions we’ve heard asked.
Is a hickey the same as a love bite?
A hickey is a mark of love (or some approximation thereof), but it’s not a bite. So technically, no, they aren’t the same thing. However, a hickey and a love bite look very similar, are usually found in the same areas of your body and are given or received for the same reason. We’ll let you decide for yourselves how interchangeable the terms really are.
Is a hickey immature?
Sure, hickeys are usually for younger couples but that doesn’t mean love and romance need to disappear as we get older. A hickey is a sign of affection and as such, we feel it’s timeless.
What does a hickey really mean?
Aside from the physical aspect of a hickey, they are a sign of affection, love, and intimacy. It usually means you and your partner got hot and heavy and had a good time. Maybe you’ll be looking for believable excuses for a hickey the next day, but you’ll steel feel all warm and fuzzy inside from the intention behind your new love mark.
Are hickeys embarrassing?
A hickey can be viewed as a badge of honor, or proof that someone cares about you. Then again, a hickey also lets the world know what you’ve been up to, which in many circumstances isn’t ideal. For example, you wouldn’t want your parents to see a hickey on your neck, or your partner if you cheated on them (shame on you). Similarly, maybe even your boss and coworkers might give you some flack for it, and you definitely don’t want to be the talk of the break room at the office. Other than in certain situations, a hickey is nothing to be embarrassed about because it signifies something sweet and nice.
Did you enjoy our article about the best excuses for hickeys?
If you’ve made it to the end, you’re probably now an expert on the interesting and valuable topic of hickeys and their related excuses – congratulations! In all seriousness, we hope you’ve found the answers you were looking for and were able to extricate yourself from the jam you might have been in.
If you found this article useful, feel free to share it with your friends. If you have something to share, like tips, tricks, advice, or a funny hickey-related story of your own, please let us know in the comment section below.
