How do you get rid of a hickey?

Hickeys can look pretty embarrasing...

What is the best way to get rid of one? I just have a small discoloration that is mostly brownish that I acquired last night from necking. I understand that the cause is a bruise that occurs when the capillaries under the skin are broken... I have an important meeting on Tuesday, and a hickey would look very unprofessional. Covering it up is not a possibility - I need to have it healed and gone from the skin. Some of the treatments I've seen on the web are:

-Hot compress
-Cold compress
-Cold spoon rubbing
-Rubbing magnets/batteries on it
-Cortizone cream
-Arnica gel
-Rubbing it with a toothbrush
-Applying toothpaste to it
-Blow drying it and using a comb to brush it
-Get a sunburn on it

Is there any truth to these options helping to remove such discoloration? I need to have it gone within 48 hours - PLEASE HELP! Are there any other options that actually work?

Thanks!

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

I'm sorry, but bruises go away in their own good time.  Those treatments you read about are not likely to do anything positive--in fact, they may delay things.  Covering it, with a band-aid or makeup, are the only things likely to be of use in such a short time frame.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[oceans3]

yes, a hickey is indeed unprofessional so i can see why you want to rid of it. when i was a teen back in the day and didnt want mom and dad to see it, i did try the toothpaste and the blowdryer/comb. didnt work. just got red from the comb and hurt. i think most are old wives tales.
where EXACTLY is the hicky? i am pretty creative so i may be of help with concealing it until it goes away. not to add salt to your wound but they last a while and it wont be gone by tues. (assuming its big and dark).

[oceans3]

tried the cold spoon and the tan on it....nothing.
i even said i burned myself with my curling iron. guess you cant use that one.

[allaction0]

It's about 1.5 inches directly to the left of the center of my throat. It looks like an ellipse, about 1 inch in height and half an inch in width. The color is brownish more than anything, kind of like a rug burn or some other small abrasion.

[allaction0]

Other than topical medication, is there anything I should eat or drink or do to help? Will going to the gym and working out, sweating, etc. help or hurt my situation? How about going out in the sun? Should I avoid or seek sun, water, etc? I heard that Vitamin P and/or C will help in the process... Anyone know?

[oceans3]

are you male or female? i dont know why but i assumed you were male? tie and dress shirt? female) fashion silk scarf tied around it?
sometimes concealer/make up will help to hide it. go a shade lighter than your face skin tone and blend in. cover with some loose powder.
keep your hands away from the area or you will draw attention to it.
are you very sure all your worried about is the meeting or someone else seeing it perhaps? either way, unless there is something new to the market,.............. time heals all wounds.

[oceans3]

soooo, its tuesday. how did your "meeting" go?
what did you decide to do?