# Removing a Hickey with Toothpaste: Debunking a Myth The idea of using toothpaste to magically remove a hickey within seconds is a popular but misleading myth. **[how to remove a hickey in seconds with toothpaste](https://johnhornbeck.com/tag/how-to-remove-a-hickey-in-seconds-with-toothpaste/)**, While toothpaste contains ingredients like baking soda, menthol, or hydrogen peroxide that might have mild cooling or soothing effects, it doesn't possess the miraculous ability to make a hickey vanish instantly. Hickeys, also known as love bites or bruises, are caused by broken blood vessels beneath the skin's surface. They naturally fade over time as the body reabsorbs the blood. There's no quick-fix solution. Some methods like applying a cold compress, gently massaging the area, or using makeup can help conceal a hickey, but instant removal with toothpaste is more fiction than fact. It's essential to be patient and allow the hickey to heal naturally.