A hickey, also called a love chew, is a bruise attributable to sucking on the pores and skin, usually on the neck or different areas of the physique. Hickeys are normally attributable to kissing or sucking on the pores and skin with sufficient pressure to interrupt the small blood vessels beneath. This causes blood to pool beneath the pores and skin, making a bruise.
Hickeys are usually thought-about to be an indication of affection or intimacy. Nonetheless, they can be seen as a type of abuse, particularly if they’re attributable to pressure or with out consent. In some instances, hickeys can be an indication of a medical situation, similar to a bleeding dysfunction.