A hickey, or “love bite,” is a common type of bruise resulting from intense suction applied to the skin. This forceful action is a form of trauma that causes damage to the tiny blood vessels just beneath the skin’s surface. The immediate and simple answer to whether people with dark skin can get hickeys is yes; the underlying biology of bruising is the same for all human beings. However, the external appearance and subsequent healing process are significantly influenced by skin pigmentation.
The Universal Physiology of a Hickey
The formation of a hickey begins when sustained suction creates negative pressure on a localized area of the skin. This pressure causes the delicate capillaries—the smallest blood vessels—to rupture. Because the skin itself remains intact, the released blood pools in the surrounding tissue. The pooled blood is rich in hemoglobin, the protein that gives blood its red color, creating the visible mark beneath the epidermis. The fragility and structure of these capillaries are consistent across all skin tones, meaning the physical event of a hickey forming is identical regardless of the amount of melanin present in the skin.
How Skin Pigmentation Alters Bruise Appearance
While the cause of the hickey is universal, the way it looks and changes over time is distinctly influenced by skin pigmentation. In lighter skin tones, the initial mark appears clearly as a red or purplish spot due to the freshly pooled blood. This mark then progresses through a noticeable color cycle, often turning blue, green, and yellow as the body breaks down the hemoglobin.
For individuals with higher levels of melanin, the pigment acts as a natural filter, masking the initial red and purple hues of the bruise. A hickey on dark skin typically presents not with a clear red tone, but as a darker patch of skin, often appearing deep brown, slate grey, or even black. This difference is due to the baseline color of the skin absorbing and obscuring the underlying colors of the broken-down blood products.
The characteristic green and yellow stages, which are distinct in lighter skin, are often less visible or entirely unseen in darker skin tones. Instead, the mark tends to remain a dark, discolored spot that gradually lightens to a medium brown before fading completely. The visibility of the bruise is often a matter of contrast, where the dark pigmentation of the pooled blood stands out sharply against the already pigmented surrounding skin. This difference in color perception can sometimes make the bruise seem more persistent or pronounced, even if the underlying healing time is similar.
Addressing Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
A significant distinction in how hickeys heal in dark skin tones relates to a condition called Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH). PIH is a common response to skin trauma or inflammation, and it is a process distinct from the initial bruise healing.
The physical trauma of the hickey causes inflammation, which stimulates melanocytes—the cells that produce skin pigment—to become highly reactive. These overstimulated cells produce and deposit excess melanin at the injury site, leaving behind a darkened patch that lingers long after the original bruise has cleared. This residual dark spot is the PIH, which can range from light brown to black in color.
While the bruise typically resolves within one to two weeks, the resulting PIH can persist for months or even years, especially without appropriate care. Individuals with darker skin tones are genetically predisposed to this hyperpigmentation response due to their more reactive melanocytes.
To minimize the risk and severity of PIH, it is important to avoid further irritation and use broad-spectrum sun protection on the affected area. Ultraviolet exposure significantly increases melanin production, which can darken the residual PIH and slow its fading process.