# Can rubbing a penny on a hickey make it heal faster? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825 "2007-11-09T19:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/1 "2007-11-09T19:38:37Z")
I was on [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) “unanswerable list” and this question appears more than once. So, can rubbing copper in a bruise make it disappear faster? I would think not and feel that only time can heal wounds. Another variant of the question was, “if a penny won’t work, is there anything else I can rub on my hickey to make it heal faster?” 🙂 Silly kids and their questions. lol ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/2 "2007-11-09T19:42:35Z")
> [@](#): > > So, can rubbing copper in a bruise make it disappear faster? My pennies disappear fast enough without my rubbing them on hickeys. This sounds completely off-the-wall and absurd, to me. The kind of thing someone with too many pennies (and/or too many hickeys) and too much time would come up with. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/3 "2007-11-09T22:06:15Z")
If it’s the copper that promotes healing, you’d better use one minted prior to 1982. And I doubt it will accomplish anything anyway. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/4 "2007-11-09T22:19:21Z")
I remember my mother rubbing a penny on my foot as a kid after a bee sting. According to [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/beesting.asp), its efficacy is undetermined. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/5 "2007-11-09T22:19:42Z")
I doubt that works but you could glue the penny to the hickey to cover it. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/6 "2007-11-09T22:27:17Z")
Trying to do some field research here, but can’t get anyone at work to give me a kickey/allow me to give them a hickey. These people are so medieval, it just in the name of science! - wanders off looking for a hickey \* ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/7 "2007-11-09T22:43:43Z")
[QUOTE=diggleblop] Another variant of the question was, “if a penny won’t work, is there anything else I can rub on my hickey to make it heal faster?” [/QUOTE] Arnica based creams help bruises disappear. And after you have put the cream on the hickey, no-one is going to try to make it worse 😉 Si ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/8 "2007-11-09T22:54:03Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] Trying to do some field research here, but can’t get anyone at work to give me a kickey/allow me to give them a hickey. These people are so medieval, it just in the name of science! - wanders off looking for a hickey \* [/QUOTE] Must be a Colorado thing, I have the same problem here at work. Maybe one of the women will be more cooperative. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/9 "2007-11-09T23:06:08Z")
coffee. nose. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/10 "2007-11-10T01:41:11Z")
Sounds like one for the Mythbusters to explore. Have Kari give Jamie and Adam the hickies. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/11 "2007-11-10T01:48:38Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] Sounds like one for the Mythbusters to explore. Have Kari give Jamie and Adam the hickies. [/QUOTE] Nononono! What’s the matter with you? Have Kari give **me** hickies! ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/12 "2007-11-10T12:26:04Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] Nononono! What’s the matter with you? Have Kari give **me** hickies! [/QUOTE] A body artist I know says that people sometimes tape coins over a fresh scar to encourage keloid formation. So that’s the exact opposite of the effect OP is looking for, correct? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/13 "2007-11-10T16:08:22Z")
No, the taped coins are left in place… the penny effect would be due to the copper (it’s got antibacterial, antifungal, antilots of other live stuff properties) and the penny isn’t left in place. And NO, drinking copper is NOT good for you. In big enough doses, it’s anti-humanbeing too. ---
**Author:** ![Uncertain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Uncertain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncertain)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/14 "2007-11-10T16:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] If it’s the copper that promotes healing, you’d better use one minted prior to 1982. [/QUOTE] They’re still copper-plated. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/15 "2007-11-11T03:25:03Z")
Bruises are trapped blood under the skin awaiting reabsorbtion. A chilled piece of metal, such as a penny, could be used to slow initial bleeding and cause the hickey not to get larger. A penny isn’t your best choice for a cold compress, though. After a day or two, use warm compresses to encourage more rapid reabsorbtion of the trapped blood. Again, a penny is not the best choice. Cyn, RN, who has no hickeys. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/16 "2007-11-11T04:15:17Z")
[QUOTE=diggleblop] So, can rubbing copper in a bruise make it disappear faster? I would think not and feel that only time can heal wounds. Another variant of the question was, “if a penny won’t work, is there anything else I can rub on my hickey to make it heal faster?” [/QUOTE] Um, no. Also, you are now on my permanent “do not ask for spare change” list. ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/17 "2007-11-12T19:06:50Z")
haha, at least you guys have a good sense of humor. thanks ! ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/18 "2007-11-12T21:14:57Z")
Back in my hickey gettin’-‘n-givin’ days, the story was to press a cold spoon against it. I never tried it as far as I can recall. I gather it was the cold metal that promoted blood circulation around the affected area, rather than the elemental makeup of the chilled item. ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/19 "2007-11-12T21:38:01Z")
[QUOTE=McNew] I gather it was the cold metal that promoted blood circulation around the affected area, rather than the elemental makeup of the chilled item. [/QUOTE] The chilled metal inhibits circulation. Heat would promote circulation. Cyn, RN. Still no hickeys. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825/20 "2007-11-12T22:48:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Cyn, RN, who has no hickeys. ☹ > > * * * > > **Talk nerdy to me.** How about negative differential pressure-induced subcutaneous lesions? Do you have any of those? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-rubbing-a-penny-on-a-hickey-make-it-heal-faster/425825.md?page=2)