Dear DOLLY DR, I recently got my first love bite, and I've heard from some people that they can cause cancer! Is this true, and just another cancer myth?
There are lots of cancer myths out there, and this is just one of them!
A "love bite" or "hickey" is a minor bruise you receive from your partner if they bite or suck your skin just forcefully enough to break the little blood vessels below the surface. They can be given anywhere on the body but the neck, breasts and inner thigh are common places.
Some consider love bites a mark of intimacy or possession, and it’s a personal choice whether you like them or not. But just like a bruise from bumping your knee, it will generally disappear within a week and there is no future risk of developing cancer.
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