Dear 05184,

A passion mark is another name for a "hickey" — the medical term is ecchymosis. A hickey is a bruise that forms when a person sucks and lightly bites an area on another person's body causing the blood vessels under the skin to break. Hickeys vary in size and color depending on the length of time and how strongly the skin is sucked. They can happen anywhere on the body, but the skin on the neck is often where they happen.

Some people enjoy getting and giving hickeys, and some people find them to be painful.

There is no quick way to get rid of a hickey. Like any other bruise on your body, it will go away with time. However, there are ways to cover up the hickey if you don't want anyone else to see it. Some people cover up a hickey with makeup or by wearing a turtleneck or scarf. Other people are proud of their hickeys and don't want to cover them up at all!

Hope this information helps!

Take care,

teenwire.com^® Editors

This column is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have a medical problem, please call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN for an appointment with the Planned Parenthood health center nearest you.