It could become irresistible when your partner touches their soft lips across your neck. Before you know it, the passionate kissing leads to sucking and now you have a hickey on your neck. I can’t say I’m not guilty of having given one and receiving one, it’s like having a reminder of that hot and passionate moment.

One of the reasons people don’t seem to mind a hickey is because of the fact that they tend to fade away within a short period of time. However, this is a big misconception that people tend to have because hickeys can scar your skin permanently and, in some cases, can cause trauma. In a recent case from msnbc.com, a New Zealand woman was unexpectedly rushed to the hospital after she had a minor stroke from a “love bite,” that bruised the blood vessel in her neck and caused a clot.

Even if this “love bite” is known as a sign of showing our love and affection towards someone, the reddish purple blotch that turns yellow looks disgusting. Normally, when someone acquires a hickey it is assumed it’s a result of getting sexually active. Truth be told, these types of engagements are from the “bedroom” because I wouldn’t want to see someone sucking anyone’s neck out in public. It’s not as if the world doesn’t know people are kissing and hugging somewhere. They wouldn’t tend to stay in public view of others, so why would I want to see the results from it? Unless it’s in a subtle place or hidden, by all means, praise it and, heck, why not, the person who gave it to you.

However, if there are certain people who have different opinions on hickies you can’t help from them seeking for a bruise when they see a small red mark on your skin. I wouldn’t want to meet my significant others’ parents’ with a huge mouth- shaped bruise on my neck or attend job interview. Especially because I feel it defines your potential as a professional. As much as a hickey can have it’s worthwhile fun, it’s not fun to have a certain reputation in a job setting. So, bundle up with your turtlenecks, wrap those scarves around your neck and walk around with pride that no one is looking at those icky ‘lovebites’.

Karen Limones can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.