For many, hickeys were a teenage rite of passage — a dark purple badge of honour or a mark to conceal. But recently, love bites seem to have disappeared from adult dating. Sexuality expert Courtney Boyer tells Metro that adults often feel intimacy must be serious, eliminating playfulness. She says people associate hickeys with teenage relationships or early sexual experiences.
Why Adults Avoid Love Bites
Denise, a 27-year-old Metro reader, loves receiving hickeys but hides them from friends and colleagues to avoid being seen as unserious. She prefers them on her chest or inner thighs. Boyer adds that some avoid love bites because they might signal inexperience.
However, Chloe Bailey, 25, from Greenwich, reframes hickeys as a sign of casual fun. After a 10-year relationship, she sees them as a primal human connection and encourages giving them a go, with consent.
Search Interest in Biting Is Up 30%
Despite stigma, appetite for love bites persists. Data from ethical porn site Lustery shows search interest in 'biting' has increased by about 30% this year compared to last, including terms like hickeys, love bites, and neck biting.
For Denise, the turn-on is about her partner marking her and having a souvenir. Filipa Castro, 28, from North London, finds hickeys hot, especially when accidental. She loves seeing a hickey in the mirror the next day as a sexy flashback.
Understated Intimacy on the Rise
Trends in 2026 show intimacy involves more than sex. TikTok creator Tilly Ferrari called for more snogging that doesn't lead anywhere. BACP psychotherapist Susie Masterson previously called kissing an underrated art. For dating influencer Allora Dannon, a romantic hug with nuzzling or grinding is a perfect segue to naughtier activities. Adding a hickey builds anticipation.
