Nipple toys can also take the form of clips. The most common form of nipple clip is the tweezer clip, which is typically nothing more than a small device which resembles a pair of household tweezers, medical hemostat, cotter-pin, or large bobby-pin. At the open end, there may be a metal loop, elastic band, or bead which holds the loose ends of the clip together, preferably after a nipple has been firmly wedged between the two strips of metal. Nipple clips are simple and inexpensive to buy, typically costing under $10 for a pair. In a pinch (sorry, couldn’t resist) you can easily fashion your own home-made nipple clips from a few short lengths of wood or metal, and a couple of rubber bands. The next time you order Chinese take-out, be sure to have them toss some disposable nipple clips - chopsticks - into the bag.
Sometimes, clip and clamps are designed to combine pressure sensation play with other forms of play. Take, for example, bi-polar electrical stimulation clamps, which incorporate the fun features of a TENS or EMS unit to create an electrical circuit which flows from one side of the same clamp to the other. When a bi-polar electrical stimulation clamp is attached to a nipple or any other body part the electrical current flows directly through the tissue. This focuses the electrical effects on a very small area, and eliminates the need to create a ground circuit. Rather than having to attach two separate electrodes to the subject’s body, both electrodes are contained in the same clamp, which makes it perfect for intensely focused nipple, labial, clit, or cock stimulation.
The word vice isn’t commonly used in reference to BDSM toys, but that’s basically what some of them are - devices that often look and function exactly like the workbench vice that may be sitting in your garage right now. Vice-like BDSM toys generally fall into three categories: tit crushers, cock crushers, and ball crushers. They all work in essentially the same fashion - using the incredible power of screw mechanisms to tighten two rigid plates together while a sensitive part of your body is wedged between them.
Tit crushers are typically custom-designed and constructed for their owners, though you should be able to find a few commercially available products on the market, if you look hard enough. The cost and complexity of any tit crusher device will naturally vary widely, depending upon its design and materials. Some tit crushers are stand-alone items intended to be attached to the breasts by the pressure that they exert. Others are designed to be attached to a larger mechanism or piece of bondage furniture, which makes the device non-portable and immobilizes the bottom. Most tit crushers operate in exactly the same way: Place the breasts between the two rigid plates, and then screw the plates down to flatten them. Easy-peasy booby squeezies.
Cock and ball crushers operate on the same basic principle as tit crushers, only on a smaller scale. There are many different product designs for cock and ball crushers, but most are based on one of two simple approaches: two plates squeezed together by thumbscrews, or a metal tube which is narrowed in diameter by thumbscrews. Practically all of the other permutations can be attributed to aesthetics, construction materials, and whether the device is designed to accommodate just the penis, just the testicles, or both.
Obviously, when the name of your BDSM toy includes any mention of the word “crusher,” there are probably going to be some safety concerns to be aware of, and these toys are not going to be the exception to that rule. When using tit crushers, it is important to perform continuous monitoring of the breasts and of the overall condition of your subject. Once the breasts become discolored, blue or purple, that’s a sign that blood flow to the breast tissue has been severely restricted, which means the clock is ticking and you only have a short time before you must reestablish proper blood flow to avoid causing serious or permanent damage. Bondage photography often depicts models with tortured breasts in this state; however, what you don’t know is how long they were allowed to remain so. Most professional bondage photography requires very short windows of opportunity to get the best shots; being kept in the equipment or pose any longer can be hazardous to the model’s health.
If you plan on combining tit crushing with any form of impact play, you should use a low-impact toy that will not break the skin. When the breast tissue is highly compressed, the taut skin is thinner and under a great deal more pressure than usual. The effect is not unlike that of a balloon which is inflated almost to the point of bursting. It may be difficult to pop an underinflated balloon, but an overinflated one will pop at the mere suggestion of a pointy object.
Finally, as is the case with most other forms of breast torture, you should be aware that some studies have shown that habitually rough treatment of the breasts can result in the growth of fibroids in the breast tissue. Fibroids are not inherently dangerous to a woman’s health, but can result in false positive readings on mammograms, and may negatively affect the breast’s aesthetics.
Cock and ball crushers present us with an all new and very scary set of safety concerns. The first and probably most common, aside from the obvious risk of blocked blood circulation, is cuts, bruises or abrasions. Placing pressure on the penis or testicles stretches the skin thin, making it much more susceptible to punctures, tears and other injuries. It also greatly increases the risk of edema. Edema is abnormal swelling caused by an excessive buildup of interstitial fluids beneath the skin or in body cavities. The rupturing of blood vessels can cause hematomas, which are the collection of blood outside of the blood vessels. The most common form of hematoma is bruising. Crushing the testicles can also result in spermatoceles, which are a type of cyst that can occur in the scrotum. Spermatoceles are generally painless and relatively harmless, but have the potential to cause some alarm and become problematic.
Far more serious is the risk of testicular rupture and torsion injuries. A testicular rupture is a tear in the tunica albuginea, which is the fibrous membrane covering the testes within the scrotum. When a testicular rupture occurs, the contents of the testes spill out into the scrotum. This is a very serious kind of trauma which usually requires surgery to save the testicle. Testicular torsion is another serious risk that should be checked out immediately when suspected. Testicular torsion occurs when the spermatic cord (which suspends the testes) becomes twisted and cuts off the blood supply to the testes. The result is typically immediate and severe pain; if testicular torsion is suspected, you should seek immediate medical treatment. In cases where testicular torsion is the diagnosis, prompt surgery is usually the only way to save the testes. Interestingly, testicular torsion is sometimes referred to as “winter syndrome,” due to the fact that it occurs more frequently in low temperatures. That’s something you might want to keep in mind when playing in cool environments.
Weights & Stretching
The use of weights is a form of sensation play or torture that is most commonly applied to a woman’s nipples or labia, or to a man’s scrotum. The weights themselves can take any form, from common heavy household items to commercially produced training weights. The focus of weight play is typically less on the weights, themselves, but on how the weights are attached to the sensitive body parts in question. The methods employed usually consist of clamps or alligator clips when it comes to the labia or nipples. Rings, testicle cuffs and parachutes are commonly used on the scrotum.
Suspending a heavy weight from a woman’s nipples or labia can often be far more difficult than it looks. The difficulty arises when a suspended mass becomes heavy enough to force the clamp or clip to slip off of its moorings. To combat this unfortunate tendency, it often becomes necessary to use clamps or clips with non-slip gripping surfaces, which usually means teeth or something similar. This, of course, creates a whole new set of potential problems involving the triple-threat combination of great weight, sharp teeth, and sensitive body parts, which can result in ripping, tearing or lacerations.
When it comes to males, the natural silhouette of the scrotum makes hanging things from them a little simpler, if not safer. Rings and testicle cuffs made of metal, rubber, PVC or leather are often used for this purpose, but the CBT (cock
and ball torture) toy that is specifically designed for suspending weights from the scrotum is called a parachute. A parachute is a small, conically-shaped device, typically made of leather, which attaches around the scrotum. Around its hem, there are usually short lengths of chain dangling, which gives it the appearance of a tiny leather parachute, and hence its name. There are many variations available on the market, including some designed and marketed specifically as ball-stretchers.
The safety concerns previously mentioned for clamps, clips and vices apply equally, if not more so, to any play involving the suspension of heavy weights to the nipples, labia, scrotum or any other vulnerable body part.
Heat & Cold
Sensation play involving heat or cold rarely requires any specialized toys or equipment. The most common forms of play in this category consist of ice-cube play, ice dildo play, ice water torture, hot water torture, hot surface torture and, to a lesser extent, fire play. Its appeal has little or nothing to do with heat.
Heat and cold in small amounts and for short periods of time are relatively harmless. It is only when your activities cross the boundaries of common sense that they can become problematic and potentially lethal. Running an ice cube over someone’s nipples or clit? Good. Leaving a nine-inch ice dildo in someone’s ass? Bad. A little ice water on sensitive body parts? Good. A chunk of dry ice on sensitive body parts? Bad. Water hot enough to give the skin a nice rosy hue? Good. Water that is hot enough to scald and cause blistering? Bad. A little common sense goes a long way when it comes to this kind of play.
You should always be cognizant of the signs of hypothermia (low core body temperature, shivering, mental confusion), as well as hyperthermia (high core body temperature, hot dry skin, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness). Both conditions are potentially life-threatening, and can develop relatively quickly and easily under artificially cold or hot conditions. Additionally, some of the normal functions of our bodies can be severely disrupted by being exposed to abnormal temperature ranges for more than a very short span of time. For example, an ice cube in the rectum may be relatively harmless, but an ice dildo left too long in there can cause a week of severe pain, cramping, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding.
Abrasion
Abrasion play is relatively uncommon in the BDSM lifestyle, though it has enjoyed a small surge in popularity as people seek out new and unique tactile experiences. Abrasion play consists of using rough-textured objects or surfaces to rub or abrade the skin in such a way that it produces desired sensations in the subject. Anyone who has ever gotten a skinned knee as a child knows that even a small abrasion can create some pretty intense sensations. Abrasion play generally falls into two basic categories. There’s abrasion play that is done purely for the sake of producing pain or sensitivity in a localized region, and there’s the kind of abrasion play that is pleasurable or even therapeutic. Of course, most masochists would argue that pain and sensitivity are the very definition of pleasurable and therapeutic.
Similarly to heat and cold sensation play, abrasion play requires little or no specialized equipment or toys. For the most part, the only thing needed is an adequately rough surface to rub against your subject’s skin. Examples can include sandpaper, steel wool, pot scrubbers, cleaning brushes, toothbrushes, Emory boards, nail files, rasps, or even your own fingernails. The concept is really quite simple: rub, rasp or scratch the subject’s skin until it becomes sensitive, raw, or painful. This can be an end in itself, or a means to other ends, such as serving as a precursor to impact play, violet wand play, or other activities.
A therapeutic form of abrasion play that I happen to enjoy is one that is practiced widely in Asia to treat aches and pains, chills, and various minor illnesses. Since the practice lacks an English-language name that I’m aware of, I simply refer to it as “coin striping.” It typically consists of having a subject lie on his or her stomach, disrobed from the waist up. The Top takes a quarter, and applies a small dab of mentholated oil or muscle rub (such as Ben Gay or Icy Hot) to either the coin or to a spot on the subject’s back. Then, gripping the coin firmly, he rubs the dab of liniment into the skin using the corrugated edge of the quarter. The quarter is drawn repeatedly in a long steady motion across the skin in one direction only, along the same path in such a way that, after about a dozen passes, a bright red line begins to appear on the skin. Stop abrading that line when it’s glowing red, but before it begins to rupture the skin. Choose another spot about an inch from the first line, and repeat the process, creating another parallel red stripe across the back in the same fashion. Continue until the entire back is covered in glowing red stripes. The visual effect of the stripes can last anywhere from one to four days, depending on the subject’s skin type and resiliency.
Some people enjoy creating intricate and attractive patterns in this fashion. The edge of the quarter forces the mentholated oils through the skin, and each stripe produces a hot sensation that lasts several hours. When the entire back is covered in coin stripes, the subject will usually feel toasty warm all night long, which can be particularly soothing for anyone with chills, aches, or pains. In many parts of Asia, people pay for professional treatments of this sort in much the same way they go for massages, acupuncture, or cupping. The procedure is rare enough in the U.S. that the sight of your red stripes may elicit some concerned reactions from some people. After all, it looks as if a scurvy pirate has tied you to the ship’s mainsail mast and given you fifty lashes. I usually recommend that anyone who will be going to see a doctor within the next few days delay their abrasion play until after their appointment!
The safety concerns related to abrasion play are minimal, with the main worry being infection. The wider the area of skin that is rubbed raw, the greater the possibility will be of harmful bacteria passing through the distressed skin and into the bloodstream. The Top should always wash his hands thoroughly with a strong antibacterial soap and sanitize the bottom’s back with an alcohol or peroxide wipe prior to the procedure. Any stripes that result in breaks in the skin should be treated as open wounds to prevent the transmission of disease or infection and to promote healing.
Irritants
Irritant play isn’t something you hear about very often and, even when you do, it’s rarely referred to as such. Even so, it’s a fairly common form of sadomasochistic play which usually involves creating pain or discomfort to sensitive parts of the body by applying substances like Tabasco sauce, toothpaste, hot peppers, wasabi, chili powder, ginger root, peppermint oil, clove oil, citrus oil, witch hazel, and other irritants.
Sometimes, a specific substance develops a wide following and gets a name all its own. One example is figging, which is the practice of inserting a freshly peeled ginger root into the anus or vagina. The ginger is typically carved into a dildo or butt-plug shape and, when inserted, produces a tingly warm sensation which gradually grows in intensity until it becomes painful. Figging can also be combined in various ways with other forms of play to intensify the sensations. Any activity that causes involuntary constrictions or spasms of the vagina or anus (such as occurs during orgasm) will squeeze the ginger, producing a rush or heat, tingling or pain. The sensations associated with figging typically last 15-20 minutes before they begin to fade.
When it comes to safety, irritants can be as safe or as dangerous as their potential for misuse. You should attempt to differentiate between the water-soluble substances and the oil-based irritants. That way, you know best how to remove them if they become excessively painful or begin to cause tissue damage. Certain oils, such as pepper oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil, and mentholated oil can cause significant damage to sensitive tissues if used in concentrated form or left on for too long. When using an irritant for play for the first time, you should test it out in diluted form, preferably first on normal healthy skin, then abraded or sensitive skin, and lastly on exterior then interior mucous membranes. Many irritants have a specific counter-agent that immediately counteracts its effects. One example is using boric acid to
immediate counteract the effects of hot peppers. Do a little research to learn if the irritant you plan on using has a counteracting agent. For the ones that don’t, it might be a good idea to keep some soapy lukewarm water and a washcloth nearby, just in case the irritant needs to be removed very quickly. No one who is screaming her safe word along with, “Get it off me now!” wants to hear you say, “I might have a bucket somewhere in the garage, let me go see.”
Speaking of soap and water, I highly recommend that you wash your hands thoroughly after handling irritants like hot peppers, wasabi or Tabasco sauce. It’s terribly easy to forget where those fingers have been before absent-mindedly wiping your eyes with them; a mistake that would not only be an epic buzzkill, but could seriously undermine any credibility as a Top that you might have had.
Finally, you should be cognizant of any allergies your bottom might have, including food allergies. It might be tempting, for example, to assume that a food allergy would only be a problem if the substance is eaten; however an allergic reaction can often be triggered by exposure of the substance to the mucous membranes.
Cupping
Cupping, like coin-striping and acupuncture, is another Asian therapeutic practice that has recently been adopted by the BDSM culture and become immensely popular. The practice, which has been around for thousands of years, involves the use of cups in which a partial vacuum is produced by heat, flame, or suction in order to draw a ball of the subject’s flesh up into the cup. The procedure is most often performed on the subject’s back; however, it can be done to just about any fleshy part of the body. Quite often, the subject’s entire back will be covered with these “suction cups”, which are typically made of glass.
Domination & Submission: The BDSM Relationship Handbook Page 28
