Temperature play
Encyclopedia
Temperature play is a form of BDSM
sensual play
where objects and substances are used to stimulate the body's neuroreceptors for heat and cold for sensual effect. Substances can include water, oil, molten wax
, ice, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, melted butter, chilled fresh fruit and steamed vegetables.
Objects can include cutlery, ball chains, necklaces and many others, often pre-heated in hot water or chilled in ice water.
Blindfolds are often used to intensify the effects, and bondage
can also amplify the experience.
Safety precautions should be used which are appropriate for the materials, techniques and body parts involved.
as fuel. Other common fire play toys include flaming gloves and flaming floggers; other common varieties of fuel include 91% isopropyl alcohol
, mousse, hand sanitizer, super-proof rum, grain alcohol, and flash cotton
. As with many forms of BDSM play, the "proper" tools, fuels, and safety guidelines are often in hot contention between players.
Fire play is usually considered a form of edge play - frequently exciting, but with significant dangers. Unlike other forms of edge play (extreme rough body play, blood play, interrogations, abductions, etc.), fire play scenes tend to look kinder and gentler; although it can be dramatic, the sensations inflicted in most fire play scenes aren't actually painful (much like hot wax play or sensation play). Fire play also rarely leaves marks on the skin - though some people deliberately burn the skin slightly to leave it red and irritated. For this reason, some people consider fire play's edge play classification something of a technicality; it's classified as edge play simply because out-of-control flame could result in terrible consequences.
Although it's a bit in vogue at the moment, fire play is banned at many events - perhaps because the presence of open flame makes building owners or insurance providers nervous.
In streaking, fuel is applied directly to the skin (commonly in straight lines, though sometimes in more elaborate patterns), lit, and then extinguished before the skin begins to burn. Frequently the fuel is applied to the skin with unlit fire wands, then ignited with a lit fire wands (sometimes double-headed wands or two wands are used to streamline the procedure).
is a current fad in the fire play community. The air inside a cup (almost always glass) is heated then placed on the skin - the cooling air creates a vacuum
and the skin is partially pulled into the cup. Experienced cuppers can create varying strengths of suction by controlling the heat of the cup.
Fire cupping was appropriated from traditional and holistic medicine communities. Cupping was used in Western medicine to encourage blood movement as recently as the Civil War. It is still used (often with the same name) by masseurs and in Chinese medicine (where it is said to have predated traditional needle acupuncture). For this reason, cupping sets can be found in some Asian stores. Some merchants will only sell sets to licensed massage therapists.
Methods include:
Fire cupping typically leaves small, round marks on the body that may last for hours or for days. If a single area is cupped again and again, a deep bruise may form and not disappear for some time.
Fire cupping is often combined with blood play, and is then usually termed blood cupping. (This variant also comes from traditional medicine). The skin is pierced (commonly with needles or scalpels) before the cups are applied; the suction then draws blood out of the wound.
across a person's naked skin. In popular culture the portrayal of ice on a female or male nipple can be sexually stimulating as the result of the cold temperature is the erection of the nipple tissue. Movies such as Do the Right Thing
, and 9½ Weeks
demonstrate examples of this type of foreplay
.
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
sensual play
Sensual play
Sensual play is a generic term which refers to a variety of forms of sensual play. It must be understood that sensual, as referred here, does not mean only sexual appeal....
where objects and substances are used to stimulate the body's neuroreceptors for heat and cold for sensual effect. Substances can include water, oil, molten wax
Wax play
Wax play is a form of sensual play involving warm or hot wax usually dripped from candles or ladled onto a person's naked skin. Wax play may be combined with other BDSM or sexual activity....
, ice, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, melted butter, chilled fresh fruit and steamed vegetables.
Objects can include cutlery, ball chains, necklaces and many others, often pre-heated in hot water or chilled in ice water.
Blindfolds are often used to intensify the effects, and bondage
Bondage (BDSM)
Bondage is the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity.- Private bondage :...
can also amplify the experience.
Safety precautions should be used which are appropriate for the materials, techniques and body parts involved.
Fire play
Fire play is a form of temperature play that involves using flame on or very close to, the skin. The flame is typically on or applied with a fire wand (essentially a small torch),and frequently utilizes 70% isopropyl alcoholIsopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol is a common name for a chemical compound with the molecular formula C3H8O. It is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor...
as fuel. Other common fire play toys include flaming gloves and flaming floggers; other common varieties of fuel include 91% isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol is a common name for a chemical compound with the molecular formula C3H8O. It is a colorless, flammable chemical compound with a strong odor...
, mousse, hand sanitizer, super-proof rum, grain alcohol, and flash cotton
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to nitric acid or another powerful nitrating agent. When used as a propellant or low-order explosive, it is also known as guncotton...
. As with many forms of BDSM play, the "proper" tools, fuels, and safety guidelines are often in hot contention between players.
Fire play is usually considered a form of edge play - frequently exciting, but with significant dangers. Unlike other forms of edge play (extreme rough body play, blood play, interrogations, abductions, etc.), fire play scenes tend to look kinder and gentler; although it can be dramatic, the sensations inflicted in most fire play scenes aren't actually painful (much like hot wax play or sensation play). Fire play also rarely leaves marks on the skin - though some people deliberately burn the skin slightly to leave it red and irritated. For this reason, some people consider fire play's edge play classification something of a technicality; it's classified as edge play simply because out-of-control flame could result in terrible consequences.
Although it's a bit in vogue at the moment, fire play is banned at many events - perhaps because the presence of open flame makes building owners or insurance providers nervous.
Bouncing/Streaking
The two most common fire play techniques are bouncing and streaking. In bouncing, lit fire wands (sometimes called batons; essentially a small torch) are bounced along the skin. This may or may not involve transfer of burning fuel.In streaking, fuel is applied directly to the skin (commonly in straight lines, though sometimes in more elaborate patterns), lit, and then extinguished before the skin begins to burn. Frequently the fuel is applied to the skin with unlit fire wands, then ignited with a lit fire wands (sometimes double-headed wands or two wands are used to streamline the procedure).
Fire cupping
Fire cuppingFire cupping
Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a local suction is created on the skin; practitioners believe this mobilizes blood flow in order to promote healing. Suction is created using heat or mechanical devices...
is a current fad in the fire play community. The air inside a cup (almost always glass) is heated then placed on the skin - the cooling air creates a vacuum
Vacuum
In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
and the skin is partially pulled into the cup. Experienced cuppers can create varying strengths of suction by controlling the heat of the cup.
Fire cupping was appropriated from traditional and holistic medicine communities. Cupping was used in Western medicine to encourage blood movement as recently as the Civil War. It is still used (often with the same name) by masseurs and in Chinese medicine (where it is said to have predated traditional needle acupuncture). For this reason, cupping sets can be found in some Asian stores. Some merchants will only sell sets to licensed massage therapists.
Methods include:
- Wiping alcohol directly on the skin and then quickly placing the cup over the area (frequently criticized as having a higher risk of burning the skin);
- Holding the cup over an open flame until it is warm and then applying it to cool skin (some people feel this is the safest - though some feel that heating the glass (rather than the air) causes room for additional danger. This is also the hardest method to beginners wishing to create a strong suction);
- Placing small disks with cotton balls soaked in alcohol on them onto the skin. The cotton is then ignited and a cup is placed over the disk.
- Applying fuel directly inside the cup - the cup is then usually put on the skin with the fuel still burning (the flame will quickly extinguish from want of oxygen).
Fire cupping typically leaves small, round marks on the body that may last for hours or for days. If a single area is cupped again and again, a deep bruise may form and not disappear for some time.
Fire cupping is often combined with blood play, and is then usually termed blood cupping. (This variant also comes from traditional medicine). The skin is pierced (commonly with needles or scalpels) before the cups are applied; the suction then draws blood out of the wound.
Ice play
Ice play is a form of temperature play that usually involves running pieces of iceIce
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
across a person's naked skin. In popular culture the portrayal of ice on a female or male nipple can be sexually stimulating as the result of the cold temperature is the erection of the nipple tissue. Movies such as Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing is a 1989 American dramedy produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, who is also a featured actor in the film. Other members of the cast include Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. It is also notably the...
, and 9½ Weeks
9½ Weeks
9½ Weeks is a 1986 erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. It is based on the novel of the same name by Elizabeth McNeill....
demonstrate examples of this type of foreplay
Foreplay
In human sexual behavior, foreplay is a set of intimate psychological and physically intimate acts between two or more people meant to create desire for sexual activity and sexual arousal. Either or any of the sexual partners may initiate the foreplay, and they may not be the active partner during...
.
See also
- Alternative sexuality
- Food playFood playFood play can have sexual or non-sexual connotations. It often refers to Sitophilia, a form of sexual fetishism in which participants are aroused by erotic situations involving food. The phrase is also used to refer to non-sexual play with food, such as playful and decorative food displays,...
- Knife playKnife playKnife play is form of consensual BDSM edgeplay involving knives, daggers, and swords as a source of physical and mental stimulation. Knives are typically used to cut away clothing, scratch the skin, remove wax after wax play, or simply provide sensual stimulation...
- Wax playWax playWax play is a form of sensual play involving warm or hot wax usually dripped from candles or ladled onto a person's naked skin. Wax play may be combined with other BDSM or sexual activity....