Electro play, electro sex: playing with electricity, can it do any harm?

“Electro play, electro sex: playing with electricity, can it do any harm?” was written for BDSMforyou.nl by Mistress Moriah.

There is a lot to say about playing with electricity. I can tell from the number of reactions I get whenever I share something about electro play. For example, I get questions like: “Isn't it dangerous?” “How do you do it, then?” “What do I need for it?” “What are the risks?” And so on. Every one of them is a perfectly logical question, and I had them myself years ago. Playing with electricity seemed super cool to me, but still, are you really going to put your partner under current “just like that”? How? After all, your sub doesn't actually need to be broken.

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What is electro sex or electro play?

In short, electro sex means that the genitals and/or erogenous zones are stimulated by electrical impulses. Water conducts electricity very well, and our body consists mainly of water. With e-stim, the current is conducted between two points.

Electro play or electrostimulation (abbreviated to e-stim) is therefore playing with electrical impulses. And no, you don't do that by shoving your sub's fingers into the socket, because he generally can't cope with that very well. Fortunately, there are special devices that let you play with electricity in a (reasonably) safe way.

Playing with electricity, also sometimes called “stimming”, “e-stimming”, “electroplay” or “electro sex”, is about experiencing low-frequency electrical stimulation that is usually aimed at the erogenous zones, especially the genitals.

Does it hurt?

It can, but it certainly doesn't have to. It can also be a form of pleasure. Especially if you place the electrodes on the spots where they give the right stimulation, it can lead to intense orgasms. Of course, it is important that you regulate the intensity of the current properly.

Favourite sensation

I have been playing with electricity for years now, and my sub, who had developed a fear of it before I got to know him, can now even enjoy it at times. Electro play can involve pain stimuli, but it doesn't have to at all. It can also be stimulating or, on the contrary, very relaxing. A great many emotions and sensations can come together in electro play. That is what makes it so intense and exciting. But let me not get ahead of the experience and start at the beginning.

Are there no risks to playing with electricity?

Yes. And no. People with heart complaints, heart conditions, brain haemorrhages and/or other brain abnormalities such as epilepsy are better off not starting this. Electro play targets the muscles, and your heart is a muscle too. You don't want your heart to go out of rhythm because you so badly wanted to play an exciting game. You can imagine that people with a pacemaker or medication pump had better not venture into it either. Electro play is also discouraged for pregnant women. The chance of harm to your unborn child is not that great in itself, but it is better not to take any risks.

Everyone else could try electro play, but of course it is never 100% risk-free. Playing with electricity is entirely at your own risk. Read up on it thoroughly beforehand and keep using your common sense. Preferably don't combine it with other forms of play (except for bondage); I have heard experiences about that too, where things went seriously wrong. Even with experienced users.

Limiting the risks

To limit all risks, only use equipment for stimming that has been made specially for this, has been thoroughly tested and has EU approval. So preferably don't buy cheap devices from China, because they are really not all safe. Don't forget to read the manual before use. Abbreviated: RTFM (Read The Fucking Manual). It is “serious business” and you don't want to run unnecessary risks. Rather pay a little more for a good and above all reliable device. You can enjoy a good basic set for years, so it really pays for itself.

You can imagine that using a battery-powered unit is always safer than a mains-powered unit. After all, the current released by a battery-powered unit is capped.

Before you begin, remove any piercings and/or jewellery in the area you want to work on. Metal objects can heat up, which can cause unnecessary burns. Also watch out for other metal parts in the body, such as a pin or a brace.

Limit the use

Even if you are not a heart patient, heart problems can occur even with low current. So restrict the play to below the belt, and preferably don't use the e-stim on the head, chest, arms or neck. Fortunately, there is still so much fun to be found below the belt!

Don't use the unit for longer than 15 minutes. Bear in mind that they can get hot, so make sure they cool down regularly.

Keep the e-stim toys away from moisture, so: don't use them in the bathroom, the sauna and/or in combination with urine, drink, water, sweat, saliva or mucus. Also don't combine this play with any drugs or alcohol.

Different units

There are various basic units for sale that you can connect all sorts of things to. They range from devices that run on mains electricity to devices that run on batteries. The unit itself only passes on the electrical impulses, so you still need to plug in something that you can connect to the skin. Think of pads, clamps, plugs, dildos, cock rings, chastity belts, dilators, gloves, et cetera.

Besides the various basic units to which you can attach toys, you can also opt for a violet wand. You can't connect anything else to it, apart from the various parts supplied with it. The current is passed on to the skin through a glass electrode, which can give a little shock.

Does electro play hurt?

It can, but it certainly doesn't have to. Compare it to your hands. Your hands can hurt by hitting, pinching and scratching, but you can also stroke or massage with them gently until you are completely relaxed. It all depends on what you want to achieve with it. The effect of stimming ranges from soft to painful. It can tickle, but it can also give you a serious shock and even burn the skin. You decide the intensity yourself.

And how do you go about it?

Okay, by now you know what to watch out for, and your sub or partner is lying there all ready. What now?
Always use a contact gel for good conduction, because without gel the sensation of the current can be sharp and burning. If you like, you can also use a water-based lubricant. This lubricant conducts the current well, but has the drawback that it also dries quickly, so you have to reapply it regularly.
Everything well lubricated? Then attach the toy on (pads) or in (dildo, butt plug, dilator) your sub. Check that everything is seated properly before you gently switch on the current.

The most important thing about electro play is the build-up. Build it up slowly, because if you suddenly slide the control all the way open or turn the knobs up, your sub will hit the ceiling and you can assume he (or she) will never want this again. Take his or her pain threshold into account, and what you want to achieve. Are you going for pleasure? For pain sensation? For sexual arousal? Or for relaxation? They are all possibilities, and it is up to you to find the right mode. There is no such thing as a “relaxed” or “horny” setting. These will be different for everyone. So always keep a close eye on your sub and watch their body language. You will soon notice what certain actions and settings do to your sub.

Don't keep stimulating the same spot for too long (this can cause burns), but vary it calmly. Take your time with the build-up.

What is so beautiful about this play?

Of course, I am going to give you a very subjective answer here, because I can hardly describe what you will find beautiful about it. I can only go by my own experience, and how you experience it may differ completely. That is precisely what makes BDSM so unique and intense. Every person has their own experience of it.

For me, electro play is a way of playing where different intensities come together. My sub is usually tied up and made defenceless. When I attach the electrodes (or other toys) to his skin, it gives me a feeling of power. After all, I am the one who determines his sensation. Am I going to torment him? Or am I going to let him enjoy it? Usually I will choose variation. Wonderful pleasure with a fiercer pain here and there, so that he clearly notices that I am the one turning the knobs and that I decide whether he may enjoy himself.

My sub is not allowed to do this, but of course you can also operate the unit yourself while masturbating. It can be an erotic addition that can bring you to an intense orgasm.

What do you feel?

That is of course always difficult to describe, because this feeling will differ for everyone and it also depends on who is at the controls and how far those knobs are turned up. It ranges from a soft erotic tingle to a sharp, nasty pain. And in between there are all sorts of other possibilities. One person will describe it as tickling flies, another as a vicious stinging wasp, and somewhere in between may be your experience.

Electro play can hurt (certainly if the electrodes are not placed properly or not enough gel has been used), but it certainly doesn't have to! You can also really enjoy it and relax. Do you actually like that pain stimulus? Then that is possible too, because then you simply turn the knob a little further up.

Exciting

It is not strange at all if, when you are just starting with e-stimming, you find it all a bit scary and exciting. There is nothing wrong with that, and it only keeps you sharp and alert. That fear is not so strange either, because from an early age we are warned about the risk of electricity, and perhaps you have accidentally touched an electric fence once and it really didn't feel nice. But an electric fence has no unit with which you can control the sensation. It isn't meant for that. It is meant to keep livestock in the field and scare them off. And that is exactly what it does. Your electro unit is meant to let you enjoy yourself, so it can usually be set quite precisely to your pleasure frequency.

What do you need?

What you need in any case is:

• a control unit

• electrodes or other toys

• electro gel (or water-based lubricant)

The various toys are usually available separately. Normally a few electrodes and cables are supplied with the unit as standard. The gel is usually not included, and if you want to use other toys, you have to buy them separately.

It is best to buy electro gel for this play, but if you do use a water-based lubricant, bear in mind that it dries faster and that it therefore needs to be reapplied regularly.

Fly swatter

No money for electro? Are you sure? Because what about the electric fly swatter? You can simply buy one at a household goods shop (for example Blokker) for a few euros! Not expensive, and you can absolutely have fun with it! Great for a spanking where you hold the fly swatter right in front of the buttocks and *smack*... That one lands!

Hygiene

You can clean the toys and electrodes afterwards with a good toy cleaner, but never put them in water. You obviously don't need to clean the unit itself, because it doesn't get dirty, and electricity and water are generally not a good combination. You can also throw the electrodes away after a few uses. They are simply sold separately again.

Safety top 15

01) Never play with electricity if you are a heart patient, have a pacemaker, are prone to epilepsy, are pregnant or have (had) a brain haemorrhage.
02) Don't place electrodes above the belt (and so never near the heart and/or head)
03) Only use reliable equipment
04) Don't modify a unit yourself, but use everything as intended
05) Always use a contact gel (or water-based lubricant)
06) Make sure your unit is switched off when you are going to apply electrodes to someone.
07) Remove all metal parts, and so don't combine it with, for example, needleplay
08) Avoid all forms of moisture
09) Keep a close eye on your sub
10) RTFM (or in other words: read the manual)
11) Keep the equipment away from moisture
12) Increase the intensity slowly, take your time
13) Stop immediately if the spot becomes numb or loses feeling
14) Bear in mind that if you stimulate your sub with electricity and you touch him, you can also come under current yourself
15) Avoid overstimulation. Sometimes close by is better than exactly on top (as is the case with the clitoris)

I wish you all lots of fun with this exciting experience!

Mistress Moriah

Source

Text & photography: Mistress Moriah