Temperature Play: The Game of Heat and Cold

“Temperature play, the game of heat and cold” was written for BDSMforyou.nl by Mistress Moriah.

Temperature play is an intense sensory game in which you play with heat and cold. It can be so intense that at some point, the recipient no longer knows whether it is cold or heat they are experiencing. The goal of temperature play is to use the elements of heat and cold to heighten the senses. The most well-known aspect of temperature play is, of course, the use of ice cubes and melted candle wax, but there are, of course, many other possibilities.

Other options include: frozen or chilled fruit, warm oil, cold or warm water (pointing the showerhead with warm water at the vulva is truly yummy), a heated or chilled towel on your sub’s neck, and even a Golden Shower can be part of it. Another thing you can do, for example, before performing oral sex, is to first take a sip of hot tea or a cold glass of water. You’ll suddenly experience a completely different sensation.

Building Up the Play

Your skin is your largest organ and is full of temperature receptors; you can stimulate these in various places using temperature. In fact, our skin is pretty much the largest erogenous zone. Different temperature sensations can therefore be quite arousing—from gentle caresses to intense stimuli. When your skin comes into contact with a cold or hot object, the nerve receptors in the skin are stimulated. This makes the skin more sensitive, so that every touch afterward is experienced more intensely.

At least half of the sensation is determined by uncertainty. So it’s important to put a mask over the sub’s face so they don’t know what’s coming their way. That way, they’ll need all the senses they still have to experience it. Cold can thus turn into heat and vice versa.

Stainless steel or glass toys

There are plenty of toys that lend themselves perfectly to temperature play, such as those made of stainless steel or glass. Both materials are ideal for warming up or cooling down beforehand. A butt plug or dildo suddenly feels a lot more intense when it has reached a different temperature. Feel free to place these toys on the heater or in a bowl of ice water beforehand. Success guaranteed.

Want to make it extra exciting? Then wrap someone in foil first. Once wrapped, you can poke holes here and there and drip ice water or melted candle wax onto them.

What are the best body spots for temperature play?

The most obvious ones are probably the nipples, but there are many more body parts that lend themselves well to this type of play. Think, for example, of the chest, back, arms, legs (inner thighs!!), but the vagina or penis are also great spots. Build it up slowly, though.

Wax play

Playing with candle wax is, of course, a well-known form of temperature play. You can read about how to do this as safely as possible in this blog; I won’t repeat that here. With temperature play, you can choose candles with different melting temperatures. Or alternate with cold water or ice cubes. It’s precisely this alternation that determines the intensity.

Fire cupping

Cupping can also be part of temperature play, particularly “fire cupping,” where the air inside the glass cups is heated first before placing the cups on the skin. The heat causes the cup to create a vacuum against the skin. Experienced cuppers can create varying levels of suction by controlling the heat of the cup.

Fire cupping was adopted from traditional and holistic medicine communities.

Cupping was already used in Western medicine during the American Civil War to stimulate blood circulation. It is still used (often under the same name) by massage therapists and in Chinese medicine (where it is said to predate traditional needle acupuncture), as well as in traditional Arabic medicine. But also within BDSM.

Ice Cubes

I can still remember the moment I first saw my current slave. She had to wait for me for an hour at an SM club because I was running a bit late. Pretty nerve-wracking for someone with hardly any experience in BDSM. Fortunately, she was well taken care of by the club owners and another slave. Pretty soon after we met, I had a glass of Coke Zero in my hands, with ice cubes. I couldn’t resist sliding one of the cold cubes into her pussy. Then I had to laugh out loud at her startled face. Not just because of the cold, but also because she hadn’t seen this coming. And her panties got wetter and wetter…

Ice cubes are pretty harmless but always have a nice effect. I sometimes use them in combination with wax play, alternating the hot wax with the cold ice. That way, the ice naturally turns into heat and the heat turns into cold. In the end, it’s hard to tell them apart. I love that confusion.

Temperature and Safety

It goes without saying that playing with different temperatures always carries the risk of burning or freezing the skin. So that’s something you need to keep in mind. The body can be partially submerged in ice water, but always keep an eye on the person. You don’t want them to get hypothermic either. When using heat, it’s obviously necessary to prevent the sub’s skin from getting burned. So always be careful.

It’s best not to put your sex toys in the freezer beforehand; frozen objects can damage the skin. You can, however, put your glass or stainless steel dildos in the fridge beforehand or briefly submerge them in ice water.

This also applies to warming up your toys, of course – never do this over an open flame, in an oven, or in a microwave. Simply warm the toys up under a hot faucet, in a bowl of warm water, or on a radiator.

And don’t forget to agree on a safe word beforehand! If things do get too hot (or cold), someone can call for help in time.

More information

Wax play: About candles, wax, and candle wax
Fetish & Kinks – Theme page

Source

Text: Mistress Moriah
Image: 123rf.com