Have you heard the buzz around this increasingly popular kink?
For most people, the words ‘electricity’ and ‘genitalia’ should never be combined. However, there are ways to enjoy electro sex safely. The human body is mainly made up of water, which makes it an excellent conductor of electricity. Electrostimulation stimulates the nerve endings and causes involuntary muscle stimulation. With a safe amount of electrical energy, it can be an exciting way to spice up your foreplay, increase sensitivity, and explore the pleasure/pain boundary.
Common Myths
Firstly, electro play is in no way like being shocked by an electric fence or household current. Electro play should only be done with toys that are made specifically for this purpose, which are made to tantalise, tickle, and tease your senses.
Another common myth is that nipples are the best area for electrostimulation. Beginners should avoid starting with the nipples – they are dangerously close to the heart and it is vital that an electric charge never passes through the heart, as it could cause a cardiac arrest or other serious heart complications. When you apply two electrodes you must always determine the route that the current will take. If you’re sure the device you’re using has fully isolated outputs, or you stimulate only one nipple at a time, then it should be safe.
Safety First
As mentioned above, passing a current through your heart is one of the biggest risks of electro play. Before making connections, ensure that the toy is turned off as you could inadvertently pass a current through the chest or head. Remove all body jewellery, as it is likely to get hot and damage the skin. It is vital that you don’t use piercings as electrodes, which is likely to burn the skin and cause serious damage to the nerve endings in the area.
Don’t use any electro play device if you are pregnant, epileptic, have any heart problems, or have a pacemaker fitted. Finally, never try to adapt a device for electro play. Ever. We recommend beginners opt for battery operated toys. The amount of power available from these is limited, even if something should fail in the device.
What Do Electro Sex Toys Feel Like?
When starting off with electro toys, experiment with the lower settings first. The electric charge stimulates nerve endings, arousing the skin. It’ll start as a tingle, and as you increase the power, it will begin to tickle. Slowly increase the intensity, this allows you to find the best setting for you.
On a moderate setting, the tickle will feel firmer and the tingling sensations will increase. Many fans say the sensations are like a high-powered vibrator.
On a high setting the sensation can feel like strong pins and needles, and may sting slightly. The stimulation is likely to feel firmer and can cause your muscles to contract.
Electro Sex Toys for Beginners
Just about every kind of sex toy you can imagine has been adapted for electro play. Probes, butt plugs, and dildos are the most popular accessories, but you can also get everything from cock cages to nipple clamps and more! Experiment with new toys at lower intensities and discover what makes gets your purring with satisfaction.
There are two main Electrostimulation products.
The first is Pulse Based Stimulation (PBS); these devices all output a pulse type current that is designed to safely stimulate muscles and nerves, and is the safest form of electrostimulation. There are plenty of PBS toys on the market – Fetish Fantasy Shock Therapy Butterfly Stim (€34.44, kinky.ie) and Fetish Fantasy Shock Therapy Cock Cage (€57.41, kinky.ie) are both designed to stimulate one particular place. For beginners, we recommend a kit that has pads for electrodes, the Fetish Fantasy Shock Therapy kit (€45.93, kinky.ie) can be attached to your most sensitive areas and are guaranteed to deliver the most incredible pulsing and throbbing sensations.
The second is Electrostatic Stimulation. These are high-voltage devices that create a spark that can jump to the body, such as the Shock Therapy Fantasy Wand (€57.41, kinky.ie). They work by ionizing the air between the device and the body. These devices generally come with a power dial, so you can find the setting that you find pleasurable.
Which Lube Should You Use?
Your body is an excellent conductor of electricity, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t offer it a helping hand! When it comes to electro sex, lubrication is paramount. Dry skin has an extremely high resistance and will prevent the electrodes from working properly. Lube will hydrate the skin, heighten sensitivity, and will make the stimulation more intense and pleasurable. Avoid silicone lubricants, as it acts as an insulator. A water based lube, such as ID Moments Water Based Lube (€11.47, kinky.ie) will deliver shockingly wonderful results!