The Sensation Play Series
What is Abrasion Play?
What is the largest organ in the body? It’s your skin.
Abrasion play is a form of sensation play. It is achieved by stimulating areas of the skin by rubbing, scratching, or pricking, using your body, an abrasive substance, tools, materials and various household items to sensitize the skin and stimulate sexual arousal. Like tickling, sensual caressing and erotic massage, the stimulation of the skin can trigger the release of endorphins resulting in a natural feeling of euphoria and even subspace.
Anything that generates friction can be used for an abrasion scene, since it is the skin’s resistance to what is rubbed against it that creates the sensation.
This can be person-to-person as in a harsh rubbing of the skin known as a dutch rub or with various substances such as sand, pumice or thistles. In more extreme practices the use of harsh abrasives such as sandpaper, steel wool and wire brushed can be used. These extremely abrasive tools will more than likely break to skin causing open wounds and bleeding which will leave permanent skin damage and scarring.
An impact play and abrasion play combo is called “birching”. This is when a person is struck and/or brushed using a bundle of sticks, twigs and small branches tied together similar to a flogger.
Common Tools used in Abrasion Play
Common instruments used in this type of scene include brushes, claws, textured gloves, emery boards, sandpaper, and coarse-cloth. On the extreme end of the spectrum, things like a high grit sandpaper, steel wool, and wire brushes can be used.
- Hair brush
- Dish brush
- Bottle brush
- Nail brush
- Paint brush
- Textured gloves
- Skin scratcher
- Dragons claws
- Bear claws
- Finger claws
- Leather claws
- Emery board
- Sandpaper
- Sand
- Pumice stones
- Scourers
- Steel wool
- Walnut shells
- Sticks/branches
- Denim
- Linen
- Calico
- Upholstery fabric
Anything rubbing against the skin causing friction will work, try out a few different sensations and find what works best for you and your partner(s).
The Marks Discussion
With abrasion play, there is a higher than ‘normal’ risk of permanent skin damage, marks, and even scarring.
In more extreme practices the use of harsh abrasives such as sandpaper, steel wool, and wire brushes can be used. These extremely abrasive tools will inevitably break to skin causing open wounds and bleeding which will cause lasting injuries.
It is paramount that you discuss what will be used, where, and to what extent is acceptable beforehand. Know your risks, the potential for blood is high, as well as the potential for permanent marks and scaring. You must negotiate all of these potential outcomes thoroughly.
First Aid for an Abrasion Injury
These are just mild burns (A.K.A friction burns), and should be treated in the same manner as any other burn. Keep under cool and ideally running water for around 15-20 minutes. How cold? As cold as the injured person can handle, normally room temperature or slightly cooler is plenty. Current first aid practice in the UK and USA is to not apply creams, gels, or ointments to a more severe burn unless directed to by a medical professional.
For an abrasion however, you could apply an ointment, or aloe vera, since there is no broken skin, though it is not strictly necessary. You could apply aloe or another cooling lotion to mild abrasions, if you prefer, as part of your aftercare. If it needs covering, you can use either some loose gauze (if the skin is not broken), or a clear, sterile covering (if the skin is broken). This keeps the wound clean over the coming days. As with any bandaging, keep the area clean and dry, and change the dressings as needed.
With abrasions, use a little common sense before heading to the emergency room. Don’t forget though, if any tool is exposed to the blood of a partner, it is now blood bound; to be used with them, and only them. Just because a tool is blood bound, doesn’t mean it doesn’t still need cleaning of course, but perhaps keeping it separated from general tools would be best practice.
WARNING
The skin is a physical barrier against infection and once broken, the human body is extremely exposed. Any and all bodily fluids have the capability of transmitting disease, but blood is often the fastest way to do so. To avoid the risk of contamination, clean up and sterilise any area where blood has been spilled as soon as possible; if administering first aid to another, wear gloves and any other appropriate PPE – if possible don’t get hands on. Always keep SSC at the forefront of your mind before, during and after any scene.
Abrasion Play – Scene Ideas
Abrasion play has many uses in a scene. It can be used to lightly awaken the skin or irritate it such as predicament play. Every area of the body can be subject to abrasion play, it all depends on what you’re using and your intention.
A hairbrush is the most common form of abrasion play. Flip it over to use the bristles to lightly scratch up the bottom before a more severe spanking. Rubbing it up and down their back leaving little scratches along the way before dripping wax onto them. Tickling the feet with soft hairbrush bristles is sure to annoy anybody that ticklish to a point of ultimate surrender. Different hair brushes will provide different sensations so experiment with different brushes on various parts of the body to find out what works!
When used in a predicament scenario, take two hair brushes with moderately hard bristles and hold the bristles together, have your sub hump the bristles for a chance at an orgasm. The feeling will wake up his cock and also in due time become so sore and annoying he will long forget about an orgasm. Being forced to stand on some heavy grit sandpaper will irritate the subs feet. Being forced to edge or masturbate with a rough textured glove is another way to find out how much a sub wants to orgasm. A bra or panties with a little sandpaper inside them will rough up the nipples and genitals as they’re forced to wear it all day, constantly rubbing them the wrong way with each move. Even being made to hump a soft sponge will add a new level of dimension to edging.
It all depends on what you want to accomplish. Experiment with different materials, some soft, some rough and some extremely rough. Each area will react differently to the feeling. Look around you and find some materials that can be used. A hairbrush, towel, sandpaper, rough gloves, soft gloves, sponges, back scratcher. The options are endless.
These educational topics wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication from our Dom(me)sLife contributors – Thank you MM
Contributors: Researched, written and published by Mistress Michelle and Umlindi.