Breast Torture 101

There are a lot of things to love about breasts. They’re visually appealing, fun to dress up, and one of the most explosive erogenous zones no matter your gender - for some, they even have the power to unlock powerful orgasms.

You’re probably familiar with the pleasures of kissing, caressing, or palming a pair of tits, either your partner’s or your own. And maybe you’ve gotten curious as to what it might feel like to play rough by biting, pinching, restraining instead. Welcome to the art of breast torture, a BDSM practice that involves tormenting the boobs by inflicting pain. Also referred to as tit torture or breast discipline, this tantalizing activity can be explored through a number of exciting mediums.

Whether you’re fantasizing about restricting your partner’s boobs with a bit of rope, seeing your partner whip out the nipple clamps during your next scene, or simply wanting to try a bit of breast torture on yourself, here’s your beginning-to-end guide.

Read: Squeeze Box: A Guide to Heavenly Breast Play

What is breast torture?

Understanding the appeal of breast torture begins by understanding the breast itself. It might not come as a surprise that the nipples are among the top erogenous zones throughout the body, but do you know why that is?

The nipples and the areolas are chock-full of nerve-endings that make boobs sensitive to the touch. When these nerves are stimulated, your genital sensory cortex lights up with pleasure signals the same way it reacts when the clitoris or vagina are stimulated. There are plenty of ways to give your brain that sensual joy ride, from the gentle, to the not-so-much. While it seems counterintuitive, inflicting pain or discomfort to that rich network of nerves in your breasts can be just as erotic as stroking them (depending on the person!).

Pain play, or any sexual practice where the intention is pain, has been fascinating us for centuries. Only recently do we have a biological reason why: Pain and pleasure actually activate the same neural mechanisms in the brain. So whether you’re turned on by spanking, twisting into an elaborate bondage position, or dripping hot wax onto your pleasure points, this explains why.

Breast torture is appealing to the tormentee for the same reason. Acts like binding your boobs, applying clamps or clothespins to your nipples, or flogging your tits fire up the same erotic center of your brain that a soothing breast massage might. Breast torture can be a perfect addition to an S&M dynamic, particularly when the participants dabble in sadomasochism, or when the dominant harbors a breast fetish.

Types of Breast Torture

If you’re looking for a way to get started, begin by determining what kind of breast torture appeals to you. Are you visually stimulated by seeing your partner’s engorged breasts wrapped in rope? Do you and your partner already enjoy impact play, and are interested in applying your favorite cane to the tits? Here’s an overview of several popular breast torture methods, and how to dive in.

Bondage Breast Torture

Breast bondage is sometimes called shinju, the Japanese word for “pearl.” Over time, this has come to refer to the binding of breasts in a sort of bra. Colloquially, you might just hear it called “boob bondage.” While many forms of bondage are associated with restraining a subject, breast bondage is more about the erotic aesthetic of tied breasts, as opposed to actually immobilizing a submissive.

To practice breast bondage on your own or with a partner, you can purchase ropes from a specialty sex shop or use things commonly lying around your house, such as ties, rubber bands, or saran wrap. If you’re experimenting with rope, there are plenty of resources at your disposal. Your local sex shop may offer workshops on techniques for circling the breasts with rope, harnessing them, or tying knots. (And we highly recommend getting expert instruction before trying things like this!) There’s also a plethora of video tutorials that break down breast bondage ties in an accessible way. If you’re a bookworm, try picking up a copy of Midori’s "The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage." This is a great place to learn simple knots as well as intricate bondage positions.

Practicing bondage breast torture on your own? You can invest in a harness that’s easy to slip into and adjust without a second set of hands, so you can enjoy the sensations of restraining your tits on your own time. These harnesses are also useful for dominants who like to watch their submissives tighten the restraints themselves for the dominant’s viewing pleasure.

If you’re using bondage to practice tit torture, keep in mind that tighter restraints with sharper edges, such as two rubber bands snapped over each breast, can make for a more intense experience in a short time. Ropes made of silk or polyester can be used to bind the breasts for hours without long term damage to the sensitive tissue in the breasts. As a dominant, keep your methods and materials in mind when choosing a duration to punish your partner.

Breast Hanging Torture

Also known as tit hanging or breast suspension, this form of breast torture involves hanging one participant vertically by their boobs. In partial suspension, this person will be suspended by their breasts with ropes while balancing on one foot. In full suspension, all of their weight will fall on a chest harness while they are lifted off the ground.

Suspension bondage heightens the submissive’s sense of vulnerability while simultaneously stimulating those rich nerve-endings in the breasts. If you’re interested in humiliation play, objectification, or erotic helplessness, breast hanging torture may tickle your fancy.

This isn’t a breast torture practice that should be tried by inexperienced hands. There is a real risk that the suspendee may fall and hurt themselves if the knots are not sturdy. Therefore, this practice carries a higher risk than the other breast torture activities on this list. Both dominants and submissives should do their due diligence when it comes to learning the *ahem* ropes before trying this.

Breast Tickle Torture

Tickle torture is a form of domination or punishment that can be practiced as foreplay or as the main event. Some people who enjoy tickle torture are able to orgasm just from being tickled. If you crave the uncomfortable pleasure of tickle torture as well as breast play, this one is for you.

The dominant can experiment with breast tickle torture in a number of ways. Try using the tickle motion of crimping and uncrimping your fingers to run teasing hands over your partner’s nipples. This can be especially erotic when paired with bondage or sensory deprivation, or practiced mercilessly as the submissive struggles to break free.

Remember: If you’re planning to gag or bind your submissive before abusing their breasts with your tickling touch, have a safety system in place so that the submissive knows how to end the scene when things become too intense.

Read: Why Some People Get Turned On by Tickling

Electric Breast Torture

Erotic electrostimulation (or, e-stimm) involves applying mild electrical currents to a participant’s erogenous zones for the purpose of pleasure. These electrical currents are most commonly applied to the genitals or, you guessed it, the nipples. E-stimm can provide a sensual rush to areas of the body replete with nerve-endings, which is why electric breast torture is so appealing to electrosex enthusiasts.

When delving into e-stimm, keep in mind that with great power comes great responsibility. Erotic electrostimulation can be incredibly dangerous, so only use toys that are designed specifically for the breasts, such as e-stimm nipple clamps. Make sure you read the warning label and are aware of what you’re buying - plenty of e-stimm pleasure products, while designed for sexual use, shouldn’t be used above the waist due to their intensity. If you have a history of heart failure or a pacemaker, stick to breast bondage or erotic tickling when it comes to torturing your breasts.

Read: And Intro to E-Stime - and Toys!

Breast-Centric Impact Play

Caning. Flogging. Whipping. The works. All of your most beloved impact play toys can take on a whole new life when applied to your nipples. While slapping, zapping, or stroking the nipples with a toy specifically designed for impact play, you can use your hands to spank the boobs and have an equally zesty experience.

When you’re new to breast impact play, discuss the sensations you’re looking to feel with the partner who will be wielding the flogger. Are you looking for a sting, a burn, or a slap? Are you comfortable with bruises or welts on your tits? Take the time to communicate and talk this through. And read up on spanking safety tips to ensure you're aware of the risks here and how to mitigate them.

Temperature Play for the Breasts

Experimenting with extreme temperatures can hurt; deliciously so. A submissive required to hold ice cubes to the sensitive points of their nipples until the cubes melt may have an intense experience that evokes humiliation and pain play. The same goes for a submissive tied down as their dominant drips hot wax onto the surface of their breasts.

To enhance temperature play or make it a bit more “torturous,” bind the breasts ahead of breaking out your hot and cold implements. Pulled taut, the areola and nipple regions will become even more responsive to pleasure and pain.

Read: 5 Fabulous Ways to Explore Temperature Play

Building Your Breast Torture Toolkit

You can practice breast torture with a partner without spending a dime. Think: Restricting the tits with saran wrap, biting, pinching, or using clothespins as clamps. However, there are a variety of pleasure products that can greatly enhance your experience with breast torture by opening you up to a wider variety of sensations and new ways to play. Here are a couple of musts for your tit discipline pleasure chest.

Rope

Bondage is a staple of breast torture. For the submissive, excitement heightens thanks to the pain and pressure of their restraints. For the dominant, seeing a pair of breasts trussed up with rope can be incredibly erotic. For most configurations, you won’t need any more length than Sportsheets Soft Polyester Rope provides. New to bondage play? Try Kinkly’s own Beginner Rope Bondage kit, which comes with ropes, nipple clamps and safety scissors for easy release.

Bind those breasts with Sportsheets Soft Polyester Rope

Nipple Clamps

There’s nothing like the sharp teeth of a nipple clamp to warn a submissive that you mean business, particularly if your aim is to torture their breasts. The Charmed Heart Padlock set would make any submissive feel owned as pain is inflicted on their tits. If you’re deeply ingrained in a D/s dynamic or part of a TPE relationship, invest in a collar with nipple clamps attached (like this one from Sex & Mischief) for the full effect.

Torture your favorite submissive's breasts with these Charmed Heart Padlock Nipple Clamps

A Flogger

When it comes to impact play for the breast, everyone has a different feeling they’re hoping to achieve. For a snappy strike that packs a sting, try a flogger. The Ruff Doggie Styles Love Knot Travel Flogger is great for travel or on-the-go use. You could also try the Lingam Glass Dildo Flogger for an all-in-one experience that will complement your breast torture play.

This cute little Love Knot Travel Flogger can easily travel with you to ensure you get your fix.

A Crop

If you’re looking for a deeper, thuddier slap, a crop might suit you better for breast impact play. Look for an option that has a wrist strap for more seamless, safer play (see: the Sportsheets Slender Impulse Crop), or you can go for aesthetics if you want a more accessible, or playful environment. The Amor Crop might do the trick.

The Sportsheets Slender Impulse Crop is easy to aim, making it great for breast play.

E-Stimm Clamps

You can give your breast torture an extra charge with shock therapy nipple clamps. These e-stimm accessories are specially made for nipple play, so read the instructions and look for photos on the packaging that showcase the breasts. You don’t want to use an e-stimm toy made for genitals above the waist for safety reasons, so be aware of what you’re purchasing.

These nipple clamps from Mystim can deliver quite a bite!

Read: An Intro to E-Stim - and Toys!

Feather Tickler

A simple feather tickler like the Pleasure Feather is the perfect addition to the toy chest if you’re into breast tickle torture. Supplement one of these by tying your partner to your bed, and have at it.

The Sportsheets Pleasure Feather delivers a light touch for those who prefer their torture in the form of a tickle.

Fetish Candles

Tapping into temperature torture? Invest in fetish drip candles specifically made for hand-held wax play to ensure safety comes first. This set from Icon is fragrance-free, body-safe and long-lasting, so you can luxuriate in extra spicy breast torture for hours on end.

These fun candles from Icon are a safe(r) way to try wax play.

Is breast torture safe?

As with any kind of BDSM play where one person is giving autonomy to the other, there are inherent risks involved. Breast torture is no exception. If your play is rooted in tickling, light bondage, or impact play, it’s perfectly possible to pull this off with safety at the forefront. Breast hanging torture or electrostimulation, which are considered extreme breast torture, may require additional safety measures, precautions, and communication to keep all parties as safe as possible

Here are some guidelines to follow to ensure you and your partner are aware of the risks involved and are setting appropriate safety measures and personal boundaries.

Establish Consent

Consent and communication should be a high priority. Discuss boundaries before play in a neutral setting, and establish things like what you’d like to feel and experience during breast torture, how long you’re comfortable with playing, what you’re willing to try, and so forth. Make sure you have a safeword in place, and that it’s something you won’t forget and is easy to say.

Clear guidelines should also dictate the length of any breast torture scene. Many practitioners enjoy the long, drawn out nature of BDSM acts with pain and suspense at the center. However, the torturee should be empowered to set boundaries as to how long they’re willing to sustain tit torment, and at what intensity.

Read: The Basics of BDSM Negotiation

Have Safety Essentials at the Ready

Depending on what type of breast torture you choose to engage in, it might be worthwhile to stock up on topical aloe for any friction burns caused by bondage or suspension. If you will be binding or restricting your partner’s breasts, have safety shears on hand, and test them before you play to ensure they’re easily cut through whatever material you’re using.

Read: BDSM Safety Rules: Expert Advice on Safer Play

Take It Slow

There’s intimacy and enjoyment to be had in every bite, slap and knot when it comes to torturing your partner’s breasts. There’s no need to rush, particularly if you’re still learning.

Knowing your limitations is a skill when it comes to BDSM. Avoid attempting complicated knots that tax your partner’s back or any extremes such as suspension bondage without attending a workshop or doing your research.

Read: BDSM Safety: A Look at SSC, RACK, PRICK and CCCC

The Bottom Line

Breast torture can take on a variety of forms, from twisting your partner’s nipples in the middle of a scene, to binding their breasts in silk rope for the entire evening. No matter how you choose to torment, tease, or tantalize your partner’s breasts (or your own), giving the nerve-endings in your nipples some extra TLC can unlock new levels of arousal. Take the time to explore sensations like a tight squeeze, the pinch of nipple clamps, or the chill of ice cubes to find out what kind of torture really gets you going. And remember: Taking proper safety measures, such as deciding on a safeword and taking things slow, can help you indulge in breast torture responsibly and safely.