BDSM Guide on Tickling

tickling feet with feather

Why is Tickling a Fetish?

Exploring the many kinks out there can be a lot of fun for you and your partner and tickling is no exception. If you’ve never tried including tickling to your BDSM play, you could be just a tickle away from a world of pleasure.

Tickling is the sensation you feel when touched softly and can cause you to involuntarily twitch, laugh or move away from the source of tickling. This is amplified further when a sensitive spot is tickled, like your armpits, feet or your privates.

If you’re interested in tickling but have never tried it before, you may have a few questions about it. What’s the appeal of sexual tickling? How do you sexually tickle someone properly? Are there any tips or tricks? Keep reading and we’ll answer all of these questions!

Why is Tickling Popular In BDSM Play?

Tickling provides you with a unique way of interacting with your partner. Sexual tickling can be enjoyed in different ways, lightly tickling your partner’s body to arouse them during foreplay or strapping them down and torturing them with relentless tickling.

Light tickling during foreplay is pretty straightforward but you may be wondering about how tickling fits in with other fetishes like bondage and impact play.

Tickling can be used to raise endorphins and distract your sub, making them able to withstand harsh impacts while they are laughing. If you have a sub that is sensitive to tickling, you will be able to assert your dominance over them easily when they misbehave. Tickle torture will have them laughing in agony until they’ve learned their place and totally submit to you. Tickling has become so commonplace in the BDSM scene that it's common to even find tickling devices in most BDSM kits.

Getting Started

Exploring tickling as a fetish can be lots of fun when done properly, which requires information about how to do it correctly. Like with other fetishes, communication is key to make sure you and your partner both know what to expect when it’s time to tickle.

Talking about it beforehand is critical instead of going straight into it with assumptions. Start by talking about any experience you might have and what you want to get out of tickling. Next you can confirm who will be getting tickled, unless you already have dominant and submissive roles decided. Lastly you can agree on the toys that will be used, if any, and set safe words and hard limits. Once this is all done, you can begin exploring sexual tickling.

Communicate During the Tickling

If you are new to tickling, this is especially important. You may have a rough idea of what you will like or dislike but you won’t really know until you try it first. When you realise this, letting your partner know will guide their actions so that you can both enjoy the tickling to the fullest.

Setting a non-verbal safe word is a good idea for tickling, as often you will find yourself laughing or out of breath. This will allow you to signal to your partner that you need a break or would like them to stop what they are doing to you immediately.

Effective Tickling Methods

Here we will go through different techniques for tickling and how to get the most out of your session.

Pay Attention to Your Partner

Some people have very sensitive feet when it comes to being tickled, while others won’t even flinch. Observing your partner while you tickle them will give you insight into where you should tickle them and how they will react. Take the time to explore their body so you know where they like being tickled, as well as spots that are good for torturing them.

Common ticklish parts of the body are good places to start, such as:

  • Feet
  • Armpits
  • Knees
  • Inner thighs
  • Stomach
  • Ears
  • Erogenous zones

Use Your Hands and Fingers

If you want to get started but don’t have any toys yet, using your hands and fingers can be just as good. This works best if you have smooth hands and fingers, as well as having a light touch. Long nails can also be used to trace your partner’s skin and tickle them.

Electric Toothbrush

If the sound won’t bother you, an electric toothbrush can make a good improvised tickle toy. This will save your hands from getting tired, and will provide a unique sensation that you can’t get from your hands or feathers.

Get Your Hands on a Feather Tickler

When you think of tickle torture, feather ticklers are the first thing that come to mind. They make tickling a lot easier than using your hands if you don’t have a light touch, meaning even beginners can use them to great effect. You can purchase feather ticklers from BDSM stores like Peachy BDSM which are designed specifically for tickling. 

Their ease of use even allows you to have one in each hand and tickle your partner in multiple places at the same time for double the torture!

Use Your Tongue

The tongue is great for stimulating your partner and tickling them. Experiment with how you use your tongue to tickle them, changing how wet and firm you make it. This can work well for the tickler if they have a foot fetish, enjoy licking armpits or love giving rimjobs.

Experiment With Massage Oils

Make sure you don’t do this before using your tongue, unless you enjoy lapping up essential oils!

Using massage oil to rub down your partner before will help relax them and get them in the mood, as well as making their skin smoother and more receptive to being tickled.

Baby oil is known to be used by people in the tickling community, so make sure you pick up a bottle before your next tickling session to make it more intense.

Conclusion

Now you should be ready to explore sexual tickling with your partner, and see if it’s something you would like to do regularly. Like with all other fetishes that restrict control, you will need to effectively communicate with your partner to know when things feel good or bad and when you want to stop. Happy tickling!