Temperature play

What temperature play is

Temperature play uses heat and cold to create sensation. It is one of the simplest kinks to begin, because the tools are already in your kitchen, and one of the most versatile, because the body reacts strongly to even small changes in temperature, especially when it cannot see them coming.

The core of it is contrast. Warm skin feels cold more sharply; cold skin feels warmth as a flood. Blindfolds amplify everything, because the mind cannot prepare.

Cold

Ice is the classic. An ice cube traced across the skin, held against a sensitive spot, or melted slowly in the hand of a Dominant produces a sharp, bright sensation that many find thrilling. Letting it melt gives a trail of cold water to follow.

Chilled toys made of glass or stainless steel hold cold for a long time and are smooth against the skin. Chill them in cold water or the fridge rather than the freezer; a freezer-cold metal toy can stick to skin and damage it.

Keep cold moving. Holding ice or a chilled object against one spot for a prolonged time can cause frostnip or frostbite, which shows as white, waxy or numb skin. If skin goes numb, stop and warm it slowly with body heat, not hot water.

Heat

Warm toys of glass or steel, heated in warm water, feel luxurious. Test against your own inner wrist first; what feels fine in the hand can be too hot for more sensitive skin.

Warm breath against cooled skin is intimate and entirely safe. Warm towels and heated massage oils suit sensual scenes. Wax is the most intense form of heat play and has its own guide.

Warming lubricants and cinnamon products create heat sensation chemically. Use sparingly, patch test, and keep them away from mucous membranes until you know how the person reacts.

Avoid anything hot enough to be uncomfortable to hold. Hair dryers and heat guns can burn faster than people expect and are not recommended for skin.

Safer play

• Test every temperature on yourself before using it on a partner.
• Keep both hot and cold items moving rather than resting on one spot.
• Know the person's circulation. Diabetes, Raynaud's and some medications make extremities vulnerable to both heat and cold.
• Do not use temperature play on numbed areas, where the person cannot feel damage happening.
• Have a towel and room-temperature water on hand to neutralise quickly.
• Combine with restraint only once you know the person's responses, since they will not be able to pull away.