Needles, *** the ultimate limit?

[on****]

So I want to start off by saying very clearly: you get to like what you like and dislike what you don’t like. Limits are real. They should be respected. Always.

That said, nearly every person lists needles and *** as limits.

And that interests me because I do needle/piercing play and have for years, both on the giving and receiving end. I actually consider it to be some of the less extreme play in which I engage.

Most of this kind of play is extremely superficial dermally, and liable to do far less tissue damage than, say, some of the impact play I know you all do on a regular basis.

When you all say *** and needles, what are you envisioning? Is it for reasons of BSI and disease (which can be and should be mitigated by all the usual precautions — gloves, we watch the needle come out of the package, then disposed of immediately after use, etc), that everyone has that significant of a horror of needles?

And a little bit of *** is nearly inevitable between BDSM and sexual partners. If you’re not planning for that and taking precautions and getting tested you’re not being safe.

But I may also just not be understanding. What do *you* mean?

[Ba****]

As someone who has tried needle play and partakes in *** play, I think a lot of people are cautious of infection and cross contamination. I agree tissue damage is less, but the potential risks are still greater imo.

[ra****]

I actually don’t think most people know or understand what needle play is and automatically without delving into it say no. I was curious.. i am curious about most kinks so i let a lady slide a needle under the skin and was 🪝 🤪 Most people also don’t know how to go about vetting people or learning…

[Mi****]

Some people just don’t like the idea of it. Others do. P a i n is not nearly inevitable between bdsm or sexual partners either.
Some people like, some don’t.

[Cade]

I wouldn't necessarily call it the ultimate limit, though I think it is a common limit mostly due to the experience, knowledge, and safety level needed for needleplay isn't super common. People that can do it are few, and no doubt, needles are a fairly regular fëär. Add in medical concerns like blööd testing and infectious diseases, you can see why it is rather common as a limit.

Edited February 8 by Cade

[La****]

I have seen some needle art and it honestly does look pretty cool. However, needles are a limit for me. I have to give myself IM injections every single week that I don't particularly look forward to. I have enough needles in my life and I don't need anymore. And honestly, any level of *** is enough to take my head out of the moment.

[kk****]

A lot of people equate needles with *** among other things or with going to the doctors...it was a hard limit when I first started but I have done needles with a friend that I trust...and I would do it again whenever she wants to play...I have actually tried a lot of things that were on my no list....

[cl****]

Because it sits under medical. And just like anyone on the street who might only ever trust doctors of medics to touch them like that, this pertains to bdsm too

[cl****]

The scope for a bad actor to harm you with needles is also far less recoverable than impact play

[on****]

5 hours ago, rainbowcataclysm said:

I actually don’t think most people know or understand what needle play is and automatically without delving into it say no. I was curious.. i am curious about most kinks so i let a lady slide a needle under the skin and was 🪝 🤪 Most people also don’t know how to go about vetting people or learning…

I think this is super true. There’s a lot people can learn on the internet but there’s also a lot you kind of have to experience first hand and be taught.

I was captivated the first time I saw it being done.

[on****]

3 hours ago, LadyLexi7 said:

I have seen some needle art and it honestly does look pretty cool. However, needles are a limit for me. I have to give myself IM injections every single week that I don't particularly look forward to. I have enough needles in my life and I don't need anymore. And honestly, any level of *** is enough to take my head out of the moment.

I totally can see this and get it. For the flip side of that, I do the same weekly injections and I’ve helped a lot of people like me approach them from a much less ambivalent place.

The techniques we learn in play piercing apply, including visualization, release, yield… breathing, all that good stuff.

I also think that when we’re sunk down in it we’re a lot less likely to put the needle through a vessel (which I’ve done lol) because we’re aware and in our bodies.

It doesn’t have to be that way but it’s something to think about.

One of the reasons a friend of mine was putting off transition was apprehension about the needle part.

We did a dry stick and he was like “oh.” And he went on T a week later. Because he realized it was dealable.

[ey****]

tbh - I'd rather people listed things as limits and then toned down if they get more context, than dive into something which goes wrong

in most forms of kink, that ole red stuff should never be the aim - even if it can sometimes be an occupational hazard.  

[Hezzair]

My only issue with needle play is *** borne pathogen risk and I scar really easily. From an artistic perspective, it's honestly quite beautifully done on some people. I know most people doing needle play are generally not trying to get their partner to bleed much, but in general my personal hard limits include any purposeful breaking of the skin.

[Qu****]

I see and hear the bbp thing quite regularly, the thing is most people don't realize is that most fluids carry the same transmission risks. Seman, vaginal fluid, milk is all a vector and carry the same risk if it's swapped. Hep can live on surfaces for weeks depending on the variant. Going down on someone with a micro cut from flossing before the date is a transmission vector. The difference is one is red. I totally get and respect that people having a limit on it, but treating it as the one of the only ways to spread things isn't true.

[ey****]

7 minutes ago, Quixote_69 said:

I see and hear the bbp thing quite regularly, the thing is most people don't realize is that most fluids carry the same transmission risks. Seman, vaginal fluid, milk is all a vector and carry the same risk if it's swapped.

I think a lot do realise - but for example.... don't necessarily intend for their kink play to involve sexual contact, or use a condom if they do.   Whilst any form of open wound is an infection risk.  And anything causing a wound to open is an infection risk 

[Sa****]

Whenever I envision needle play for some reason I think of needles being stuck under my toe nails and it's very traumatici guess to envision it

[on****]

2 hours ago, Quixote_69 said:

I see and hear the bbp thing quite regularly, the thing is most people don't realize is that most fluids carry the same transmission risks. Seman, vaginal fluid, milk is all a vector and carry the same risk if it's swapped. Hep can live on surfaces for weeks depending on the variant. Going down on someone with a micro cut from flossing before the date is a transmission vector. The difference is one is red. I totally get and respect that people having a limit on it, but treating it as the one of the only ways to spread things isn't true.

This is exactly my point and some of the answers here show a shockingly poor understanding of BSI.

Needle play when done with gloves and a clean needle each time is very low risk compared to other activities.

[on****]

2 hours ago, basicbitch20 said:

Whenever I envision needle play for some reason I think of needles being stuck under my toe nails and it's very traumatici guess to envision it

That’s horrifying and I’m having a whole body squick just thinking about it.

(Description of needle play follows, stop here if you don’t want to read it.)

The needle play I do involves taking a very thin gauge needle and passing it through skin very shallowly, a bit like taking a running stitch in fabric. Done properly it barely hurts at all.

I work where skin is pliable and there aren’t a lot of vessels, nerve endings and not where the skin needs to be mobile, like a joint.

Chest skin or mid-back skin is good, as are the soft parts of thighs. But that’s entirely dependent on the person’s physiology and what they want.

One of the more common things to do is to do two lines of needles on either side of the spine (where the fleshy part is) and then you cross cross a ribbon through them to make a “corset.”

You could probably google a picture of it. People ask for it a lot.

[cl****]

22 hours ago, onecrow said:

This is exactly my point and some of the answers here show a shockingly poor understanding of BSI.

Needle play when done with gloves and a clean needle each time is very low risk compared to other activities.

A person with a clean needle and gloves doesn't make them safe. Same for someone sitting in a driving seat with setbelt on. Doesnt make their passengers automatically safe. You might have to accept alot of people do not want their skin puntured intentionally if they don't arrive at this kink themselves. Kink-pushing in general is boundary bending id say.

[on****]

24 minutes ago, clear_spring said:

A person with a clean needle and gloves doesn't make them safe. Same for someone sitting in a driving seat with setbelt on. Doesnt make their passengers automatically safe. You might have to accept alot of people do not want their skin puntured intentionally if they don't arrive at this kink themselves. Kink-pushing in general is boundary bending id say.

I don’t think I said anywhere that needle play is safe. That would be an irresponsible claim. What I said — as have others — is that it is lower risk than people think.

Where do you see me kink pushing or boundary bending here?

I’m debunking some myths, including the assertion that unprotected sex is somehow safer than needle play, which it isn’t.

[cl****]

3 minutes ago, onecrow said:

I don’t think I said anywhere that needle play is safe. That would be an irresponsible claim. What I said — as have others — is that it is lower risk than people think.

Where do you see me kink pushing or boundary bending here?

I’m debunking some myths, including the assertion that unprotected sex is somehow safer than needle play, which it isn’t.

The perception of risk is also subjective. Someome afraid of flying is entitled to feel it, unless they actively wish to overcome it and take steps to do so, their experience remain sovereign.

[cl****]

9 minutes ago, onecrow said:

I don’t think I said anywhere that needle play is safe. That would be an irresponsible claim. What I said — as have others — is that it is lower risk than people think.

Where do you see me kink pushing or boundary bending here?

I’m debunking some myths, including the assertion that unprotected sex is somehow safer than needle play, which it isn’t.

Also, skill doesn't only involve the handing of needles or items- there is also emotional and psychological skill involved in play. Arguably these are rather more important before anyone gets to touch another person. Doctors and medical professionally have a health-related goal and a necessary reason to deploy what they do.
Imho people's radius' are wide regarding needles and medical play because all of us who have ever been vaccinated or undergone anaesthesia will have already experienced a needle.

Unless someone arrived at the kink themselves id argue that peoples perceptions are already valid based on what there felt and experienced via whats medical necessary. And there is a vAlid reason why it has not evolved into something further.

[on****]

40 minutes ago, clear_spring said:

Also, skill doesn't only involve the handing of needles or items- there is also emotional and psychological skill involved in play. Arguably these are rather more important before anyone gets to touch another person. Doctors and medical professionally have a health-related goal and a necessary reason to deploy what they do.
Imho people's radius' are wide regarding needles and medical play because all of us who have ever been vaccinated or undergone anaesthesia will have already experienced a needle.

Unless someone arrived at the kink themselves id argue that peoples perceptions are already valid based on what there felt and experienced via whats medical necessary. And there is a vAlid reason why it has not evolved into something further.

Again, I don’t think that I’m saying that people’s experiences or desires aren’t valid.

And again, the difference between needle play for kink and medical injections is magnitudes; it’s this misperception that’s actually part of the issue.

If people don’t want to it’s fine. But when we say yes or no to anything it’s worth knowing what it actually is and what the actual risks are.

Information is good! I’m sure we both agree on that. ;)

[cl****]

2 minutes ago, onecrow said:

Again, I don’t think that I’m saying that people’s experiences or desires aren’t valid.

And again, the difference between needle play for kink and medical injections is magnitudes; it’s this misperception that’s actually part of the issue.

If people don’t want to it’s fine. But when we say yes or no to anything it’s worth knowing what it actually is and what the actual risks are.

Information is good! I’m sure we both agree on that. ;)

Again, *** are not necessarily rational. I'm curious how you will quantify this in order to persuade people otherwise.

[cl****]

5 minutes ago, onecrow said:

Again, I don’t think that I’m saying that people’s experiences or desires aren’t valid.

And again, the difference between needle play for kink and medical injections is magnitudes; it’s this misperception that’s actually part of the issue.

If people don’t want to it’s fine. But when we say yes or no to anything it’s worth knowing what it actually is and what the actual risks are.

Information is good! I’m sure we both agree on that. ;)

For me this would be kink-pushing adjacent. *** and limits do not necessarily change when given statistics. You see that with multiple examples in human behaviour. I'd also be curious about studies or statistics as opposed to anecdotal info as well based on a single practitioner I.e. yourself