|
|
Wax Play By Nan's mollie (mollie Black) © 2002
Introduction Playing with wax involves playing with heat and fire. It is therefore very important to prepare in advance before commencing with any wax play scenes. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher available (NOT to be used on humans, but available incase candle flames or electrical appliances catch fire) and towels in water handy that ARE to be used on humans. Playing with wax can also be messy, so it’s a good idea to have plastic sheets and old bed linen covering any play surfaces. Finally, skin preparation will make wax removal easier and, depending on what you use, may help protect and insulate the skin a little. I have used a variety of lotions and decided I really like Johnson & Johnson's baby oil & aloe lotion, which is often sold in the "baby" section of the grocery store. Be very generous with lotions in areas where there is hair! And some people may prefer not to use wax on hair at all. DISCLAIMER: Each person will react to wax play differently. Some people will prefer hotter temperatures than others. Some areas of the skin are more delicate than others. Bottoms will react differently if the skin is warmed up first, if the room temperature varies or if their skin is prepared first with lotions or oil. Pay attention to reactions and responses each and every time you play with wax. Wax should not be put into any body cavities, genital, anal or otherwise.
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES: Applying wax over saran wrap The benefit of applying wax over Saran wrap, Cling wrap or Handy wrap is that it makes for easy cleanup. Just cutoff the plastic wrap and you’re done! If you plan to cut away any areas of the plastic wrap, it’s easier and safer if you put cotton against the skin before wrapping at the areas that will be cut away, then you can cut into the cotton and NOT into the victim’s skin. Be aware the plastic wrap does not necessarily insulate the skin from heat. A hot candle can feel just as intense to a wrapped victim as to an unwrapped one. Dripping from candles When choosing candles, it is not so much the color of the candle that is important, but the material that the candle is made from. Beeswax is to be avoided because it burns at high temperatures before melting. Paraffin, however, melts at lower temperatures, low enough not to burn the skin. Unfortunately, it is rare for candles to list their ingredients so you cannot tell by looking at a candle whether it’s made of paraffin or beeswax. Paraffin will feel softer than beeswax when you press your finger on it or try to scratch it with your fingernail. DO NOT buy "no drip" candles or the clear gel candles! Also don’t use the premium candles (like the expansive Yankee candles) for wax play as they are made from beeswax. If a candle advertises that it will burn for many hours, it’s probably beeswax and should be avoided. Also avoid votive candles (though there are bottoms who DO prefer these hotter candles. Work up to these but do not start with them when exploring with wax play for the first time). Recommended candles include white emergency candles, the candles in glass containers that can be found in the Mexican food section of the grocery store, white Chanukah candles, and "Toybag" candles which from www.toybag.com . With someone who hasn’t experienced wax play before, start on a part of the body that is not real sensitive, like the upper back. It’s a good idea to lay an old towel (old, because it may get ruined for any other use) over their hair, as splatters can be a challenge to clean out. If the bottom enjoys wax on this part of their body, then they may like wax on their chest, arms, legs and even genitals. Be advised that someone who can handle wax on their back may not be able to handle it on their genitals at all; the skin may be too delicate and sensitive. If you get a bad reaction because the heat is too intense, quickly put cold water on the wax or blow on it to help it cool sooner. Let the wax pool by the flame before dripping; do not drip from the flame itself. Always drip some wax on yourself before dripping any on your bottom to test the temperature and feel of the wax. I usually drip some on the inside of my forearm since that is relatively sensitive. Start high (about 3 feet) and move lower if you get positive responses. The lower you drip, the hotter the wax will be. No matter what technique you use to apply wax, you’ll probably find that it is hard to control it with absolute precision, at least until you become very experienced with it. Drips may run off the body and down the bottoms hips. The sides of the body are very sensitive. That doesn’t mean that these drips should be avoided, but you should be aware that wax will tend to spill off of the body and drip onto these sensitive areas. These thin drips are especially fun to remove later, the slower the better... but I’ll get to that later. One way to help keep wax in its place is to put old towels around the neck and over sensitive areas. Wax will tend to "pool" in natural dimples that the body has; like the base of the neck if a person is lying on their back, the belly button, and the buttocks. This is important to note because when wax pools, it cools off slowly and retains heat longer. It is in situations like this where bottoms can get burned if you’re not aware of the pooling effect. Watch where your wax runs and stop pouring it if there is any pooling, to let the wax cool off. MELTED PARAFFIN There are several different forms of paraffin that can be melted for use in wax play:
My favorite appliance to heat wax is a manicure paraffin spa in combination with manicure paraffin. They come in a variety of styles and prices, and I especially like the ones with adjustable temperature settings. You can also use an electric appliance like an electric skillet with adjustable settings or a crock pot or potpourri heater. Put water in the appliance and put the wax in tin cans... then heat the wax by putting the cans in heated water. Don’t let the water boil, and don’t let wax spill into the water or you could get mini "explosions" from the wax getting too hot and bursting, which sends hot water flying. Canning paraffin is clear and can be colored with "candle wax dye" (available at craft stores) or crayons. The dye is about $2.00 for 1 ounce. I divided one pound of paraffin into 3 tin cans and used about 1/2 ounce of color for each can. 1/2 oz coloring: 1/3 pound of paraffin Be aware that some of the candle wax dyes can color the skin temporarily. Reds color skin the most. It is very important to have a candy thermometer so you know how hot the wax is if you’re not using a paraffin spa.
SPECIAL NOTE: I found that first putting a layer of "manicure paraffin" on the body was very beneficial.
Painting with wax Small or large brushes can be used to paint melted paraffin on skin. Pretty patterns can be painted with small brushes, but I get more "ooohs and ahhhs" when I use wide, thick paintbrushes. You may want to have hot pads handy so you can hold a tin can in your hand as you paint. The paraffin will cool off eventually, and the can will need to be returned to the heated water. If you want darker colors, let the wax dry and put another layer of wax over it... it will become darker and more opaque. If you plan to carry the tin can from the heating appliance over to where the bottom is, wipe the bottom and sides of the can with a towel to avoid unintentionally dripping hot water on the skin. Squirt bottles/ Basters Some squirt bottles can be used for wax play. I buy squirt bottles that are specifically meant for making candy because they can withstand higher temperatures. BUT they, too, can melt in very hot water, so you need to keep an eye on them. Melted paraffin can be poured into squirt bottles by using a funnel. Straighten out a paper clip to clean out the tip, as the wax will tend to clot up the tip. The squirt bottles will cool off relatively fast, so either just pour a little wax into the bottle at a time or plan to put the bottle in the hot water frequently. The paraffin will drip out of the tip as soon as you turn the bottle over, so watch where you have it positioned and take care not to have it squirt on the bottom’s face. The dribbles from the squirt bottles is a lovely feeling... many quick drips of hot wax is very different from single candle drips. A turkey baster can also be used to squirt melted paraffin, but again, watch how the tip is positioned because wax will come out as soon as the baster is tilted. Squirting involves putting more volumes of wax on the skin than does dripping and must be at lower temperatures, such as in the 140-150 degree range or lower, depending on the bottom, where the paraffin is squirted and the conditions. Ladles/pouring Melted paraffin can be poured onto the body with ladles, or directly from the tin cans. It also affords you a LOT more control than using basters or squirt bottles. When using this technique, the wax has to be comparatively cool... around 130-140 degrees, and it helps if there is already a layer of wax on the body. This is a very delicious sensation for some, and can be quite intense. Use caution with these larger volumes of wax because the more wax you pour, the longer it stays hot! Again, be careful when pouring paraffin in areas where the wax will not readily cool, as the heat will not diffuse quickly when it "pools". Such places are the belly button, and where the bottom's skin meets the bench (if they are on their back and you pour it on the genitals, it will pool in the crack of the anus and will not cool as quickly as other places). Ice Ice and cold water can be used at any point during wax play for interesting sensations. Often the bottom cannot tell the difference between the heat and the cold. Molds Any of these techniques can be used to make molds of body parts, such as nipples & genitals. The thicker & more layers of wax, the better the mold will be. Because of the volume of wax used and the heat stored in the molds, this in an advanced technique and should only be used on bottoms who are used to wax play. Removing wax
If wax will be applied where there is hair, be generous with the
lotion before applying any wax. Knives used in wax play do not have to be sharp! If you are using a sharp knife, use only the edge and do not insert the tip of the knife under the layer of wax. Dull knives will work just fine for removing wax. I have a dull knife that I use for wax play because it looks intimidating but it’s not dangerous. How did we dull it? My partner just ran the sharp edge of the knife along concrete until it was adequately dulled.
You can use spatulas, putty knives, fingernails and many other
devices to remove wax. Therapeutic waxing Not much is written about the therapeutic use of wax, but the fact is that paraffin spas are used in spas for therapeutic purposes. What does this have to do with BDSM? Just like a submissive who learns massage techniques has a valuable skill, a submissive who learns how to use manicure paraffin to give pleasure has also learned a valuable skill. Paraffin spas are often used to wax hands and feet. Supplies are available to help keep in therapeutic heat, such as plastic bags and terry cloth mittens and socks. First the hand or foot is dipped in the paraffin spa three to four times to create a thick coat of wax. Then the hand or foot is wrapped in a plastic baggie and covered with a terry cloth mitten or sock. A similar technique can be used on the back. I often wax my partner’s back by using a thick, soft paintbrush to apply several coats of manicure paraffin. When that is semi-hard, I cover the wax with saran wrap and cover that with a towel to keep in the heat. I usually cover the rest of her body with soft blankets to keep her warm while she enjoys the heat, often for 30 to 40 minutes. This technique is very much appreciated if she is suffering from back pain. When I’m done, I just remove the towels, saran wrap, and wax - and then may follow with a nice massage. Wax play shopping list/ supplies to have on hand (keep in mind that these may not be easy to clean and may have to be permanently delegated as wax play tools)
MUST HAVES:
OTHER FUN ITEMS:
Nan's mollie is a 24/7 leather submissive to her female Daddy. She served on the committee of the MiChatOhs for 5 years, which is an educational and social BDSM group serving the community in SE Michigan. Throughout her service, she has helped coordinate almost a hundred lifestyle events; such as munches, demonstrations of various BDSM techniques, discussions, road rallies and various "field trips". She resigned from the MiChatOhs in the fall of 2002, and was awarded a leather jacket by the group in recognition of her service to the community. Nan's mollie is also on the board of Fighting Hate ( www.fightinghate.org ). She is experienced in the techniques of wax play, knife play and sadistic massage - and with her partner, has taught various classes and individuals the intricacies of these techniques. |
