Hot Wax, the Intense Sensation

By Mistress Renee & gunga din

Introduction

Hot wax is one of the more intense and erotic things that we, as BDSM players, get involved in. However, hot wax can be considered edge play and something that requires training and experience. Hot wax applied improperly is dangerous! Hot wax applied properly and at the right time in a scene is immensely erotic.

In the following paragraphs, we will attempt to address not only the ways to apply hot wax to a submissive, but also what tools to use and special safety issues to be considered while doing hot wax play.

General Safety Rules
As we said in the introduction, hot wax applied improperly is dangerous! Using the wrong melting point wax and/or not checking temperature of the molten wax can result in up to third degree burns, requiring immediate attention by a physician. Obviously, most of us are not interested in a ride naked in an ambulance after having suffered serious burns and having to live through the embarrassment of explaining how we got that way!

Another area we need to address is the types of wax and the possible additives that might be in it. Perfumes, hardeners, and other additives can, and have, caused serious allergic reactions. A skin rash in the genital area for instance or on the nipples is both uncomfortable and can become infected further. Other reactions are possible due to additives in the wax. It can be said that, in general, straight unadulterated paraffin wax is unlikely to cause any sort of reaction.

The bottom line to all this is, if you chose to use something other than straight paraffin, try a small amount on an arm before you end up coating your sub in wax.

Melting Points
First, lets talk a little about the types of wax and the temperatures at which they become liquid (melt). The following table describes different types of waxes, based on their additive content, in what form they might likely be found and their initial melting points:

Keep these melt points in mind as we will discuss effects/limits a little later.

Additives
So what are these "additives"? The most commonly used additive to reduce shrinking and add hardness to candles is stearic acid. Stearic acid also raises the melting point. The hotter the melting point, the less smoke the candle makes and the less likely it will sag in a warm environment. Molten stearic acid, in contact with the skin, can create rashes and/or chemical blisters. Other hardeners include plastics and plastic waxes. Again, these can cause skin reactions in some people.

Other additives are colorants. These are generally various sorts of oil-soluble dyes and, for some, can be a skin irritant. Some of these dyes can also stain both skin and clothing.

Finally, there are the perfumants. These are added to various candle materials to give them a lovely scent. But many of these are natural oils and if your sub just happens to be allergic to bayberry's for example, applying bayberry scented wax might not be the best idea.

Temperature Limits
Remember our melting point table above? If you spill hot water at temperatures above 140°F on yourself, you will likely get a burn. However, scalding water doesn't stick to the skin, hot wax does. Wax also retains heat, so 140°F and hotter wax is very likely going to create an even nastier burn than water at the same temperature.

So what temperatures should we consider when we are applying hot wax to a sub's body? As a general rule, the wax temperature at skin contact should never be above about 135°F. At that temperature, fair skin, genital areas and nipples could suffer a first-degree burn. The ideal working temperature at skin contact is generally around 120° - 125°F. It is best, even at this temperature, to test a small spot on the arm on fair-skinned people. Remember, we want the hot wax experience to be an intensely erotic experience vs. an intensely painful one.

Given the above, look at the table again. Although you could use any of the wax types, great care must be exercised not to get wax temperatures when contacting skin above our recommended 120° - 125°F.

Different Techniques

Now that we've covered the general safety issues related to hot wax, let's get down to discussing the fun stuff. Namely, adding hot wax and watching that boy-toy or girl-toy squirm! We've broken the application down into three techniques : dripping, pouring, and painting. There are, of course, variations on each, including combinations. When do we apply the wax? Wax is a scene intensifier. That is, when you are in a scene and you want that sub of yours to go straight into, or deeper into, subspace, or even into a serious orgasmic phase, hot wax is a great way to do it.

Should your sub be standing or lying? That's for you to decide, use your imagination. Should your sub be shaved? If you intend to get that wax into those fun extra sensitive areas, it is a good idea. Pulling those pubes out by the roots while taking off the dried wax can be less than consensual pain. Course maybe you are into Epiladys. But we will not go there in this article. Again, this is a matter of choice. However, please make note that cold wax is difficult to remove from hair.

Dripping

This is probably the most popular way of applying hot wax to a submissive. The wonderful moans, the delicious squirms of your submissive as s/he reacts to each delightful drop of hot wax makes dripping a favorite for many Tops/Dom/mes. You can drip hot wax anywhere below the neck as long as you use common sense with how hot the droplet of wax is.

Tools of the trade
Candles of course! Depending on how much wax you intend to drip at one time determines how big a candle. Household emergency candles that you can get at grocery stores and the local hardware are a good choice. The candle, depending on how hard it is (this determines the melt temperature) should be held at least 18 inches above the intended skin impact point. .

Safety
Watch what type of candle you use, harder means hotter! We suggest that you place the back of your hand under the candle at about 18 inches and land a drop on it before you drip it on some tender bit on your sub. If it is too hot for the back of your hand, it is way too hot from that distance on a nipple, labia or the head of a cock. Darker colors also mean more additives. Also remember that because the wax is melting near the burning wick, the actual temperature of the wax when it leaves the candle is very much higher than the melting point of the wax. And please remember, wax retains heat so it will not cool nearly as fast as water will in the same distance. A special note about beeswax. Beeswax burns at such a high temperature that it has been observed that droplets can actually be on fire as they leave the candle. You want to avoid sub flambé if possible.

Pouring

This is probably the riskiest of techniques as temperature is extremely critical when pouring wax. However, this is also probably equal in intensity to painting, which we will discuss soon. Pouring little streams of hot wax onto a prone sub so that little rivulets of hot wax run down the sides and between the legs is a joyful sight to see, and hear, indeed! And pouring is most certainly going to put that slutty plaything into the deepest of dives. Pouring, if you take the time, can result in a near body cast of your subject.

Tools of the trade
A large double boiler typically used for candy and candle making is a good choice here. Pouring takes a lot of wax, so you might look into the candle wax suppliers on InfoSeek on the internet or your local craft stores for 5 and 10 pound blocks of raw paraffin.

A good candy thermometer is required to determine the temperature of the melted wax. Here, we would like to suggest no hotter than 120°F as the maximum temperature to consider when pouring.

Ladles of various sizes, which can be purchased at any department store or grocery. We suggest the coated ones, as they are easier to clean.

A drop cloth or plastic painting sheet is a good idea. You are going to use a lot of wax, so catching it in something other than the carpet or bedding is a good idea.

Safety
Temperature is critical! If you are going to pour hot wax onto tender bits or into tender bits, keep the temperature lower than what was suggested above. Unlike a small drop from a candle, you are applying a larger quantity to the target area, increasing the risk of a burn. Protect the eyes from splashes by using a blindfold or other protection. The navel in a prone sub is especially sensitive, a pool of hot wax there should be cooler than elsewhere.

Avoid recycling the wax used on the genital area.

Painting

A personal favorite of Mistress Renee (aka Ms. Wax) of PEER Group, hot wax painting can be an expression in both intense erotic sensation and art. Hot wax painting combines the intensity of hot wax with the sensation of brush bristles at the target site simultaneously. You can create beautiful artwork, using a naked body as the canvas. Hot wax painting has been observed to drive many subs into deep subspace and just as many into intense orgasms. Beautiful casts of tender parts can be created, for instance, boy-toys genitals can be brush cast, the wax form carefully removed, and the now mold can be filled with water and frozen to make a nice ice dildo for later.

Tools of the trade
A small double boiler, an electric potpourri pot, or a candle powered wax pot made for the purpose.

Brushes ranging from artist's brushes of all kinds, to basting brushes (you did want to baste that turkey didn't you?), to even painter's trimming brushes. The brushes should be able to hold some wax, bottle brushes don't seem to be as good at this for instance.

As in pouring, a good candy thermometer to test wax temperature. Hot wax for painting can go generally (depending on the sub of course) to as high as 125°F.

An old sheet, drop cloth, or other item to catch dripped or spilled wax.

Small pieces of crayon (1/4 inch) to add color to your wax (optional).

Safety
Again, the most important thing to consider is temperature. Larger brushes hold more wax and, hence, more heat. Therefore, that should be considered when going for the genital area or tender nipples. Avoid the face and eyes, as before. Be aware that some brushes, like basting brushes, have somewhat stiffer bristles with sharp tips, and poking the bristles ends straight to tender skin can cause penetration and injury. Avoid reusing the wax that you used in genital areas as you cannot sterilize the wax short of heating it to temperatures that will cause the wax to begin to smoke and possibly ignite.

Summary

Hot wax, however used, can be one of the most intense and erotic parts of your scene. However, it is edge play and can do bodily injury to your sub if you are not careful. Enjoy those delicious moans, whimpers and squirms you will surely get with hot wax play. But always remember to keep it Safe, Sane, and Consensual.