You might’ve heard of different kinds of orgasms, like clitoral orgasms, G-spot orgasms, and prostate orgasms — but orgasms don’t actually even have to stem from genital touch. Some people actually report orgasming just from nipple play.
The nipples are densely packed with nerve endings, and one study found that they’re connected to the same parts of the brain as the vagina and clitoris, so it’s no surprise that they’re highly erogenous zones for many people.
Regardless of your gender or genital configuration, it is possible to experience sexual pleasure through nipple stimulation, and with practice, you can increase the amount of sensation you feel in order to potentially orgasm this way.
Here are a few ways to increase the pleasure in your nipples and build toward nipple orgasms.
1. Think of your nipples as sexual organs.
A large percentage of sexual arousal happens in the mind, so opening yourself up to nipple orgasms first requires believing they’re possible. Try stroking your nipples during self-pleasure or having your partner touch or lick them. Making noise while they’re being stimulated can help you get in touch with what you’re feeling. Don’t worry if you don’t feel too much at first — just focus on whatever you can feel, and the sensations will grow.
2. Treat your nipples to a massage.
The more you stimulate a particular area of your body, the more connections will get built between that area and your brain. So, regularly massaging your nipples will prime them for pleasure. Set aside 10 minutes or so, and have some coconut oil or another massage aid on hand. Put some on your fingertips, and make slow circles around your nipples, starting outside them and building inwards, then back out. You can also try grazing your fingers up and down or back and forth over your nipples or using the palm of your hand to perform these same motions. Relax your pelvic muscles so that the sensation can spread more easily to your genitals.
3. Connect your nipples to your genitals.
Stimulating your nipples and genitals at the same time will teach you to associate nipple stimulation with sexual pleasure. Try using one hand on your chest while the other is touching your genitals, or have your partner stimulate your genitals while you touch your nipples (or vice versa). You can also try touching your genitals, getting yourself close to an orgasm, then stimulating your nipples once you’re already highly aroused. If you’re already approaching orgasm, nipple stimulation may provide the last push you need to get over the edge.
4. Experiment with toys.
Some people can only handle really gentle touch on the nipples, while others like more intense stimulation. For the latter group, toys can help. Most sex toys that you can use on the genitals, like vibrators, can also be used on the nipples. There are also some nipple-specific toys, like nipple clamps and nipple suckers. You can also try stimulating your nipples with differently textured objects, like feathers, ice cubes, or heated toys. The sky’s the limit!
5. Have fun.
Even though nipple orgasms are totally achievable, thinking of them as a goal can take the fun out of them. Try to let go of the outcome and enjoy exploring nipple pleasure, whether it leads to an orgasm or not. The only way to get to an orgasm, after all, is to experience pleasure.