Sex Talk: Nipples

So just why did God give men nipples? One wag helpfully suggests, “So there would be somewhere for men to wear titclamps.” ?That might not be the whole truth, but there’s no doubt that male nips, while not designed to lactate, are capable of providing a whole lot of joy.
Sometimes that pleasure can be in the eye of the beholder. While women’s nipples are regarded as way sexy — perhaps because, in many places, they’re still forbidden territory — the male variety, often seen on the beach or on TV, are fetishized less frequently, though no less fervently. Says one tit-fancier, “Crotches and butts get all the attention, but I just love to look at nipples. I especially love the ones at both ends of the spectrum, either so small they’re almost nonexistent, or those big dinner plate-sized ones.”
Those who do think bigger is better have used a variety of methods to enlarge their nubs, either temporarily or on a permanent basis. Frequent massaging, pumps, little rubber bands, and snakebite kit suction cups all have their fans — even if none of those works for you, they can still feel great. And, pierced guys seeking bigger nips can push their jewelry further out, using stretchers or adjustable “nipple trainers.” Be gentle, though, if you don’t want that piercing to migrate or tear.
One need not be an aesthete to enjoy nipples. Many men prize their own as a site for stimulation. Says one fellow, “Stroke them, pinch them, suck them. Just don’t leave them alone.”
Playing with some guys’ nipples produces mega-intense titillation. As another man says, “My partner’s nips are so sensitive that he doesn’t want me to even touch them unless we’re actually having sex.”
But, as with other erogenous zones, not everyone possesses such rewarding chest-to-crotch hard wiring. Says one such guy, “My tits are pretty unresponsive, so I tried getting them pierced. The rings didn’t really increase the feeling, though they do look nice.”
When it comes to nipple play, the variety is nearly endless. There are the basics — stroking, sucking, pinching, pulling, nibbling. And then there are more intense variations, often using some sort of paraphernalia. Besides the aforementioned snakebite kits, there are a wide variety of “titclamps,” spring-loaded or compressible pincers that hold willing nipples in their implacable grip.
Most pairs are connected by chains that can be tugged on, tied to rope bondage, or pulled taut by attached weights. While sex shops sell clamps, clever DIYers can make them at home. And, as one thrifty sadist notes, “Old-fashioned wooden clothespins, preferably ones with not-too-strong springs, work just fine for tit torture.” Whatever the device used, from Mom’s washday friends to nasty alligator clips with vicious teeth, care should be taken so they don’t slip off. And be forewarned: The longer that nipple clamps are kept in place, the more they’re going to hurt when they come off. And any play that restricts blood flow should be limited. Too-long-lasting titplay can actually kill the nipple’s flesh.
More invasively, temporary piercings can put nipples through a major workout. However, such penetrative play requires both knowledge and excellent sterile technique, and can cause internal scarring that results in lumpiness. If a piercing is to be permanent, the need for caution goes double. Inserting nipple rings is no job for amateurs, and even professionally done piercings can be troublesome. Says one expert piercer, “Compared to other parts of the body, there’s limited blood flow to the nipple, which can mean slower healing and a greater chance of infection.”
Those who are less mechanically inclined can also experiment with temperature play. Both ice cubes and deep-heating rubs can provide erection-producing, tingly sensations. Nipples make a great target for hot wax play, too. The truly kinky can even get into gender-bending nursing roleplay, or participate in advanced tit-torture scenes that result in a rush of enjoyable agony.
But for most of us, chest-based enjoyment is a simpler matter. Nipple stimulation can serve as foreplay, or as intensification of either oral or anal sex. “I enjoy being straddled when I screw somebody, and it’s always fun to reach up and play with his nipples,” says one tit-pleasing top.
So even if the male nipple is an evolutionary joke, it’s one with a penis-pleasing punchline. Into nipples?

Might as well make a clean breast of it and get those little fellas – yours or someone else’s — to sit up and feel great.

Simon Sheppard is the editor of Homosex: Sixty Years of Gay Erotica, and the author of Sex Parties 101, Kinkorama, and In Deep: Erotic Stories, and can be reached at [email protected]. Visit Simon at www.simonsheppard.com.