Got a burning desire for a hot kink? Welcome to the world of fireplay. Flame on!
Humans and fire have an intense, complicated relationship that goes way back. Fire is a creator, and a destroyer, of civilization. We’re simultaneously drawn to and repelled by fire. It’s in this space, between primal desire and fear, that kinky fireplayers make their home.
Fireplay is a niche of temperature play, using hot (or cold) temperatures to induce pleasure, sometimes through pain. Warming the oil before a sensual massage is a more tepid form of temperature play. Pouring hot wax on the body yields a more intense burning sensation (this should only be done with wax specifically designed for this use, which can be found online or at your local sex toy shop). Fireplay is perhaps the most extreme form of temperature play, with practitioners using open flames.
The practice of using fire on the body to achieve a desirable effect is ancient, although the origin is unknown. Fire cupping—when a heated cup is placed on the skin, creating suction and causing a very hot sensation—was used by Hippocrates in 400 BCE for many ailments. Muhammad swore by cupping therapy and it was performed by Muslim doctors, who developed new methods. The practice soon spread through Asia and Europe, and in the United States cupping therapy was used as recently as the Civil War. Today, it is considered a pseudoscience, although some find it helpful as a massage tool.
“Playing with fire does not necessarily mean you will get burned, so long as you always remember to respect that fierce bitch!”
