Flogging Workshop
Care |
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After care | A flogging is a very intense experience. Your partner, however, bears the brunt of the physical trauma. Realise that they may be experiencing a very intense emotional and psychological high; for some it can be a spiritual experience. You are their anchor to reality, and their guide. You are responsible for them. You must bring them back safely to themselves. When the time has come to wind the scene down, don't just leave them to come down unguided and uncontrolled. Instead, allow external reality to slowly reassert itself. There are several ways to handle after care. You can simply lessen the severity of your strokes gradually, which will let your partner come down, you can "talk" them down, or you can switch to a different flogger. The point is you take time to bring them down slowly. Having a blanket, towel (large) or some other cover available is important to wrap your partner in and keep them warm as they come down. Look over the flogged area for any breaks in the skin or possible other damage. Ask what colour they are so you know they are somewhat "aware". Take them some place quiet and comfort them. Have a glass of water ready for them to drink and one for yourself, you both may just need it. Even though the flogging has stopped, you still have a partner who needs you to watch out for them until they are back to "themselves". What to do to help yourself come down is a lot harder. Many find it soothing or settling to simply help their partner afterwards. Others need to wait until their partners are back on earth and then be cared for by them, by having them do things like massaging shoulders or temples, fetching drinks and food, or just talking. Essentially doing 'normal' things to return to 'normal' life. |
Cuts, scrapes and bruises |
Be aware that if you hit someone hard enough (which may be lighter than you'd think) you will bruise them, and if you keep going you can break the skin; and leather or string whips are tough to clean. For this reason, some dedicated masochists have their own toys which have come in contact with their blood, and henceforth can be used only on them. Bruises will heal (even large ones), as will light cuts or abrasions, but you should know how to avoid unintended damage that won't be so accommodating. The physics of bruising. The dermis (the underlying layers of the skin) and the tissues underneath the skin get their blood supply from capillaries, tiny vessels that are extremely delicate. When these tissues are compressed suddenly, the impact tears the tiny blood vessels, causing blood to leak into the surrounding tissue. Given enough blood, a visible bruise forms. If you press down gently on the skin, the tissues can "give" and accommodate themselves to protect the capillaries; if you whack the skin suddenly, they can't. The discolouration and tenderness to touch comes from the accumulation of blood, lymph (a colourless body fluid that collects in bruises and other wounds and can be exuded from a cut or scrape even if there is no visible bleeding), and waste products at the site of the wound as the body reacts to heal itself. If you want to minimise bruising, use flagellation implements that contact a large area of skin and that are soft enough to minimise blood vessel damage. Keep in mind that the faster an implement moves, the more damage it can cause. A thin implement like a cane concentrates all its force in a small area. Whips and floggers produce the most bruising at their tips, where the impact is the greatest. Bruising is worse if the tips "wrap". During a session a bruise usually starts out as a deep red area or as tiny red dots or speckling on the skin, if you stop or go lighter at the point you notice this kind of colouration, you may be able to prevent noticeable bruising. However bruising may not show up until some time after the scene. Small bruises do not need any special attention, though some think a light rubbing with Vitamin E can reduce pain and promote healing. For larger bruises, apply an ice pack to reduce pain and prevent swelling. Do not use heat, as this will increase internal bleeding and make things worse. Most simple bruises are not dangerous and will go away in time without treatment. More serious is a haematoma, which results from bleeding between deeper layers of the skin. On the surface, a haematoma looks like a very bad bruise. The site will be hard and hot to the touch, as well as very tender and painful, and it may be puffy. Small haematomas, like bruises, can heal by themselves if they're not abused further. Large ones can be very dangerous, putting pressure on adjacent nerves, undamaged blood vessels, and even internal organs. They need to be treated with medication to dissolve the clotting safely, so medical advice should be sought. Also see a doctor if any pain develops deep inside the body or if other pain continues several hours after a flogging, as this may indicate damage to internal organs. Be sure to tell the truth about how the injury occurred to avoid misdiagnosis.
It's possible to open someone up pretty bad with a whip. However, it doesn't happen that often simply because of the physics of it all. What you'll see most often is a small amount of blood caused by repeated lashings, traumatising the skin and eventually opening it. These usually heal up just fine. Even in a very heavy scene, blood flow from a whip cut or scrape should stop by itself in a few seconds. If it doesn't, press on the wound, using a sterile gauze to keep blood off your hand. After blood flow has stopped, clean the wound and the skin around it. Once cleaned, shallow cuts and most abrasions should not require medical attention. |
Psychological Trauma | An incompetent flogging could panic or terrorise the bottom, and even a technically expert flogging may go well beyond a particular bottom's limits. Such emotional wounds may make it difficult for the bottom to enjoy subsequent SM action, and they can even generate psychic stress that impairs other areas of life. Granted, some tops deliberately try to instil terror, and some bottoms get off on it, but terrorisation is an extremely hazardous technique. It should be used only by tops who know exactly what they're doing and how to deal with the results. A play session, especially one involving roleplay, can sometimes unwittingly trigger off repressed memories and experiences, causing distress. Tops should also be prepared to deal with panic, which is almost always unintentional, by being able to calm the bottom down. |
Breaking the Skin |
Although an erotic flogging is rarely bloody, many kinds of flogging implements can open the surface of the skin, either by cutting or scraping previously undamaged skin or by causing the weakened skin over a bruise to break. The chief danger from breaking the skin is infection, which can occur in various ways. For the bottom, the most serious risk is becoming infected with a disease through blood or lymph left on the flogging implement from a previous scene if it was inadequately cleaned (or not cleaned at all). Less seriously, an open wound is vulnerable to airborne viruses and bacteria and contaminants spread by hands and other body parts as well as the implement itself, so all cuts and scrapes should be treated with disinfectant. Whip cuts can also cause scarring. Unwanted scarring can be reduced by proper care for wounds, but the risk cannot be completely eliminated in any especially heavy scene. The possibility of infection with HIV, hepatitis or other communicable diseases must be taken very seriously, but it should also not be exaggerated to the point of paranoia. In most cases only a tiny amount of blood or lymph is exuded, and even less is actually picked up by the business end of implements. Moreover, the HIV microbe in particular dies quickly when exposed to air, though the hepatitis viruses and some others are much hardier. If you follow reasonable precautions in using and cleaning flogging equipment and use standard first-aid procedures in treating whatever wounds do occur, the risk should be remote or nonexistent. |