Nipple Orgasms 101: 
How-To Best Enjoy Breast Play

Written by: Angela Watson | Updated: June 26th, 2023

There's an absolutely staggering amount of different ways to have an orgasm. I'm one of the lucky few women who can reach orgasm through just about any method, I've had orgasms from solely penetrative sex as well as orgasm from clitoral and even anal stimulation.

Part of this I believe is because I'm very connected to my own sexuality and use my brain a lot more than the sex organs themselves to bring myself over the edge.

So I was surprised when I was going over my site's archives to find out that I had completely neglected one of my favorite types of orgasms: nipple orgasms!

It might seem a little weird, seeing as how the breasts & nipples are far, far away from the reproductive organs below the belt, but nipple orgasms are more than just possible: they're absolutely jaw-dropping and a force to be reckoned with in the bedroom once properly explored.

Unfortunately it appears that most people are woefully uneducated about how powerful of an erogenous zone the nipples can be and exactly how to best take advantage of the sensitive nerve endings found within. Nipple orgasms are mostly a women's only phenomenon, since the physical structures involved are a lot more developed in a woman's body than a man's. So, this article will be mainly for women, but I think it'd be ignorant of me to say that a man has never once had an orgasm due to nipple stimulation, so it isn't completely out of the question for those sporting XY chromosomes.

It's Possible To Orgasm From Nipple Play?

As shocking as it might seem, it's completely possible to orgasm with nipple stimulation alone. The process can be sped up a little with some accessory work, but nearly all women can have a nipple-only orgasm if they put enough effort into it.

The nipples aren't as sensitive & powerful an erogenous zone as the clitoris or the inside of the vagina, so a nipple orgasms takes a bit more time and effort to pull off successfully. The resulting orgasm however is strong and very comparable to orgasm reached through more conventional methods, making it a great option for those who like a slow climb for an immense payoff. 

This isn't hocus pocus whatsoever! It isn't just a mind thing or the placebo effect at work, brain scans have been performed and scientists have determined that nipple stimulation lights up the same parts of the brain that get activated during genital stimulation. If that's not enough to convince you, I don't know what else to tell you.

The Benefits Of Nipple Play & Nipple Orgasms

Besides being a novel way to get off in the bedroom, activating the parts of the brain used during sex through the nipples can have many benefits that you might find interesting.

Let me explain:

  • Useful Foreplay: Stimulating the nipples during foreplay can work wonders for getting a woman's body ready for penetrative sex. Normally, the vagina is contracted as a defense mechanism, making it practically impossible to go straight from a resting period directly to penetrative sex. Using the nipples for sexual stimulation can help relax the muscles of the vagina to allow for digital or penetrative sex in individuals who report extreme tightness and difficult/painful sex.
  • A Great Alternative: Whether it be because of injury, pregnancy, or other extenuating circumstances, vaginal play might be out of the question entirely. Since the nipples are on the other end of the body, it's highly likely that they are still accessible and still ready to be played with. A woman can still reach orgasm even if her vagina isn't up to the task at that moment in time.
  • Variance: Depending on what point in time it is during a woman's menstrual cycle, the nipples vary in sensitivity. Typically the nipples are at their most sensitive during menstruation and to a lesser extent ovulation. Since the sensitivity varies so much, how nipple play feels & how long to expect until orgasm also vary wildly. Some women enjoy this increased connection to their body and the fact that no two nipple orgasms will be exactly the same.

How To Have A Nipple Orgasm

Now that you're set on having a nipple orgasm of your own, the question remains: how do I manage to pull this off? The process is actually fairly simple, but for the uninitiated it might take a bit of trial and error before you figure out exactly how to best play with each individual nipple.

So don't worry if you think you're doing it wrong, you'll get there in no time!

Set The Mood

A nipple orgasm, especially your first few, might end up being a rather time consuming affair. For this reason I highly suggest you give this a try only when you aren't rushed or pressed for time and can dedicate enough time to properly explore this erogenous zone. 

You should be completely relaxed and with no other concerns on your mind except getting down to business.

Don't Be Too Self-Conscious

Since this kind of stimulation can be unorthodox, you might end up feeling a bit silly or that you're doing something strange. Truthfully, there's nothing strange or different about pleasuring yourself via nipple stimulation, it is just an under-served part of the female anatomy. Be free of any judgmental thoughts, it is best to try alone the first few times so you don't have to be conscious of what your partner is feeling/their level of gratification. Make this completely about you & increasing your connection to your sexuality.

Breathe Deeply

A nipple orgasm is a somewhat fragile thing, it involves a bit of concentration and skill to pull off just right. That means some deep breathing techniques to fully immerse yourself in the situation can go a long way.

Start With The Entire Breast

Now you can begin to play around with yourself. Ideally you should start by first squeezing and caressing the breasts. This has a two fold effect: firstly, you'll begin to feel some sexual satisfaction and get yourself mentally in the mood for sexual activity. Secondly, the squeezing and manipulating of the breasts will increase bloodflow to the area, making the nipples much more sensitive than they were previously.

Move On To The Nipples

After you've warmed yourself up a little bit, now you can move on to the nipples themselves. Circle your fingers around the nipple & areola and try and figure out what kind of speeds and patterns work best to get your engine running. This part is harder to explain since it will be much more custom to each woman, but exploration is key here. Things like gentle squeezing of the nipple itself, or even light flick-like motions are all useful in exploring your nipple sensitivity.

Essentially any kind of stimulation is fair game here so long as you aren't hurting yourself. It should be a pain-free process that you associate with sexual release and satisfaction, figure out what works best for you!

Repeat As Necessary

Once you've gotten the hang of things, it's just a matter of keeping at it until you reach orgasm or are otherwise satisfied. You can of course focus solely on the nipples, but you make the rules here: if you want to use one hand for the nipples and another for the clitoris, go right for it! You won't "contaminate" the orgasm by mixing different sweet spots, but I do recommend finding out what kind of movements can push you over the edge when you're touching your nipples alone.

The first few times it is highly likely you'll have to add in a bit of secondary stimulation to reach orgasm in a timely manner, but over time your technique will become more and more refined.

Optional: Get Some Outside Help

If you have the benefit of having a partner nearby, you have access to a whole new ballgame of nipple stimulation if they're willing to get their mouth involved. Sucking on the nipples is something you can't do effectively yourself, and the tongue can move in ways that the fingers can't, not to mention a tongue feels entirely different. With a willing partner that's eager to figure out what works best for you, you'll have a very interesting night ahead of yourselves.

Nipple Toys Worth Checking Out

As with all sex acts, there are some toys that can help make the process a lot more fun.

Here's what I've found to work the best in the realm of nipple play:

By far the most high powered nipple toy on this list, the Lelo Sona was designed with clitoral play in mind, but it doubles exquisitely in the bedroom right on the nipples for the exact same reasons it happens to be so great on the clitoris.

The Sona is a unique variety of toy, it generates strong sonic pulses that penetrate deep into the body's tissues, heavily increasing blood flow to the area and increasing sensitivity to levels not usually possible without a good ten to twenty minutes to playtime.

Besides the glorious feeling of the sonic pulses, there's a side effect of a suction-like effect, making this toy double the amount of fun. Work up using the suction though, it might be a bit too much too fast if you don't pace yourself.

The Sona is definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a toy that can stimulate your nipples.

The Dame Fin is a vibrator that can be held between two fingers and is best used for peripheral stimulation of the body.

Hello nipples!

The vibrations from the Dame Fin radiate deep into the breast tissues for an experience that can't be had with the fingers alone. The same principles apply as with your fingers, just now they've been upgraded.

The Dame Fin is made from silicone so it is soft and warm when touched to the body, add a dollop of water-based lube and expect a good time!

Nipple Suckers/Teasers

These toys are great if you want a little bit of extra help when going at it solo. They can provide extra sucking stimulation that you'd normally need a partner for, plus they work wonders at increasing blood flow to the area. After a bit of manipulation, you'll quickly notice your nipples becoming more erect and each touch & caress being much more pleasurable than it was previously. They work on a simple principle that involves pushing down on a bulb and letting it suck in air once released, but they are essentially a cheat code to A+ nipple play.

Final Thoughts

I'd hope that now you have some faith in the wonderful world of nipple play and see what possibilities lay ahead of you. Most girls I try and tell about nipple orgasms are completely shocked that they are even possible, any that have been comfortable enough to report back to me have thanked me profusely and I'm humbled by their praise.

There's nothing stopping you from giving it a shot, get at it!

About Angela Watson

I'm a sex therapist by day and a sex blogger by night. I love to crush the taboos surrounding sex toys and help people become more sexually liberated. There's no topic too risqué for me to cover and I hope to educate and inform my readers on all things sex. All things that concern the female anatomy or require a more clinical approach than my husband Don can provide is covered by me. Have any questions? You can contact me via email.

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