Scratches and Marks During Sex are major turn on and common fetish. Moving nails down a partner’s body with considerable force and leaving marks may not sound to many, but scratching is a widely practiced kink around the world. Submissive like being scratched and marked by their dominants on certain parts of their body where its most pleasing. Similar to many other activities in the BDSM world, scratching can be looked at as another form of adding spice to your sex life and further enhancing the scope of BDSM play.

Scratching is another of the gazillion ways to make BDSM play more enjoyable and is fairly simple. There isn’t much you need to know about this kink before you start practicing it, however, like everything else in BDSM, it needs to safe and consensual at all times. Moreover, the importance of after-care can also not be neglected. Here’s what you need to know about scratches and marks during sex in a d/s dynamic.

Sensation Play
BDSM is all about being kinky and experimenting with your submissive’s and your senses as a domme. This sometimes includes any one or multiple senses and can even go as far as sensory deprivation. Sensory deprivation is another technique used in BDSM play which includes depriving the submissive any of their senses to enhance others. For instance, a submissive could be blindfolded which would make them extra-sensitive to the sense of touch.

However, the kink of scratching does include senses and is a form of sensation play. This can range from anywhere between lightly moving your nails at the back of your BDSM partner, to applying enough force to leave marks on their body. These marks can serve the purpose of reminding a submissive even after a scene is over that they belong to their dominant. Others who want themselves permanently marked may also opt for tattoos and other forms of markings, however, getting permanently marked is more sought after by long-term BDSM partners. As far as scratching goes, it is suggested to start slow and make your way up the ladder. As a dominant, you should know your submissive enough to take a cue from their physical gestures and increase the intensity gradually. Furthermore, before starting any BDSM activity, it is extremely important to decide a safe word to be used when a submissive feels overwhelmed.

Leaving Kinky Marks Behind
As mentioned earlier, marks left by their dom can hold significant importance for any submissive. Marks left behind by scratches are like collars or any other physical accessory that symbolizes ownership. When a submissive wishes that their dominant leave marks on their body, a dominant should make an effort to educate themselves regarding their sub’s body. How sensitive it? How hard or deep will he have to scratch to leave marks behind? A dominant who is willing to educate themselves about their submissive shows that they care about their slave and can hence earn the trust of their sub.

It is also worth mentioning that the kink of scratching is not just confined to the d/s dynamic. Vanilla partners enjoy scratching each other backs as well during sex. They may not know or acknowledge as a kink, but they still like their backs being scratched during hot, wild sex. However, when practiced as a kink, the meaning associated with the kink changes and so do the emotions attached to it.

Scratching as a Non-sex Act
Who says any scratching, or any kink or fetish for that matter, can only be practiced while having sex? After all, the whole point of being in a d/s dynamic is experimenting for maximum pleasure. Kinky partners have had lots of fun coupling fetishes and kinks together or trying them out during other activities. For instance, try scratching your dominant’s feet while massaging and see if they like it. Find body parts that your submissive likes being scratched the most. You could also blindfold your submissive so they don’t know where will they be scratched next. The anticipation of now knowing a dominant’s next move turns a submissive on like anything. Find out a combination that works for you. The sky’s the limit.

Aftercare – An Essential BDSM component
Contrary to popular belief, caring for their submissive remains a prime responsibility of a dominant. After both partners have experienced the extreme highs of a BDSM scene, such as scratching, normalcy doesn’t feel normal for hours. Every submissive reacts differently to the lows they experience after an intense BDSM play session, which is why the dominant must always be in control, even after the scene is over.

In some cases, even when the submissive is well-rested, they can still feel a sudden rush of emotions triggered by pain caused by marks left behind, which could lead them feeling the need for attention and care. Over time, a domme is expected to figure out the level of care a submissive needs. Patience is a dominant’s friend, during and after a scene.

Neglecting aftercare is a mistake several dominants are guilty of committing. How do you expect a submissive to trust you if they see you as someone who only cares about themselves? It is not only harmful to a BDSM relationship but also a turn off for many experienced submissives. Besides, a slave will only consider submitting more and taking their submission to the next level if they know that their dominant has their slave’s best interests in mind.