How to Have a Fantastic Nipple Orgasm Because, Yep, That’s a Thing (2024)

Boobs and chests tend to play a role during sex: Plenty of people find it hot to feel ’em or have theirs touched when they’re hooking up. But did you know they can be the literal star of the show? Yes, we’re talking about a nipple orgasm, or a big-O that happens with exclusively (or primarily) nipple stuff. It turns out, when you shine the spotlight on your own—or someone else’s—rack, a whole different kind of sexual crescendo is possible.

Just like your nether regions, your nipples and areolas (the darker skin around them) are an erogenous zone, meaning they have a bunch of touch-sensitive nerve endings and can make you feel turned on when they’re stimulated, Laurie Mintz, PhD, a Gainesville, Florida-based licensed psychologist, certified sex therapist, and author of Becoming Cliterate, tells SELF. In fact, it’s common for nipple stuff to feel great on its own—research suggests that more than 95% of people with a vagina can get hot from stimulation of non-genital body parts, with boobs ranking top of that list. And in a 2006 survey, about 82% of women and 52% of men—you read that right!—reported that nipple play either “causes or enhances sexual arousal” for them.

That doesn’t necessarily mean all of those folks can experience a full-fledged nipple orgasm—there’s zero shame in having or not having one, Dr. Mintz says. There’s also no harm in exploring boob or chest stuff and seeing if you can come from it. The best case is you uncover a whole new way to feel fantastic…. And who doesn’t want that? Read on to learn all about nipple orgasms—how they happen, what they feel like, and how to bring one on yourself or with a partner.

How does a nipple orgasm happen?

When you caress—or squeeze or pinch—your nipples in a way that feels sexy, your brain may actually interpret that feeling the same way as if you touched, say, your clitoris or G-spot. In a 2011 study of 11 women (who were asked to touch themselves in the name of science), MRI scans revealed that the genital sensory cortex—a brain region activated by genital touch—also lit up when the women stimulated their nipples, Christie Cobb, MD, FACOG, a board-certified ob-gyn in Little Rock, Arkansas, tells SELF. And a follow-up 2020 study found a similar brain response to nipple stuff in men.

One way to think about it: If rubbing your clit or riding a dildo is like pumping the gas pedal, touching your nipples is like hitting “a second gas pedal,” Dr. Cobb says. “They are going to the same places neurologically and can be used together or individually to reach orgasm.”

But that’s not all. Science also shows that touching your nipples can spark the release of oxytocin—the feel-good hormone often linked with cuddling and hugging—from a region of the brain called the hypothalamus, Dr. Cobb says. And though the research isn’t totally clear on how, a spike in oxytocin likely plays a role in both sexual arousal and orgasm.

What does a nipple orgasm feel like?

Rather than thinking about a nipple orgasm as its own distinct experience, it might be more accurate to see your chest as yet another (incredible!) route to the same orgasmic destination. No matter where the stimulation occurs, with any O, you’ll feel a similarly hot buildup of tension down there followed by a ridiculously satisfying release.

“People talk about this kind of orgasm and that kind of orgasm, but in the end, they’re physiologically the same,” Dr. Mintz explains. In essence: Your heart rate speeds up, your blood flow increases (yes, to your genitals, but also throughout your body—hello, hard nipples!), and a series of pelvic floor muscle contractions lead to that big finish. (Exactly how intense an orgasm is can certainly vary, but in any case, it’s bound to feel great.)

Still, that’s not to say you won’t experience the path to orgasm a little differently by focusing on your nipples versus genitals. Anecdotally, “some people say a nipple orgasm builds more slowly and then creates waves throughout the body,” Dr. Mintz says. If you have breasts, they might also feel more sensitive to touch—and a nipple orgasm, more intense—if you’re on your period or breastfeeding. The only way to find out what it will feel like to you, though, is to try it out yourself. [Wink.]

How to have an amazing nipple orgasm

As with any kind of orgasm, you don’t exactly want to pedestal the nipple variety. Setting it up as “the goal” can prevent you from “being truly present in sensation and emotion… which can be a roadblock to experiencing your full pleasure potential,” Philadelphia-based sex educator and Everlywell partner Emily Depasse, MSW, MEd, tells SELF. Instead, approach it with an experimental mentality, Dr. Mintz suggests. If it works, great! And if it doesn’t? At least you devoted time to exploring your body and sexuality—which is still a win.

Another thing to keep in mind: It might take some playing around to find what feels good, so if at first you don’t succeed… well, you know what to do. “Just like how there is individual preference to how genitals are stimulated to reach orgasm, the same is true with nipple stimulation,” Dr. Cobb says. For instance, some rhythmic tugging or pinching could absolutely send one person over the edge, while for another it might feel totally weird or downright uncomfortable. Generally, you want to start with a lighter touch and slowly ramp up the pressure. Let your body’s reaction be the guide, Dr. Mintz says.

Below, you’ll find a bunch of expert-backed ideas for giving your or a partner’s nipples a whole new level of TLC.

By yourself

1. Set the mood. Physical sensations—including nipple touch—tend to feel more powerful when you can completely and totally tune into them. And that’s easier when you’re in a relaxing space and not distracted by things like a pile of laundry that needs to be folded or a babbling neighbor. So take a moment to turn on a sexy playlist, light a candle, and maybe even make your bed with fresh sheets. If you have the time, consider practicing your favorite mode of self-care too, Depasse suggests, like taking a bath or meditating. The idea? If the overall vibe is giving pleasure, you’ll have a better masturbation experience.

2. Do a full breast massage. It could feel a bit jarring or ticklish to touch your nipples from the jump. “Start with a light touch to circle the entire breast,” Dr. Mintz suggests. Massaging each full boob with your palm can get you going. Then, you can transition to caressing your nipples with your fingers or even different textures of fabric, Depasse says. (Draping a silk shirt or lace undies over your bare chest could feel really sexy here.)

3. Use a finger or two to trace, flick, and roll. Here’s where you can really get into nipple play—and anything you can think to do with your fingers is up for (literal) grabs. “Experiment with different motions like tracing circles with your fingers or fingernails [around your areolas] and twisting and lightly tugging your nipples,” Depasse suggests. If gentle touch feels good, you can also explore cranking up the pressure while you rub in different directions, Dr. Mintz says, adding that some folks may enjoy squeezing and rolling a nipple between their thumb and forefinger. When you find something you like, stick with it so long as you’re enjoying it, and experiment with feeling up one or both boobs at a time.

4. Play with temperature. If breast stuff is already a staple in your sexual repertoire, you might need a little more than some fingering to get into nipple-O territory. And that’s where temperature play can come into the picture, Dr. Mintz says: Gliding an ice cube across your tits or drizzling them in warm massage oil and going to town can be ridiculously hot. And the jolt of heat or coldness may be an entirely novel sensation for your chest during solo sex, which can really heighten your experience, Depasse says.

5. Involve a toy. Who said vibrators were just for vaginas? Absolutely no one, that’s who. You can use practically any vibrating toy on your nipples with a light touch, but according to Depasse, some particularly apt ones for this dual purpose are clitoral suction vibrators (which are made to mimic the feeling of oral sex) and finger vibrators (which slide onto or between your fingers for targeted stimulation). Both kinds will offer your areolas a fresh sensation that fingers—and even a partner’s mouth—can’t quite match. If you find that you’re really into breast stuff, you can also invest in nipple clamps, Dr. Mintz says, which you place around your nipples and leave there for a while to apply a continuous flow of pressure. That way, your hands are free to do…other things! Cue: multiple orgasms.

6. Explore orgasm delay. Sometimes, the longer you have to wait for a good thing, the sweeter it is when it arrives. That’s the power of edging, or putting off an orgasm when you can feel yourself approaching one. To try it, just let up a little bit or even stop for a few seconds and take a couple deep breaths whenever any of the above techniques starts to feel really good (like, almost orgasmically good), Dr. Mintz suggests. As you pick back up again, you might just find that things are even more intense than before. Feel free to play with delay as many times as you want before ultimately granting yourself an epic finish.

With a partner

You can totally translate any of the above into a partnered-sex situation by letting them know how you’d like to be touched. It’s great to have that conversation when you’re not about to hook up, Dr. Mintz says, particularly if boob things haven’t been on the agenda in the past. You can say something like, “Hey, I’ve been playing with my tits and finding it really hot, and I’d love it if you did that too,” or, “Do you want to try something new in bed? I heard rubbing ice cubes on your nipples can be a huge turn on.”

Sure, bringing it up might feel awkward at first, but ultimately you can’t rely on a partner to read your mind when you’re looking for something specific in bed. And you could actually find that your partner appreciates clear direction when it comes to satisfying you, Dr. Mintz says.

Of course, adding a partner into the equation also puts more nipple stuff on the table—things that might be tough to do, logistically speaking, to your own boobs. Plus, more hands just means more opportunity to stimulate different parts of your or their body. Here are a few additional ideas to try:

1. Turn up the sexy vibes first. A little anticipation can go a long way. So get things going with a partner before you hop into bed, say, with a little sexting or some dirty talk IRL, Depasse suggests. Need some fodder for what to say? Maybe you start with the things you can’t wait for them to do to your breasts, or tell them how you’re warming yourself up for them. (Hot!)

2. Involve your (or their) lips, tongue, breath, and even teeth. Just like with typical oral sex, you can totally put your mouth to work on a partner’s chest or ask them to do so on yours. “Some people like their partner to blow air [on their breasts],” Dr. Mintz says. Try opening your mouth wide for a warm effect or pursing your lips for a cooler puff. Licking and sucking on nipples can also offer a different kind of feeling, while, again, freeing up hands for other sexy stuff (more on that below). If you’re looking for additional pressure or intensity, consider experimenting with your partner’s teeth, Depasse adds. A little nibbling or even biting can toe the line between pain and pleasure—in a good way (if you’re both enthusiastically into it, of course).

3. Add in some touch elsewhere. A cool thing about nipples is they’re generally easy to access while also showing a little love to other body parts—like, yes, a vagina or penis, or just an inner thigh or a neck. And when there’s more than one person involved, it’s even easier to explore a bunch of erogenous zones at once: Maybe they’re massaging your breasts while you’re using a clit vibrator, or you’re licking their nipples while they’re giving themselves a hand job or rubbing their own clit. The possible combinations for boobs-plus-other-stuff are pretty much endless.

If you’re thinking, Well, if you’re stimulating other body parts, is it really a nipple orgasm when you finish?, Dr. Mintz suggests tuning into your body; you’ll likely be able to feel where the most powerful sensation is emanating from. But, also, it’s not worth getting caught up in what exactly is catalyzing your orgasm if you’re having one. Breast stuff can be additive or it can be the whole shebang, and if you wind up feeling amazing, then it doesn’t necessarily matter whether your nipples were partially or wholly responsible.

Related:

• Why Do I Get Ridiculously Horny Around My Period?
• How to Explore a Praise Kink If You’re Seriously Turned On by Validation
• So You Want to Learn How to Squirt During Sex

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