Dark Castle - Sin
BDSM Canada & Training
Hot Wax Scenes
by Aramock Nanuck
February 2001
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Hot wax evolved as a form of terror with low impact by sadists and masochists to provide intense physical stimulation. It grew from a time before the Inquisition being a means to torment the body without serious bodily harm, unlike hot pokers. There is more to wax-play than holding a candle over the top and dripping the wax onto the bare flesh of a slave.
Temperature Modifiers
Numerous factors impact the temperature of the wax as it reaches the skin. The most notable of these are:
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The materials used to create the wax,
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Colours can impact temperature,
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Constraining the wax in a glass or metal container,
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The distance from which the wax drips to the skin.
Types of Wax/Candles
The type of materials used to construct the wax and, in the distinct shape of Candle wax, directly impact its ambient temperature. Ideally, the choices made should be waxy items that would not cause harsh burns or severe damage. Always expect some reddening of the skin but done the discoloration properly should clear up in a few hours at the most. If attempting to avoid severe burns, it is best to avoid:
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Beeswax as it burns at a considerably high temperature.
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Beef tallow as wax made from animal fat is extremely hot.
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Scented candles that burn at a higher temperature.
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Metal wicks as candles with these typically drip molten metal.
Colour as a Modifier
The primary concern is the melting point of the wax and not the colour. However, the materials used to colour the wax can retain heat longer or act as an accelerant or exciter, increasing the overall temperature as the candle burns. A good comparison is wearing a white, brightly coloured or dark (even black) shirt in the hot summer sun. The amount of heat reflected and retained by the fabric is different while the heat source (the sun) remains constant. The colour of the wax will affect the melting temperature of a candle.
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Metallic colours have exciters that increase the temperature and may contain poisonous metallic salts.
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Red candles tend to drip hotter than black or white.
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Green, Blue and Yellow candles burn slightly hotter than pure white but less than red.
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Black candles will burn warmer than white candles.
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Pure white candles burn the coolest of all.
Encasement
Candles held in glass jars or metal frames will all burn hotter. The wax will pool as it melts, retains the heat more, and makes spillage far more likely. Unless the individual holding the candle has a steady hand and keen eye, the pouring of wax will have more volume than the mere dripping of candles. However, such items make it more conducive to dripping the resin from a higher distance and will also ensure the flame does not get blown out. There is a choice to make, which should primarily be governed by how much natural breeze of fan-propelled air is in the area.
Recommended
The safest to use is plain 100% paraffin candles, these burn at a safer temperature.
Preparation
Boy scouts make some of the best fetishists as they always are prepared. Be so yourself. Wax can be messy, so having an environment that is conducive to this is a good start. Using a marble tabletop or stone table to lay the submissive on is the best alternative. Many Dom's own marble full-length dining tables for just this reason. Alternatively, have the submissive lay on top of a cheap vinyl shower curtain or disposable tablecloth will provide an excellent catchment for any splatter.
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Safety First
The temperature wax should remain below 45 degrees Celsius (110 Fahrenheit). Higher temperatures cause scalding and blisters to occur. Tested the temperature on the inside of your wrist just as though you were checking the temperature of a baby bottle. You should also keep freezing water or ice and burn ointment nearby in the event of an accidental burn.
An Easily Maintained Area
Conduct the scene in an area quickly cleaned. By inference, then avoid carpet, bedding or other fabric-covered furniture. Invariable spillage occurs, and the removal of wax from deep fibres is a nightmare and needing professional cleaners.
Body Hair Issues
If the submissive is very hairy in the targeted area, the hair will come off. The effect is no different from waxing at a beauty parlour. Hair is susceptible areas (genitals, etc.) will be very painful if pulled out when removing the cold wax after the session concludes. It may be advisable to have them shaved or using plastic wrap to avoid sticking to the hair. It is also possible to purchase unique candles made from wax that will not stick to hair.
Alternatively, a sadistic approach is to let the wax adhere to the hair, place small oil absorbent strips on and allow to cool, then briskly remove. There will be significant pain that can delight sadists and masochists alike.
Restraints
Restraining the subject is a good idea if placing candles where the recipient can accidentally knock them over. However, if controlling a vassal, remember, you are dealing with fire, and if the surroundings ignite, you will wish to release the subject so they can flee to safety quickly.
Pooling and Moulds
Watch out for wax pooling in low areas like belly buttons (particularly if they have an "inny"), ass cracks or vagina. The pools will retain heat and can increase the discomfort when the wax becomes too concentrated. It is easy to slowly pour the resin into the area, let it cool and harden, and add more until sealing the area. The careful lifting of wax images from the skin provides a keepsake of the affected area. The mould idea also works for the vagina if done thick enough.
Wax Activities
There are numerous activities possible with wax, and we will discuss the main items of interest for the majority of parties.
Introducing Novices to Wax
When engaging a novice to wax, it is essential to set their minds at ease. Fire (and wax being a by-product of it) is one of the scariest forms of threats the human mind conjures for anyone who never tried wax; it best to establish a routine to relax them. Touching the portion of skin where applying was, explaining how the process occurs, and tracing the path to applying wax will happen the subject to prepare for the event. It causes the trepidation to fade that away; over time, you will no longer need to do this, but it is a good practice that allows the submissive to focus on expecting the wax. Over time the reactions will place the subject into the desired sub-space.
Allow for Time
Waxing sessions can run from 20 minutes to three (3) hours. Make sure the subject is comfortable for the long-term and pees before starting. Allow the recipient the ability to flex or move a little. Also, having drinks with bendable straws for the subject to rehydrate throughout the scene is advised.
Simple First
As with all fetish practices, knowledge and experience count, starting simple and building up to the more complex is the best way to develop skills. So yes, the simplest is to hold a lit candle over a subject and tilt it, allowing droplets of hot wax to fall to the model's skin. Remembering height can compensate for temperature, then you can slowly begin to adjust the distance from which you drip with coloured candles to allow for some rather spectacular splashes.
Votives
A votive is an object offered to fulfill a vow, such as a candle used as a vigil light. Placing these on a body will be precarious; hence, a little forethought and planning are necessary. Pour enough wax in pools on the body to secure the votives in place. Place the votives on and hold until the wax sets. The votives have the wax until the end of the scene, while the overflow causes a rush of warm sensations.
It is essential to seat the votive before attempting the following securely, or else wax could splash everywhere. A seemingly playful yet sadistic thing to do is to tickle the individual and watch the person try not to move. Slightly shaking the subject will also cause the flow of wax from the votive.
Jar Candles and Crock Pots
Jar Candles have many properties and advantages over raw wax. For one thing, they constrain the mess significantly. Jars have the benefit of creating volumes of heat wax quickly. The jar/crock provides a ready medium for then apply the wax in large volumes over a short time.
However, usually best to use small jars that are not re-usable. Jar Candles are expensive as replacing frequent scenes will cost. While melting blocks of wax in a crock makes for huge volumes with little or no waste and the receptacles, remain highly reusable. The one caution is to keep them on a heat low enough to melt the material but not so high as to cause the wax to become superheated; remember the 45C rule. An excellent way to ensure this is to stick a candy thermometer into the wax in the crock and check it from time to time.
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Before using a Jar Candle, check it thoroughly for cracks and flaws. The smallest of gaps in the glass may cause it to shatter after lighting the candle. It may not be immediate, but as the heat builds up eventually, the flaw will give away.
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Jar Candles allow those who love the warmth and heat but hate the feel of wax dripping on them to enjoy the experience. It is possible to use a cheap smaller paintbrush to dip into the wax and use it to apply the wax to the slave.
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Another approach is to allow the heated wax to pool and then pour it on slowly to a large swath of the area. This approach is convenient if trying to prepare a base coat of wax upon which to build. Again a particularly suitable technique for applying large volumes to sensitive areas such as the genitals.
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Increasing Complexity
As with all things fet, simple quickly becomes tedious and mundane. The desire to increase and wrap up the experience or use it as an art form becomes a driver to many participants. Using the wax as a medium to create images that can be later removed from the body and saved takes effort and time. Allow for this when planning the action.
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Layering
Start the session with the wax having no added colours. Help the subject get into the proper mindset and develop tolerance by little drips of wax at varying heights across different areas of the body. Slowly add colours, remembering that different colours transfer heat in a differing manner. A steady series of drops slowly building up is the best for the sensual sensations of the subject. Remember to rotate the candles around while dripping to have the wax melt evenly. Note that different body areas may tolerate as much heat as other areas (such as genitalia).
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Prep for Removal
For better removal, a light covering of cling wrap or nonpetroleum-based cream on the body allow for easy lifting. However, With plastic wrap, the features of the body underneath frequently get distorted. Choose wisely. The effect of Mummification is an experience all its own the addition of hot wax takes it to a whole new level.
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Advanced Waxing
For the more adventurous and artistically inclined, combine the passion for body waxing and art. When doing artist images on the body, it is essential to realize that the contours and shape of the body will have as much to do with the image as the actual coloured wax.
Wax art is the occasion where some crock pots and jar candles may be necessary to provide sufficient material to produce a work of art. Prepare a neutral base first, always as most artists start from the lightest colour to the darkest. Apply a base coat of about 5-7cm (1/2 inch) thick base to produce the image.
Then take an etching tool and trace the pattern of the design into the coat of base wax., Here you can decide to either remove portions that you wish to replace with other colours or build up the material with the new coloured wax. If removing the wax, beware that the skin is sensitive; it may require an additional light coat depending on the colour.
Now build up the image by adding premelted coloured wax from jars. Then either directly pour or brush the hot wax onto the etching. Applying some simple shapes as cut out or added premade detailed items, then use the more delicate items to the image. The results will vary with practice; however, it is easy to become proficient in this over time. This art form requires the utmost cooperation between the submissive and dominant to ensure the stability and appeal of the end product.
Waxing Artistic Images
Decide in advance the design desired. Trace it out on paper and allow for the fact that the thickness of wax requires a coarse-grained design. Try out various patterns on paper before commencing. The more ornate it is, the more difficult and time to consume the process will be. For less practiced trace in washable marker, the design on the body of the subject. Tracing the scheme has the added advantage of making them fully aware of the design and areas to be affected.
The Death Masks
The creation of a death mask is where the duplication face in a form easy to reproduce. There are various skills and steps required to make it possible.
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The hair of the subject needs covering in a tight non-permeable covering.
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Tissue wrapped straws insert partially (1cm (1/3 inch) into each nostril to block it entirely but allow breathing.
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Place cotton balls into the ear canal to protect the ears.
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Then cover the face in a light nonpetroleum-based gell.
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Now apply either
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Apply a series of neutral or transparent wax layers covering the whole face, building the wax-up to almost 2-5cm in thickness. OR
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Apply a fast-drying plaster of Paris to face in a thickness of at least 5cm.
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Begin with the wax form followed by cement on top of the wax.
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Once solidified and hardened, the mask should lift cleanly from the subject. A plaster form is for when a latex replica builds up from the inside. The wax form in cement allows for removing the face and provides a condition that can hold either other plaster of Paris, Cement or pour metal to produce a bust or mask. The basic wax form is merely helpful for practice before engaging in the different patterns.
Temporary Wax Brands
Wax images on the body are, by nature, temporary. The wax will eventually separate from the body, and depending on the heat and intensity of wax, the image may remain as a mark for several hours or even if severely burnt a few days. Some believe skin tone makes a radical difference; others do not. The difference is if the mark is the image in wax or the underlying damage to the skin. So if the image is the wax design, then it matters not, while darker skin tones will provide more excellent contrast. If the underlying damage to the skin, the pale white or ashen skin tone is the best.
Find a plastic or metal shape in which you wish the mark portrayed. If the skin's injury is the objective, then use metal and even add metal stands to add filigree to the design. Once placing the die in the desired spot, pour the wax. Again if it is the damage you wish portrayed, then use wax at temperatures up to 60C. The metal will etch a scar into the skin and last for up to 3-4 days. If it is the pattern in wax, then apply the wax at stable temperatures. Continuing to add more hot wax as long as the subject can handle the prolonged heat. Remember pouring wax into a concentrated area will massively increase the sensitivity and pain. Once the wax cools, peel off the mould. If skin damage occurs, remove the wax and otherwise leave it as a button or badge. Regardless the brand temporarily marks the subject as your property. Many exciting design shapes exist today in a cookie or playdough cutters like hearts, handprints. It could also simply be letter outlines to spell words like Slut, Whore, Slave, etc.
Sensual Waxing
Fantasy fire and wax play for masochists and submissives alike can have powerful sexual overtones. The sensitive female body areas are the breasts, nipples and vagina. A submissive described the wax running down her vagina as "like a 1000 little warm fingers." The subject in question was happily covered in wax from her neck down to her toes. There were five Dom/Sadists dripping wax to build a solid coat from neck to her toes. And 48 candles later, the masochistic subject was grinning from ear to ear.
In men, the inner upper thigh, scrotum and penis are especially sensitive. It is virtually impossible to make a "penis mould" by totally coating the area. One trick, however, is to cover the penis in soft wax. And then sexually excite the man. As their girth and length grow, they continue to add smooth but not overly hot wax. The end effect is a reasonable facsimile. However, the man has to loos the erection to pull free without damage to the mould.
A wax massage is another sensual treat. Pouring a small amount of wax on the hand and rubbing it on the submissive. And is particularly effective in overly sensitive areas and gives the experience of sharing the heat.
Rapid Cooling
Ice is another interesting modifier to the activity, a little fire and ice. Use ice to cool wax rapidly and harden it. This allows for the massively thick waxy build-up to cool quicker and allow for easier removal. The application of ice first to the skin before the addition of wax is also a particularly sadistic trick. The ice cools and numbs a particular region of the body. If followed immediately by a hot wax treatment, the intense reaction is at times overwhelming.
Another idea to randomly alternate ice with hot wax, the subject realizes something impacting the skin. The sensation felt may not be expected, like assuming wax and then the numbing cold of ice, or the cold of ice followed by an unexpected flash of searing pain. When conditioning a slave or masochist, it is a very lovely mind fuck. The variations are endless, and only the deviousness and intellect of a specifically sadistic Dom can find their best patterns.
Wax Removal
Removing the wax can be as erotic and full of sensation as the actual waxing. It is another area where intimate touching and caressing occurs. This is particularly true if trying to lift a formed image in a near-perfect state. The slow removal f the wax is often another form of torture for the subject who has not had a cream or plastic wrap applied. Again, the motivation is the art or the pain that drives the experience that also goes the removal.
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