When you think of erection enhancements like Viagra or cock rings, chances are your first thought is one of sex with a partner. After all, that’s the way we tend to think of them: as solutions for people with erectile dysfunction, who want to achieve an erection when they’re having sex with someone else.
But this idea presupposes that an erection is only ever a means to an end. In fact, there are many people for whom a harder or more sensitive erection can be satisfying and pleasurable in and of itself.
At MysteryVibe we’re pretty nerdy about a lot of things – as a sex tech company, you have to be! And one of the things we’re most fascinated by is the different ways that people experience pleasure – during masturbation as well as during sex with a partner. Just check out Tenuto – the world’s first smart, wearable vibrator – you can wear it alone and with a partner!
To create sex toys that really work for people, we want to delve a little into the details of what makes something pleasurable – and today we’re applying this to erection enhancement.
We’ve read plenty of blog posts and stories about why people enjoy cock rings, Viagra and other erection enhancements during sex with a partner, so we thought we would explore the reasons why some people use them for masturbation too. Is it a psychological thing – the pleasure of having a firmer erection? Or is it a purely physical thing – to do with heightened sensations?
First we tackled the subject of cock rings. There are many different kinds of cock rings that you can use to enhance solo and sex with a partner, from simple, stretchy silicone rings to sturdier metal ones and even some that vibrate.
We asked some of our willing volunteers about the draw of using cock rings to enhance their erections.
ANON – “The impact of cock rings for solo play is physical, visual and psychological.”
“Originally I didn’t like masturbating with cock rings because they restricted my usual motion of using my foreskin to rub the penis’ head while holding my shaft. What changed for me enjoying cock rings with masturbation was getting my first Fleshlight, a Quickshot. This change of sensation from pulling on the skin of my penis to gliding over it really compliments the extra sensitivity a cock ring provides.
For me the first impact that cock rings solo play provide is psychological, it signifies that I’m treating myself to a luscious play session rather than having a quick wank. The second impact is visual, everything just looks bigger (including the veins, don’t panic), when you’re so used to how you penis looks and feels just these slight changes are great. Then there’s the physical sensations, having a constant pressure on my scrotum and feeling of my balls as they sway exaggeratedly, the engorged feeling in my penis that is almost an itch, every nerve is at attention and every touch is electric.”
ANON – “Tight cock rings facilitate ‘special’ orgasms”
Our second case study focuses on the constricting feeling of a very tight cock ring, so we want to add a little safety tip to the beginning of this piece.
As mentioned above, there are lots of different kinds of cock ring – if you’re after a similar ‘tight’ sensation then we’d always recommend using a flexible silicone cock ring, or one which can be easily adjusted, as opposed to a rigid metal one. That way if you do restrict yourself too much, the cock ring can be more easily removed.
“I use a cock ring (either a silicone “red devil” one or a plain black) for masturbation and constriction. The weird thing that happens with constriction play is that it produces “alien cock” – by which I mean a cock that is so hard and pressurized that it can almost feel like it’s part of an alien creature. The sensations are muted, but enhanced, at the same time. It’s really weird, like the surface is made of glass.
When all’s ready to go, after ages of edging, then the ring facilitates the ‘special’ orgasm. This, for me, is where fingers move from foreskin to directly on the head. A level of pressure and contact that would be unbearable were this not an alien super hard on. Rubbing the head directly is probably a 1-in-50-wank trick as it’s so intense – that’s why it’s the ‘special’ one – but it feels like my orgasm is fighting its way through the tight ring at the base.”
This might not be news to you – chances are if you’ve played with a cock ring yourself during sex with a partner, you’ve also had a go with it on your own, and experienced a little of the heightened sensation and visual effects that our case studies are talking about.
But when we started looking into this topic we learned that cock rings aren’t the only erection enhancement tools that people use during masturbation: some people also use Viagra and other pills to increase sensitivity and give more intense orgasms.
Another safety note here: if you’re thinking of using erection pills such as Viagra, please consult your doctor first. There is some guidance on Viagra (Sidenafil) on the NHS website, including details on side effects and risks, and how to either get it on prescription (if you have erectile dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension) or get a private prescription, again from your GP.
JASON – “Viagra makes masturbation feel like the best first date”
“I got started because a while ago I was taking Prozac which addresses depression, but depresses your erection. I tried Viagra and it was amazing. You don’t get horny or hard because of the pill. You still need some kind of stimulation. Proof, as far as I’m concerned that sex is mental.
But once you do get turned on, which is not hard to do, you get so hard that it begs for attention. My orgasms are extremely intense. My guess is that it’s related to erection and hardness… I don’t know, but it makes masturbation feel like the best first date.”
ANON – “The sensation is heightened due to increased blood flow”
“I definitely used them as a crutch when I was going through some tough times in life, I was finding myself very unsexy and suffering severe depression; I couldn’t get myself hard for love nor money (however felt that the lack of ejaculation was very much also causing me stress).
Whilst using viagra, the sensation is definitely heightened due to the increased blood flow; which is always an exciting addition to pleasuring ones self. Also the light-headed feeling from the pills themselves also add a certain quality to it, for me it turns sex and masturbation into a completely different experience.”
Our final case study focuses on a different kind of masturbation enhancement – creams that are usually sold as a means to delay orgasm during sex with a partner by reducing sensitivity.
That’s right – even things which are aimed at reducing sensitivity can often be used to increase pleasure. We’ll let Itsukzi explain why…
ITSUKZI – “Desensitizing creams provide pleasure in a way that partnered play can’t”
“For me, the use of creams and other “lotions and potions” is the best way to experience something new. Much like how many would find sex with a new partner, or even like trying something different with your partner, using a cream that enhances or dulls the sensation of masturbation gives a different thrill!
Using a cream or lube with desensitizing properties allows me to experience a delayed or prolonged climax. This alone can be enough of an experience change, though linking this with a session on a penis pump or with cock rings etc allows me to experience an erection like no other. The sensation of an “extreme” erection that I can’t seem to make reach climax provides great pleasure in a way sex or even partner play can’t.
Self-masturbation obviously allows you to tailor the sensation knowing how far you can go before you climax, knowing how rough or gentle you can be to experience the optimum pleasure. Optimizing masturbation with a numbing cream gives the best of both worlds, providing a different physical sensation (think of the old “stranger in the bed” – using the opposite or a numb hand!) though allowing you to keep the rhythm how you need to prolong or expedite playtime!”
Erection enhancement and masturbation: why it matters
We’re starting to move away from the idea that sex only ever happens between two people, and more towards a view of ‘sex’ that acknowledges the importance masturbation plays in your sex life.
The recent surge in sex toy use and people talking more about solo pleasure is a great start to expanding that conversation. But there are still many ‘no go’ areas when discussing this stuff.
Male masturbation stigma, for one thing, means that talking frankly about male masturbation is often quite radical. The idea that men can and should enjoy masturbating and exploring pleasure rather than simply performing it out of necessity is one that many people are still not used to hearing.
As a result, when discussing erection enhancement, it’s almost always presented as a solution to erectile dysfunction during sex with a partner. Although enhancements like cock rings and Viagra can be great for that, we think that presenting them as ‘only’ for use during sex with a partner contributes to this stigmatizing idea that masturbation is purely a functional thing.
Masturbating – with or without additional things like sex toys – is an important part of most people’s lives. And many of the things that are sold primarily for use in sex with a partner can be equally pleasurable if used on their own. Talking about this helps to remove that stigma, as well as bringing more pleasure into people’s lives – and what’s not to like about that?
