Yup, Nipple Orgasms Are a Thing—and Here’s How to Have a Good One

The genitals may hog the orgasm spotlight, but you can actually feel fireworks from stimulating other erogenous zones, too—nipples included. Introducing: the nipple orgasm, a category of climax that follows a focus on those nerve-dense nubs. 

As it turns out, “nipples are packed with over 800 nerve endings, which makes them incredibly sensitive to touch, temperature, and vibration,” according to Rachel Wright, MA, LMFT, a New York-based licensed psychotherapist and sex educator with Zumio. So sensitive, in fact, that shining a spotlight on them can result in a full-blown O, she says. 

Even if nipple play doesn’t result in a nipplegasm, it can still amplify overall arousal, Wright explains. “Stimulating your nipples can send extra inputs to your brain and nervous system, which can deepen sensation elsewhere, even intensifying the feeling of clitoral or vaginal pleasure,” she says. “Paying attention to your nipples can also be an amazing way to keep the focus on pleasure and touch without going straight to the genitals.”

Essentially, there’s not much to lose by giving some extra love to your nipples, and seeing (er, feeling) if it makes you come. Read on for a guide to the nipple orgasm, featuring 10 sexpert-backed tips for touching and teasing the often-overlooked hot spot in the name of titillating pleasure.

What is a nipple orgasm? 

Exactly as its name implies, a nipple orgasm refers to the climactic release in response to stimulation of the nipples or any other portion of the chest, says Jessica O’Reilly, PhD, host of the SexWithDrJess Podcast and co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Seduction and Foreplay. Sometimes an orgasm that results from touching the entire teat is called a breast orgasm…but that’s just semantics! 

Some people can orgasm from just nipple stimulation, according to Wright. “Current data and anecdotal reports suggest that somewhere around one to five percent of people can climax from only nipple play,” she says.¹ Though the percentage is likely higher as “it’s probably underreported due to stigma, lack of exploration, and people not realizing that the sensation they felt was an orgasm,” she says.

Nipple-exclusive orgasms are often described as feeling like an electric jolt of tingling pleasure. But “some people say they feel similar to G-spot orgasms or like energy moving through the whole chest and torso,” Wright says. 

Other pleasure-seekers say layering nipple and chest stimulation on top of other sensations (think: penetration, oral, kissing, etc.) can heighten intensity, Dr. O’Reilly explains. One study even found that nipple stimulation enhanced sexual arousal in 82 percent of women and 52 percent of men.² (No data was gathered on individuals outside of the binary.)

Many people say that blended orgasms—that’s orgasms resulting from touching at least two areas—where nipples play a role feel more full-bodied compared to single-zone Os, Wright says. 

Just like other erogenous zones, “the nipple and the areola—that’s the darker pigmented area surrounding the nipple—contain sensory nerve endings that can respond to touch, stretch, pressure, and vibration," Dr. O’Reilly says. Nipples also contain uniquely sensitive, spongy tissue called erectile tissue, which engorges with blood and hardens in response to arousal, touch, and even positive emotional response, she says. 

The researchers of another study that used MRI imaging to measure arousal response to nipple touch found that it activates the same part of the brain as genital stimulation does.³ Meaning, “stimulating the nipples' nerves doesn’t just create localized sensation," Dr. O'Reilly explains. "It also activates the genital sensory cortex, the same brain region triggered by stimulation of the clitoris, vagina, or penis."

Additionally, nipple stimulation spurs the release of oxytocin (aka your love hormone), which is associated with an increase in uterine and pelvic muscle contractions, similar to those experienced during orgasm, Dr. O’Reilly adds.⁴ The combined presence of climax-like contractions and feel-good chemicals may trigger an actual orgasm, she says. Neat!

How to have a nipple orgasm

The lead-up to and cumulative experience of a nipple orgasm is something that anyone may enjoy. Yes, anyone. Porn and media may only show women enjoying nipple play, but “nipples can be highly erogenous for men and people assigned male at birth,” says AASECT-certified sex therapist Rufus Spann, PhD, founder of Libido Health.

But just as not everyone with feet enjoys having their toes sucked, not everyone with nipples likes having them teased, twisted, or touched at all. The key here is to explore without judging whatever unique tastes you uncover. These 10 tips can get you started, whether you’re going stag or exploring with company.

1. Enjoy the journey

One of the benefits of adding nipples into play is that “it gives you something to focus on beyond penetration and goal-oriented sex,” says Dr. O’Reilly. Keeping that benefit afloat, however, requires you to avoid shifting the goal to orgasm during nipple play.  

Generally, performance pressure can lead to a cocktail of libido-cancelling cortisol, as well as cause your whole body to tighten up. The rub is that when your muscles tense, blood does not flow as freely to your erogenous zones (including your nipples), which is an essential ingredient in arousal. 

So, letting go of expectations by “exploring very slowly, paying attention to how your body responds, and experimenting with various types of touch,” she adds. 

2. Experiment with pressure

“Some folks are wildly responsive to a light flick or while others prefer firmer pressure,” Dr. O’Reilly explains. Similarly, some people need pressure at first because they find fluttering sensations too ticklish when the chest hasn’t gotten accustomed to touch, while others enjoy increasing the pressure slowly throughout play. Your move: Explore it all!

“You can use the backs of your fingers or something soft like a makeup brush or feather for very light sensations,” Dr. O'Reilly says. For more intensity, you can use your whole hand to squeeze, pinch two fingers together, or knead the surrounding area with your palm, knuckles, and more. “Even rhythmic tugging might feel good,” she adds.

If you have nipple piercings, you could experiment with the sensation of pain by pulling on them, Dr. Spann notes. A Wartenburg wheel, paddle, or flogger can also help you skirt the line between pleasure and pain. 

When you find something you like, stick with it. Or, direct your partner to do so with an encouraging “keep doing exactly that” or “that feels good, stay there." If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even start with different intensities on each side. Woah. 

3. Repurpose your vibrator 

“Vibes can take your pleasure to the next level across the entire body,” Dr. O’Reilly says. So, shuffle through your bedside collection and incorporate your go-to buzzy addition.

Bullet vibrators are a versatile selection; most have a pinpointed tip to trace around the nipples as well as a long edge you can roll across the surface, she adds. Meanwhile, wand vibrators have an extended handle for easier reach and a larger motor, which can deliver rumbly vibration that can travel deep into the erectile tissue for an all-encompassing pleasure.  

4. Get mouthy

If you’re exploring with a partner(s), invite them to “lick around your areola, suck gently, or flick with their tongue,” Dr. O’Reilly suggests. The heat of the mouth combined with the physical sensation can be orgasmic (literally). 

5. Utilize lube

One benefit of starting with oral-nipple stimulation is that any left-behind saliva will reduce the unwanted friction of skin-on-skin, which Wright says can feel overstimulating, agitating, and even lead to nipple chafing. (Runners know the pain.) The problem? Spit dries out faster than you can say ‘nipplegasm’. Enter: Store-bought lubrication.

“Using a good bit of lube can reduce friction and make touch feel smoother,” she says. Both coconut oil and an oil-based lubricant are ultra-long-lasting and safe to use with toys of all materials. However, because oil can degrade condoms, if you’re using a latex barrier, it’s easier to use a water-based lube than stress about transfer. 

6. Slide in a sucker

Who said you need another human being to have your silver dollars sucked on? Air suction toys—aka clit suckers—put the sucking power of a mouth into the palm of your hand. Any toy you already own with this capability will work wonders, particularly if used with a tingle-inducing arousal serum or breast oil. 

If you’re open to dropping dough on one of these versatile toys, Dr. O’Reilly suggests one from Womanizer, the first company to patent pleasure air technology. “The Enhance is probably the gold-standard option, as it combines vibes and air to create a unique sensation that can range from sensual to intense and everything in between,” she says. The We-Vibe Melt 2 and Satisfyer Pro 2 are also good because they have larger nozzles than competitor picks, which will cover a larger surface area of the nerve-dense nipples. 

7. Try a nipple toy

If you want to go all in on nipple play, you can get a toy made specifically for the area. (FYI: Most are surprisingly affordable.)

“Nipple clamps can be great for folks who like a little pressure,” Wright says. Often shaped like clothespins, this category of nipple toys is designed to attach to the nipples and apply consistent pressure, she explains. Once released, blood rushes to the area in a way that can feel nipplegasmic. She suggests beginners start with a pair with silicone tips, which offers a more diffuse sensation than harder materials. 

There’s a toy type called nipple suckers, which look vaguely like clown noses, that use air pressure to draw blood into nipples to increase sensation, Dr. O’Reilly explains. We like the Lovehoney Perfect Pair Silicone Nipple Suckers ($15). There are also nipple pumps (like Babeland's Temptasia, $40) that aren’t used to facilitate lactation, but rather to vacuum air to the area, much like a mouth giving a hickey. 

8. Incorporate temperature

Ever pucker in response to a beach breeze or wintery gust? Well, Dr. O’Reilly says you can use that temperature responsiveness to your benefit in the bedroom. Skating an ice cube over your chest or slicking yourself with a warming lube can seriously turn up the heat, she says. Even better? “Alternate between the two different temperatures,” she adds. 

9. Mix in multiple hot spots

Your pleasure path shouldn’t start with nipple one and end with nipple two; rather, it can go on and on and on, even as you touch other hot spots. “Nipples are linked to the same pleasure centers in the brain as the genitals, so playing with them while enjoying additional forms of touch (manual, oral, penetrative, etc.) can create a sort of echo chamber of sensation,” Dr. O’Reilly explains. During solo play, a hands-free nipple toy (like clamps) can free up your hands for touch elsewhere. 

10. Continue sexploring! 

Just as some days you crave crunch while others you hunger for sweet, some days you’ll want one type of nipple stimulation and on others you’ll want another (or none at all). “It is common for your nipples to be more sensitive or responsive some days than others, because the body responds differently depending on your cycle, mood, arousal level, and more,” Wright notes. 

That doesn’t mean you need to grit your teeth and keep trying clamps if you find the sensation more ouch than oooh. But it does mean that continued exploration can yield promising results—and that you shouldn’t get discouraged if one kind of nipple stimulation winds up not being your jam.  

The bottom line

Heeding about the pleasure potential of the nipples can be a helpful reminder that your body’s erogenous zones go beyond your bits and bum. And that's facts, whether the journey results in a full-blown nipple orgasm, plain ‘ole pleasure, or more information about your (dis)likes.