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What is Edging? A Guide to Orgasm Control

12 min read
What is Edging? A Guide to Orgasm Control

Edging also known as orgasm control involves experiencing sexual pleasure until getting close to climax and withdrawing stimulation to prevent orgasm. You might be wondering why anyone would want to stop themselves from experiencing such an amazing feeling, but there are a few reasons.

While the male orgasm does feel great, unfortunately, it’s relatively short-lived. To make matters worse, once the orgasm is over men can’t maintain an erection and no longer feel sexually aroused. This is due to what’s known as the refractory period, a post-orgasm cool-down which means it can take men hours or even days to become aroused again.

TLDR Summary

  • Edging, or orgasm control, is the practice of nearing climax and then stopping stimulation to prevent orgasm.
  • The technique offers benefits like combating premature ejaculation, intensifying orgasms, and prolonging sexual sessions.
  • Edging can be practiced during masturbation, with a partner, or using sex toys.
  • Various techniques include the start-stop method, ballooning, and squeezing.
  • Prolonged edging can lead to risks like delayed ejaculation, Epididymal hypertension (blue balls), and penile damage.
  • Safety is crucial; stop if there's discomfort and consult a doctor if any lasting pain or damage is suspected.
  • Common misconceptions: Edging doesn't increase penis girth but can lead to pregnancy if done intravaginally and timing is off.


By learning the edging technique men can get more control over their sex life. Being able to choose when to climax can help overcome issues such as premature ejaculation (PE), a condition that prevents men from enjoying sex due to early ejaculation. Choosing to defer an orgasm can result in even greater pleasure when it finally gets released. This article explores edging and brings you everything you need to know about controlling orgasms.

What is Edging?

Edging is a technique in which an individual builds towards an orgasm and withdraws stimulation just before the point of climax. The idea of edging is to give men more control over when they release their orgasm (and subsequently ejaculate) as well as allow them to achieve exceptional delayed orgasms. Edging can be done during masturbation, foreplay, or sex with a partner and even when using sex toys.

Why do people do Edging? Main benefits

Edging has multiple use cases and offers a series of benefits to those who use the technique. These range from helping with ejaculation issues to achieving better orgasms. We’ve highlighted some of the main benefits of edging below.

Diagram of the Main Benefits of Edging

Preventing Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is one of the most common sexual dysfunctions in men. It involves them being unable to enjoy sexual activity due to climaxing too soon. This condition can have an impact on a man’s sex life, relationships, and even self-esteem.

Edging has been identified as a treatment for premature ejaculation, and may increase the amount of time individuals are able to last in bed. The accessibility and simplicity of the technique make it an easy option to turn to for men with early ejaculation issues.

Intense Orgasms

When a man achieves an orgasm, they release all of the sexual tension and pressure built up during arousal. Once they master edging, they experience long periods of stimulation repeatedly before stopping themselves from reaching climax.

When someone finally releases an orgasm that’s been achieved by edging, the feeling experienced during climax can be far more intense and is known as a delayed orgasm.

The intensity of the orgasm makes edging a popular option for men during masturbation.

Prolonging Sex

Not all men have ejaculation issues, but plenty wishes they could make sex last longer. This isn’t just for their own benefit, but also for their partner's enjoyment. Some men can’t match the high sex drive of their partner and edging is a tool that can help with this.

When men use edging to prevent an orgasm from taking place, they can have long sexual encounters without reaching a climax. For men with partners who like to have sex multiple times in short timeframes, edging can be used to prevent recovery times between sessions.

The Sexual Response Cycle

The sexual response cycle is a model outlining the events which take place during sexual arousal. Edging can impact many stages of the sexual response cycle, and we’ve explained the effect it has on each stage below.

Diagram of the Sexual Response Cycle

Desire

The first stage refers to the physiological reaction that takes when a person starts to feel sexually aroused. The individual may find themselves breathing heavily, having an elevated heart rate, and feeling a rush of blood to the genital area, with an erection beginning to form (sometimes even fully forming).

Edging can start at this stage, with the penis being increasingly susceptible to stimulation as the person gets more and more aroused.

Arousal

Once in the arousal stage, men are likely to experience many of the same sensations from the desire phase only heightened. Breathing frequency and heart rate can continue to increase and a fully formed erection is now present.

Additional muscle activation and even spasms may become apparent. The edging technique utilizes the arousal stage by prolonging it for as long as possible before moving on to the next part of the cycle.

Orgasm

This is the pinnacle of sexual arousal, where the male orgasm is released and subsequent ejaculation (a sudden expulsion of semen) often coincides. It’s important to note that male orgasm and ejaculation are completely separate physiological functions. When this stage occurs during edging, a repeated cycle of severe arousal before withdrawing stimulation has finished.

The previous build-up of sexual pleasure and pressure has been released by choice and the individual is able to achieve an intense delayed orgasm.

Resolution

The resolution stage also referred to as the refractory period, is the timeframe in which a man recovers from the pleasure of orgasm. During this period, they will be unable to become sexually aroused again. This stage can be considered a negative, especially for men who ejaculate early and can’t continue pleasing their partner.

It can hours and even days before the resolution phase passes and generally increases as men get older. Men who’ve mastered edging have reached this stage by choice and are likely to be feeling satisfied.

How to get started with Edging

If you’re interested in gaining more control over your orgasms, edging is a great way to achieve this. In this section, we explore how to get started with edging and how to use the technique in different situations

Diagram on How to Get Started With Edging

Edging with masturbation

Experimenting with edging during masturbation is an excellent way to get a feel for orgasm control using the technique. When edging, an individual can stimulate themselves the same way they would when masturbating regularly.

The key difference between edging and conventional masturbation is withdrawing stimulation in time to prevent climax taking place.

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Edging with your couple

Edging can also be introduced during sexual intimacy with a partner. You can edge as a couple during foreplay as well as when you’re having sex. Practicing edging during masturbation will help you get a feel for it before introducing the technique to your partner.

Communication is key when edging with a partner, as they may become frustrated if they don’t know why you’re regularly withdrawing stimulation. It’s also important to be considerate of the build-up to your partner's climax, which will help you learn when and when not to stop stimulating them.

Edging with sex toys

Using sex toys is a great way to practice edging. Due to the lifelike feel of many sex toys, they can be used effectively to bridge the gap between edging during masturbation and doing so with a partner. Fleshlights are an excellent example of a sex toy that men can use for edging.

As with normal sex, when nearing orgasm remove the penis from the Fleshlight in time to prevent an orgasm taking place.

RECOMMENDED READING

How to Find the Right Edging Tool for You

Best Edging Techniques for Men

Although the concept of edging itself seems fairly simple, it can be carried out using a few different techniques. Some of the most popular ways to edge have been highlighted below.

Diagram of the Best Edging Techniques for Men

Start-stop Technique (The Main Edging Technique)

The start-stop method is the most common form of edging and as the name suggests, it involves starting stimulation and stopping before reaching your climax. The start-stop technique can be broken down into the following steps:

1. Starting stimulation

    This involves either pleasuring yourself through stroking the penis during masturbation, or penetrative sex with a partner. This step can be carried out until the climax is near before moving on to the second step.

    2. Stopping stimulation

      Stopping stimulation is perhaps the most important part of the process, as refraining from orgasm allows you to revisit step 1. The individual is required to stop stroking their penis if masturbating, or withdraw it from penetration when having sex, allowing time for the penis's sensitivity to reset.

      3. Orgasm

        When the individual is ready to achieve climax, they can perform step 1 until coming close to orgasm and allow it to be released. By doing so, they will be able to achieve a highly pleasurable delayed orgasm.

        Ballooning

        Ballooning is considered an advanced edging technique, with stimulation done by avoiding the most sensitive part of the penis. Instead, arousal is achieved by targeting less sensitive areas such as the base of the shaft and the perineum (the skin between the testicles and anus). Ballooning can be done with Kegel exercises and is achieved by:

        1. Identifying the most sensitive part of the penis

          Men need to find the most sensitive part of the penis and can identify this as an area to avoid during stimulation. This is sometimes known as the magic spot and is usually the skin under the head called the frenulum.

          2. Identifying less sensitive areas to stimulate

          It’s important to identify the areas which also offer arousal but aren’t too sensitive. These will be used for arousal in place of the magic spot. Some of the pleasurable but less sensitive areas which can be used for stimulation include the perineum, testicles, and base/sides of the penis.

          3. Work towards orgasm and stop before

            Similar to the start-stop technique, individuals can build up towards an orgasm and withdraw stimulation before reaching climax. This may take more time than traditional edging due to the reduced sensitivity of the target areas. Reverse Kegel exercises can help prevent orgasm, which relaxes the pelvic floor muscles. This involves pushing the pelvic muscles by imitating the feeling of forcing urine out.

            4. Orgasm

              By this point, as the name suggests, the penis is likely to have assumed a swollen balloon-like appearance. As with the start-stop technique the individual will experience an extremely pleasurable delayed orgasm once they finish ballooning.

              Squeezing

              Squeezing is an edging technique that’s familiar to the start-stop method. Instead of preventing orgasm by removing stimulation, the tip of the penis is squeezed to defer climax. This type of edging is riskier than start-stop edging, with the potential to cause pain or even damage the penis if it’s squeezed too hard. Squeezing can be done using the steps below:

              1. Stimulation

                As with conventional edging, stimulation is done by stroking the penis during masturbation or through foreplay and intercourse when done with a partner. This is done until the individual controlling their orgasm gets close to the climax.

                2. Squeezing the tip of the penis

                  Men can prolong their climax by squeezing the tip of the penis as their orgasm is near. Due to the squeezing action, there’s a risk of damage to the penis if it’s squeezed too hard. It’s a good idea to practice during masturbation to get a feel for the pressure that’s required. If you feel pain during squeezing stop immediately and consult a doctor if you think you’ve caused lasting damage.

                  3. Orgasm

                    When the time comes to release the orgasm, the individual will be able to follow step one and refrain from squeezing as the climax approaches. As with conventional edging, they will be likely to experience a highly pleasurable delayed orgasm.

                    Safety measures when practicing Edging

                    Edging is a fairly simple concept, which is one of its main benefits. Once one understands the basics, anyone can try it and incorporate it as part of masturbation or when being intimate with a partner.

                    Edging is a fairly simple concept, which is one of its main benefits.

                    Before doing so, it’s important to consider safe practices in order to make sure you don’t experience any pain or damage to your penis. This section explores some of the possible risks of edging and tips for doing it safely.

                    Delayed Ejaculation

                    Delayed ejaculation refers to a condition in which men have the inability, or find it difficult to reach their climax. This can lead to frustration for them, as well as their partner as sex can feel like a chore.

                    Delayed ejaculation can mean long sessions, sore genitals, and even erections being lost without the male orgasm taking place.

                    Repeated periods of stimulation and withdrawal during sex may lead to men experiencing difficulty climaxing. More advanced edging techniques could lead to reduced sensitivity of the tip of the penis if done incorrectly, which may lead to long-term delayed ejaculation.

                    Epididymal hypertension (Blue balls)

                    Although the phrase “blue balls” is frequently used in a joking manner, when men experience sustained periods of arousal without achieving an orgasm, they can get what’s medically known as Epididymal hypertension.

                    The symptoms of this include the feeling of aching in the testicles, which can cause moderate discomfort and even slight pain. The good news is that blue balls is considered harmless and the symptoms of the condition usually pass. In the context of edging, blue balls could occur if you are subject to long periods of starting and stopping stimulation without allowing yourself to achieve an orgasm.

                    Penile Damage

                    With the penis being so sensitive, it can be susceptible to damage. Edging is a technique that allows men to prolong sexual activity for periods that they may never have been capable of before. As a result of this, men may find their penises feeling sore after long sessions of masturbation or sex.

                    If you feel pain or soreness, it’s important to stop right away. Squeezing may lead to penile damage, especially if the tip of the penis is squeezed too hard. Take a cautious approach when squeezing and be especially careful if a partner is involved.

                    If you feel that you may have caused long-lasting damage to your penis through edging, be sure to see your doctor.

                    When to see a Doctor

                    If you believe that your penis is damaged as a result of edging, or for any other reason you should consult a doctor right away. Some symptoms associated with edging such as Epididymal Hypertension will pass without medical attention. However, where health is concerned, you’re always better safe than sorry.

                    The idea of showing a doctor their genitals may make some men feel uncomfortable. However, it’s vital to overcome this feeling. Getting medical treatment could be the difference between resolving the issue or having it develop into a life-changing condition.

                    Edging FAQs

                    As useful as edging can be, there are some misconceptions and confusion surrounding the technique. We’ve answered some of the frequently asked edging questions below.

                    Can edging increase the girth of your penis?

                    No, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that edging can increase the girth of an individual’s penis.

                    Can you get someone pregnant while practicing edging with your partner?

                    Yes, edging can result in pregnancy, especially when done intravaginally. As with traditional sex, edging typically results in the male orgasm and subsequent ejaculation. Edging relies heavily on timing and if the withdrawal of stimulation is missed when intravaginally edging, ejaculation can occur during penetration.

                    Can edging increase PSA levels?

                    Yes, edging can increase PSA levels providing ejaculation takes place. A study showed that serum PSA concentration increased in 87% of subjects after they ejaculated. General medical guidance often recommends avoiding sexual activity or ejaculation for up to 48 hours prior to getting a PSA test.

                    Does edging increase your chances of prostate cancer?

                    Although there’s limited research into the impact of edging on a person’s chances of prostate cancer, ejaculation is an area that has been explored. Research suggests that men who ejaculate frequently are less likely to get prostate cancer. So, men who use edging to have frequent sex without ejaculating may find that releasing their orgasm more often has a positive long-term effect.

                    Does edging mess with semen retention?

                    Semen retention aims to avoid ejaculation. If someone masters edging before starting semen retention, there’s a chance they’ll be able to edge successfully while retaining their semen. However, an individual learning to edge whilst trying to retain semen may find that they accidentally ejaculate.

                    Does edging increase libido?

                    There is very little research into the impact of edging on libido. However, edging can make individuals feel more sexually aroused due to a repeated build-up of sexual pressure and tension. When the time comes to release an orgasm, they may feel more aroused than they do when having conventional sex and experience an incredibly delayed orgasm

                    How to Find the Right Edging Tool for You

                    Summary

                    Edging is a technique that involves getting close to the climax and withdrawing stimulation before reaching orgasm. It can be used for making sex last longer and achieving more intense orgasms.

                    Edging is a popular method with various uses including treating premature ejaculation and matching a partner’s high sex drive.

                    There are multiple edging variations including start-stop, ballooning, and squeezing. Before an individual starts edging, it’s important to consider the risks involved such as delayed ejaculation, blue balls, and potential penile damage. If you believe your penis requires medical attention as a result of edging or for any other reason consult a medical professional immediately.

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