Category: (Sado)Masochism
Subcategory: Types

Tattooing

Tattooing in BDSM contexts can include permanent traditional tattoos but also specialized temporary options. These alternatives include "scarification tattooing" (creating designs without ink that heal as raised scars), UV/blacklight reactive ink (nearly invisible in normal light), white ink on light skin (subtle visibility), henna or jagua (plant-based temporary stains lasting 1-4 weeks), or even "needle play" that mimics the tattooing process without inserting pigment.

The physical sensation remains similar to traditional tattooing—a sustained scratching or burning that continues throughout the procedure. Temporary options allow for the ritual aspects and endurance challenge without permanent commitment. These alternatives create varying degrees of visibility and duration, from the completely temporary to the permanent but discreet, giving partners the symbolic experience of marking within their comfort level for long-term visibility.

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This is a description of an activity in the BDSM checklist (also known as a 'kink list'). Want to discover what (more) kinks you might have? Maybe share them with a partner? Start the checklist!

About the category (Sado)Masochism

Sadomasochism involves the consensual exchange of sensation that many would find painful or intense in non-erotic contexts. This spectrum encompasses both the giving (sadism) and receiving (masochism) of such sensations, creating experiences where pain, intensity, and pleasure become interwoven through deliberate and controlled application.

People enjoy sadomasochistic activities for diverse reasons: the intense endorphin rush that creates natural highs, the intimate trust required between partners, the transformation of pain into pleasure through context and arousal, and the cathartic release many experience through intense sensation. Rather than being about suffering, well-executed SM play creates unique states of consciousness and connection that many practitioners find impossible to access through other means, offering profound physical and psychological experiences when practiced with skill and care.



All activities in the checklist: