How confident are you in your masturbating technique? Are you getting everything you want out of solo sex? Perhaps your sex education didn’t include how to masturbate for girls and you want some ideas before you dive in. Maybe you’re just looking for a few ideas and tricks to complement your existing masturbation routine. Whatever your reason for finding us, we’re glad you did!
Our female masturbation guide aims to give you a comprehensive and detailed overview of everything you need to either get started (if you’re new) or level up (if you’re an old hand looking for new ways to get off). There is no ‘right’ time to begin masturbating, and certainly not a ‘correct’ way to actually do it. Though sex education might have covered how to masturbate for girls, for many of us a combination of lack of education and societal stigma surrounding female pleasure means we don’t get detailed information on masturbating technique unless we seek it out. It’s so important to explore and value our own pleasure, not least because that knowledge can empower you to get more pleasure from all the different kinds of sex you might be having—whether solo sex or sex with a partner. The following female masturbation guide will give you a breakdown of all you need to know, including the anatomy of vaginas and vulvas, different kinds of stimulation, the best masturbation techniques for women, a wide array of different sex toys, how to experience multiple orgasms/squirting and so much more.
A note on gender and genitals
Not everyone with a vulva is a woman, and not all women have vulvas. There are many trans women who may be interested in learning new masturbation techniques, and whether they have a penis or a neo vulva (i.e. a vulva that is created via surgery), there are many ways for them to enjoy their bodies that will be represented in the female masturbation guide below. Some of the tips and techniques described in this masturbation guide for women are easy to replicate with a neo vulva, even though the initial section on ‘understanding your pussy’ may not be relevant to you, but for more detailed information that covers things such as dilation and how to begin masturbating with a neo vagina for the first time, you may want to seek out specific advice that is written by/for trans women and tailored to trans bodies in particular.
Likewise, trans men who have vulvas and vaginas may benefit from some of the techniques in this masturbation guide too (such as how to finger a vagina or information on multiple orgasms and different types of sex toy), but it is worth noting that as the guide is primarily aimed at cisgender women, some of the language may be triggering to you and you may not see yourself represented here. The aim here is not to put you off but rather to explain the scope of the guide (which is primarily written in response to search queries that focus on vaginal/clitoral masturbation guides for women) so that you can choose which bits you would like to engage with.
Understanding your pussy
Although it’s more than possible to masturbate without knowing all the science behind orgasm, understanding your own body can help you to make the most of all the different ways it can give you pleasure. Vagina masturbation, clitoral stimulation, G spot orgasms… there’s a lot to take in. And on top of that, other parts of your body such as the nipples, breasts and anus can all be incorporated to give you full-body pleasure if you don’t want to focus solely on vagina masturbation. No masturbation guide for women would be complete without an overview of what you’re working with. Let’s start with the vulva, which encompasses all of the external parts, and is usually what people focus on when they’re masturbating for the first time. Then we’ll move onto the vagina (the internal ‘tunnel’ that leads from your vulva to your cervix and uterus), which is the part usually penetrated—if penetration is something you enjoy.
Labia
The labia are the ‘lips’ of the vagina, and most people with vulvas have two sets of labia: internal and external. The external labia (labia majora) are the fleshy, plump lips that you can see between your legs that encompass all the other parts of your vulva, and they are usually also covered in pubic hair. The internal labia (labia minora) sit within the outer labia, and they usually begin at your clitoris and end somewhere around the entrance to your vagina. Labia minora can vary greatly from person to person—sometimes small and tucked inside the labia majora, other times much larger or longer. Labia minora are usually thinner than outer labia, and often more textured too, with wrinkles or frills. They come in a huge variety of different sizes and shapes.
During arousal, your labia might become thicker and engorged, as the body pumps blood to your crotch to prepare you for sexual activity. Thanks to this, and the collection of nerve endings in your labia, many people find it pleasurable to rub or stroke their labia as part of their masturbation technique—either as a warm-up or to complement other kinds of stimulation.
Clitoris
Previously it was estimated that the clitoris contained over 3,000 nerve endings, which is a huge number compared to other parts of the body. In recent years that number has been revised… upwards! Now it is understood that the clitoris is packed with around 10,000 nerve endings, making it the most sensitive part of your body by far, so it’s a key go-to target for female pleasure. Much like a penis, the clitoris has a glans or ‘head’, and this tends to be the most sensitive part to stimulate when you’re masturbating. If you are a trans woman with a neo vulva/clitoris, it is likely that the head of the penis was used in the construction of an external clitoris, as the two parts are very similar in pleasurable effect.
The visible part of the clitoris is the small nub that sits at the top of the vulva, just inside the labia and above the entrance to the vagina itself. This external clitoris, like a penis, can vary a lot in size and shape—some being smaller than a pea, others being longer and thicker.
However, there’s even more to the clitoris than this tiny visible portion: the whole clitoris actually extends deeper into the body, with lobes that sit behind the vaginal walls and even extend towards the anus. Some women report having anal or vaginal orgasms as a result of the internal parts of the clitoris being stimulated. As with all female pleasure, though, whether you are able to ‘get off’ in the same way as others will depend a lot on your own body—how everything is positioned inside you, and whether you enjoy it being touched/stimulated.
Clitoral hood
The clitoral hood is the small flap of skin that sits at the top of the vulva, where the labia minora—the internal labia – meet (just below where the labia majora/external labia meet). It functions similarly to a foreskin in that it helps to protect the delicate clitoris from friction or damage, and it may also start to retract during arousal, as the clitoris itself swells—thickening and lengthening—as it becomes engorged with blood. That’s right: much like a penis, the clitoris does become thicker and larger during arousal.
The clitoral hood helps to protect the clitoris, and during masturbation you may find that touching the clitoris directly gives too intense a sensation. You may want to warm up a little before giving direct stimulation to the clitoris, either waiting for the clitoral hood to retract naturally or masturbating through/over the clitoral hood to avoid direct contact with the clitoris itself. The best masturbating technique for you will depend on many things such as your overall sensitivity, the size/shape of your clitoris, and whether you’re using any sex toys. Some people find that the best women’s masturbation techniques involve direct manual stimulation of the clitoris with wet fingertips, but stimulation with a vibrator is too intense to be pleasurable. Experiment with different types of touch to work out which is best for you.
Vagina
The vagina is the hole itself—situated just below the urethral opening (which in turn sits below the clitoris) and above the anus (if you’re looking at a medical diagram of a vulva, or viewing one where the person is lying on their back). Many people find it pleasurable to insert things into the vagina—fingers, toys, penises during sex, etcetera. However, despite the common assumption that sex must involve some form of penetration, there are many people who find vaginal penetration undesirable or even downright painful. Conditions such as vaginismus can cause the muscles inside the vagina to tense so much that penetration of any kind is too painful to provide female pleasure. As with clitoral masturbation above, there is no ‘right’ way to enjoy vagina masturbation (and in fact you don’t need to do it at all if it doesn’t appeal).
For those who do, there are a number of masturbation toys for women which are shaped to stimulate different parts of the vagina: dildos of a variety of shapes and sizes (realistic ones as well as more abstract shapes) as well as other sex toys such as vibrating eggs. You can also incorporate fingering into your masturbation technique—more detail and information on how to finger a vagina is included in the sections below. If you do enjoy penetration, practicing a masturbation technique that incorporates penetration as well as clitoral stimulation could give you more powerful orgasms. Many women find that they experience very different orgasmic sensations from vagina masturbation as from clitoral, so it’s well worth experimenting with these things either in tandem or separately to see if you can also unlock a new type of orgasm.
The G spot
The G spot was named after Ernst Grafenburg, a gynaecologist who (among other things) invented the form of contraception that we now know as an IUD. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t ‘discover’ the G-spot, in fact there is record of discussion of an area of heightened sensitivity just inside the vaginal cavity that dates to long before Grafenburg was practising. It just so happens that his name was used by researchers who coined the term in the 80s.
The ‘G’ spot is less of a spot than a general location inside the vagina—roughly 5cm inside the vagina, on the front wall. So if you are looking to finger a vagina, inserting your fingers in to the second knuckle and curving them slightly forward should put you in contact with the G spot. It’s a slightly textured, spongy area—many of the best masturbation techniques for women involve either rubbing this area or putting pressure on it, for instance gently pulling forward or down with the tips of your fingers so as to stimulate it. There are also masturbation toys for women that are curved in such a way as to make it easier to stimulate the G-spot.
There will be more detail on the G-spot later in this masturbation guide for women, including ideas on how to expand your own masturbating technique in order to stimulate yours.
Female masturbation techniques
There is no such thing as a comprehensive list of the best masturbation techniques for women, simply because everyone will have different relationships with their own bodies and therefore different methods of female masturbation that work for them. Having said that, there are a few key things that are helpful to know when you start to explore your body, and hopefully this guided masturbation for women will get you off to a good start.
First and foremost: most people with vulvas use either clitoral masturbation, vagina masturbation or a combination of the two in order to achieve orgasm. To enhance female pleasure, stroking and touching other areas of the body (such as the nipples, perineum, breasts etc.) can also be worth a try, as well as penetration (of the mouth or anus) if that feels good to you too.
It usually helps to get wet before you start to touch yourself—this might mean using lube (more information on different lubes below and how to choose what’s right for you) or getting yourself aroused by watching porn (or listening to audio porn, or reading erotica) before you start to touch your clitoris or put fingers/a toy inside your vagina.
Clitoral stimulation
Rubbing the clitoris is often the first female masturbation technique people try: it is not uncommon to discover that the clit is a great source of nerve endings and pleasure while washing in the shower, for instance. Stimulating the clitoris with your fingers is the simplest way to get started, and many consider it to be among the best masturbation techniques for women. The clitoral hood may be covering the clitoris at the start of play, before retracting (much like a foreskin would on a penis when it becomes erect—the clitoris becomes erect in a similar way).
How do you achieve a clitoral orgasm through masturbation?
- Stroking over the clitoral hood will be less intense than rubbing the clitoris directly, and some people prefer to go for this rather than direct stimulation.
- Likewise, many people report greater sensitivity on one side of their clitoris or another, so try stroking it in different directions, or using small circles which skirt around the edge of the clitoral hood rather than touching it directly, and varying the pressure to see what works best for you.
- Alternatively, try making a ‘V’ shape with your fingers and running one down either side of the clitoris, along or between the labia.
Alongside fingers, there are other ways to stimulate the clitoris—masturbation toys for women such as bullet vibes can deliver greater intensity of sensation than your fingers. There are a range of different types of vibration (more detail below in the section on sex toys), but it is worth experimenting with both lighter, surface-level ‘buzzy’ vibrations (often found in small bullet vibes) as well as deeper ‘rumbly’ vibrations (of the kind you find in heavier wand toys) which travel down through the body and stimulate the internal clitoris too.
You might also like to experiment with temperature play as one of the key masturbation tricks for women—iced water (or fingers dipped in iced water) can feel pleasurably cooling on the clitoris, and alternating with warm water gives a range of temperature sensations to play with. Do not apply ice directly to the clitoris, but letting sex toys chill for a bit in cool or hot water allows you to experiment with different temperature ranges. Some sex shops also sell ‘cooling’ or ‘warming’ lube for this purpose: lubricants which contain ingredients designed to either warm the area they touch or cool it down.
Penetrative masturbation
First thing’s first: before we get started on how to finger a vagina, it’s important to mention lube. Generally for penetration the wetter you are the easier (and more pleasurable it is). Warming up by watching porn or focusing on a fantasy might get you wet enough for penetration, but not everyone’s body works in the same way and there are many different things which can affect your ability to get wet automatically—stress, tiredness, certain kinds of medication, hormonal fluctuations during your monthly cycle or menopause, etcetera. Because of this, most women’s masturbation techniques that focus on penetration will involve the use of some lube. Water-based lube tends to be the most common, as it is safe to use with most sex toys, but it is water-soluble which means if you’re planning on masturbating in the shower it may wash away too easily. Silicone lube is generally more slippery and ‘thicker’ in consistency than water-based lube, and it is also more likely to last during shower/bathtime play.
How do you touch yourself?
- Once you’re aroused and wet, begin by stimulating the entrance to your vagina—rubbing or teasing around the opening before you fully penetrate. This helps to spread the lube or your natural wetness around. If you feel too much friction or like the skin is being ‘pulled’, add more lube!
- You might then want to move on to an ‘in and out’ motion, dipping/sliding your fingers inside until you find the most pleasurable spot. Guided masturbation for women involves a lot of experimentation, building different types of sensation on top of others until you work out what’s best for you. Experiment with different numbers of fingers—some people prefer a thicker ‘girth’ of penetration and enjoy the feeling of being stretched, while others think less is more, everyone is different!
- If your masturbating technique is focused on the G-spot, try using a ‘come hither’ motion once your fingers are inside. This puts pressure on the G-spot and can help you to achieve a penetrative orgasm.
Other things you might want to try include different depths of penetration (deeper penetration can be achieved with dildos, for instance) and textures too (such as ribbed or bumpy dildos). You may also enjoy combined stimulation—rabbit vibrators (more on these below) deliver a combination of vaginal penetration and clitoral stimulation that can lead to powerful orgasms.
Be aware, though, that not everyone with a vagina is able to orgasm from penetration alone, and in fact it is more common for people to require clitoral stimulation at the same time. If you find it difficult to come like this, you’re not alone. It isn’t that you don’t know how to finger a vagina correctly, it’s probably just that your vagina needs complementary stimulation (for instance, clitoral rubbing or a bullet vibe used at the same time!).
How to masturbate with a vagina, tips for self-pleasure
The next section of this masturbation guide for women will take you through some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your solo playtime. Note that there is no one ‘correct’ way to enjoy female masturbation, so if you’re starting out it’s worth exploring a few of these to see which works best for you. If you’re experienced then you might just be looking for a few new masturbation tricks for women to try out. Either way, not only will variety help you get a more detailed picture of what you like and don’t like, that learning could come in handy for the next time you have sex with a partner as well.
Fingering
Fingering is a great way to begin because it doesn’t require any toys. Start by washing your hands (of course!) and warming yourself up a little—watching porn, rubbing the clitoris or labia, whatever works for you. As above, use lube if you need a little more moisture than your natural lubrication.
The key to understanding how to finger a vagina is varying your pace, the number of fingers inserted, the depth of insertion and the angle. All vaginas are different but a good way to begin is with a slow pace and fewer fingers inserted, then speeding up or adding more fingers as you become more aroused. No masturbation guide for women would be complete without mentioning that the vagina itself stretches and expands as you become more aroused, so if you want to insert more length or girth, spending a bit of time on the warm-up is key to make sure you can accommodate more fingers comfortably.
Dildos
When people think of the best masturbation toys for women, dildos are usually one of the first options that spring to mind. But there are many different types of dildo, so if you’re thinking of getting your first female masturbation toys, it’s worth spending a little time on a sex toy website to get a feel for the breadth of options and possibilities.
Realistic dildos are ones which aim to replicate a real human penis as closely as possible—they usually come in a variety of flesh tones, and can often be customised (i.e. you can select the length and girth you’d like, as well as what flesh tone you prefer). Sometimes these come with circumcised/uncircumcised options, or with the choice of testicles or no testicles. Non-realistic dildos are usually brightly coloured (or come in options for bright colours!) and made in shapes that are specifically designed to stimulate certain parts of the vagina, for instance dildos with a dramatic upward curve that aim to target the g-spot. These masturbation toys for women can also come in fantasy shapes (such as ‘dragon’ dicks!) or in the shape of household objects like cucumbers or even aubergines, and have a wider variety of textures (like ridges and bumps) than you’d get on a more realistic dildo.
The best female masturbators will be body safe – keep an eye out for body-safe silicone, glass or metal, and avoid ‘jelly’ toys as these are often made from chemicals that can break down inside the body. Not all dildos vibrate, although some of them do have vibrating bullets moulded into the shaft to give you an extra buzz when they’re inserted.
How to masturbate with a dildo?
The main way to get female pleasure from a dildo is to slide it in and out, which is why many people enjoy dildos that have a ridged or textured shape to provide stimulation to the vaginal walls. But while thrusting with a dildo is the most common way, you can also experiment with pressure in various directions such as tilting the dildo when its inside, so it presses against the g-spot rather than rubbing back and forth across it.
Vibrators
Vibrators come in an even greater array of shapes and sizes than dildos, and the only difference between a vibe and a dildo is that the former vibrates. It could be a compact bullet vibe around the size of a lipstick that you hold in your fingertips or a wearable ‘c-shaped’ vibrator that sits just inside the entrance to your vagina and curls out and round to stimulate your clitoris too, or a large wand-style vibrator (that looks a bit like a giant microphone) designed for external use. There has been so much innovation in female masturbation toys over the last few decades. See our sex toys guide for more.
Broadly though, here are the key things to consider when you’re browsing female masturbation toys and picking one that might work for you:
Practicality
- Do you need a toy that is waterproof for shower/bath use or just splashproof?
- Do you want one that’s rechargeable and if so, how? Most vibrators these days are rechargeable, but some of them—especially the more powerful wand-style toys—need to be plugged in for use.
- What material is it made out of?
Pleasure
- Where do you like your stimulation? If you’re a g-spot fiend, look for a vibrator with a curve in it and a motor that’s located in the end or body of the toy. If you prefer your female pleasure targeted to the clitoris, you might prefer a wand or bullet, or perhaps a rabbit vibrator that combines the two. Rabbit vibrators were considered the best female masturbator when sex toys started becoming mainstream—thanks to Sex and the City which profiled one of Ann Summers’ rabbit vibes and launched them into the public consciousness.
- It is also worth considering how you like to get off—are you looking for female masturbation toys that you can hold in your hands or would you prefer ones that you can sit on and grind to get off hands-free? There are also some masturbation toys for women which combine vibration with thrusting, so you can get a dildo which simultaneously vibrates against your g-spot and also thrusts in and out.
Functionality
- These days many of the more expensive masturbation toys for women come with ‘smart’ features—that means they can connect to an app and be controlled via your phone, either by you or even by a partner remotely over the internet. These features are especially worth considering if you’re in a long-distance relationship where you’d like to play remotely, or if you struggle to press buttons on a toy while you’re using it and you’d rather control it via your phone.
Eggs/Balls
Ben Wa balls are ball-shaped insertable toys usually connected by a thread or piece of silicone, and they’re designed to be inserted. Love eggs are similar though they are not joined, rather they’re egg-shaped toys that you insert and hold inside your vagina. These are often made of stone, although often the types of stone used to make them (jade, for instance) is not safe for insertion or long-term wear, so be careful when choosing female masturbation toys like this that the stone being used to make them is not porous. With Ben Wa balls, these should only be inserted if they’re made of body-safe material and the connection between them should be made from a material such as silicone, rather than something like string which is impossible to clean thoroughly and therefore can lead to infections such as bacterial vaginosis.
These products are often sold as equipment to help you strengthen your pelvic floor rather than as masturbation toys for women, but many people do find they get a pleasurable sensation from inserting love eggs or balls, and combined with clitoral stimulation these can help to enhance female pleasure. If you enjoy the sensation of balls/eggs inside your vagina, it may also be worth exploring remote or smart vibrating options, which can be turned on (or up, or down!) using a remote control or app on your phone once they’re inside you.
Clitoral stimulators
Alongside the tips above, clit play can be enhanced by a wide range of different female masturbation toys and masturbation techniques that are reflected in their diverse designs. Alongside bullet and wand vibrators, there are also clitoral stimulators that seek to replicate sucking sensations: using a combination of airflow, vibrations and carefully crafted suction cups that sit just over the external clitoris at the top of the labia. If you enjoy suction during oral sex, you may want to try out one of these. Similarly, if licking sounds tempting to you, there are also toys which simulate the licking motion of someone’s tongue—or a number of tongues, arranged in a wheel that laps repeatedly at the clitoris to help get you off.
Even vibrators vary greatly in how and where they vibrate: butterfly vibrators are designed to be ‘worn’ over the clit so the flat plate of the vibe presses against you and covers a broad surface area. Bullet vibes are small and tend to offer pinpoint stimulation. Finger vibes are much the same as bullets only with a strap that you can use to attach them to your finger, especially handy for those with arthritis or other manual dexterity issues that make it tricky to hold onto a vibe—especially during the throes of a powerful orgasm! Likewise, you can also get ride-on vibrators that can be used completely hands-free. Perfect for those who want to read an erotic book while they’re getting off, or who find it difficult to wield a smaller toy like a bullet vibe.
The best masturbation techniques for women will depend a lot on how you like your clitoral stimulation (if at all!), so as well as all these different designs, every clitoral vibe will usually have a range of intensities too—some people find it difficult to achieve orgasm with anything but the high settings while others prefer a lighter touch. It’s worth experimenting with these different ranges, as well as exploring some of the ‘pattern’ modes that most clitoral vibes come with: these usually alternate vibrations in various ways – long/short bursts of varying intensity, built into patterns designed to give you a fluctuating sensation.
Rabbit vibes
When the ‘Rampant Rabbit’—designed and manufactured by Ann Summers—first appeared in an episode of Sex and the City in 1998, it was hailed as the best female masturbator on the market. Since then, dozens of different rabbit vibes have been developed and offered to market, each attempting to outdo the others to become one of the best female masturbation toys. And although not everyone enjoys the dual-stimulation of a rabbit vibe, if you like clitoral stimulation and vaginal penetration at the same time, then this one may be for you.
A rabbit vibe broadly consists of a ‘shaft’—a dildo-shaped section designed to be inserted into the vagina—with a ‘rabbit’ attached to the bottom, designed to sit snugly against the external clit when the shaft is inserted. They’re called ‘rabbit vibes’ because the original Ann Summers Rampant Rabbit had a small model of a rabbit with ears that stimulated the clit, although today you’re more likely to find ‘rabbit vibes’ with abstract shapes for the clitoral stimulator rather than a rabbit specifically.
Often the shaft will be honed to provide stimulation too, perhaps with a vibrator embedded partway up it, or a collection of rotating beads buried inside the shaft at around the g-spot point, so that when the toy is turned on the beads rotate and put pressure against that sensitive spot. In a world that was more familiar with dildos and clit vibes, it’s hardly surprising that this toy which ticked both the ‘penetration’ and ‘clit stim’ boxes was hailed the best female masturbator when it broke into the mainstream!
These days rabbit vibrators are so standard that no masturbation guide for women would be complete without mentioning them, and almost every sex toy shop that sells toys for vagina owners will have one (or more likely a selection) of rabbit vibrators on offer. Some will include ‘smart’ features such as apps that can be used to control the toy, and others might have different types of motion, such as a thrusting shaft rather than rotating beads. Now that you’ve read this masturbation guide for women you might have a good idea of the kind of stimulation—and combination of action on a rabbit vibe—that will work best for you.
Reaching the next level
The basics of women’s masturbation techniques are covered above, but for those who want to try out extra things and take your solo playtime to the next level, here are a few of the best masturbation techniques for women that go a step further. Remember that masturbation is a journey of self-discovery and so what works well for one person may not work for you. Consider the following ideas (and, in fact, everything else in this guide!) as an exercise in guided masturbation for women where if it isn’t working for you, you can move on to the next step.
Finding your G spot
Finding your G spot is trickier with your fingers than with a sex toy, simply because it can be difficult to reach the right angle with your hands. However, if you’d like to try first with your fingers, it is best to start with one lubed-up finger. Insert into your vagina with the pad of your fingertip facing forwards (i.e. pressing against the front wall of your vagina). Push inside past the outside ring at the entrance to your vagina, and in to around the second knuckle. As everyone’s body is different, yours may be slightly higher or lower inside the vaginal canal, but most people’s G spot is around two inches inside. When you’re in, you should be able to feel a slightly different texture—ridged and spongy and more responsive to friction (if you rub gently) or pressure (if you give it a gentle tug).
If you enjoy the sensation of G spot stimulation, there are plenty of toys designed to help you achieve exactly that without having to angle your fingers/arm awkwardly. And in fact if you struggle to reach your G spot with your fingers (or you don’t like to put your fingers inside yourself—not everyone does!), sex toys can be a great way to get that stimulation. As mentioned in the female masturbation guide above, not everyone enjoys penetration when they’re masturbating, but it’s important to note that G spot stimulation can make a lot of difference to whether someone enjoys it or not. If you do, look for dildos that have a dramatic curve towards the front wall of the vagina. These are available in a variety of materials (silicone, glass, metal, ceramic, even wood—though check to make sure it’s covered in a body-safe coating). You can also get vibrators with a head that is angled to touch the front wall of the vagina, or with a vibe that is buried in the tip so as to give great G spot stimulation when its there.
Some people also find that G spot stimulation helps them to squirt during orgasm.
Squirting
Not everyone can squirt when they orgasm, but there are some masturbation tricks for women that make squirting more likely. ‘Squirting’ refers to the involuntary release of fluid during orgasm (or sometimes just stimulation). The fluid is usually clear, mostly odourless, and released from the Skene’s glands which are situated near the G spot. Sometimes a ‘squirt’ might consist of a teaspoon or so of liquid, other times it can be much more—this (as well as the texture of the liquid) varies from person to person.
There is some debate about whether female ejaculate is actually urine, however studies (and women’s experience!) have shown that there’s a qualitative difference between ejaculate and pee. If you’re worried about this, though, make sure to empty your bladder before you settle in to attempt squirting.
Squirting usually relies on two things happening simultaneously: intense stimulation (of whatever kind you find most pleasurable—by now hopefully you’ll have a good idea of what that is!) and pressure on the G spot, which can be achieves with female masturbation toys or with your fingers. If you achieve both of these things at the same time, you might get the feeling that you need to ‘release’ or let go. That release could result in squirting.
It’s important to note that although no guide to women’s masturbation techniques would be complete without discussion of squirting, not everyone can achieve it and indeed many people who manage to achieve it don’t find it pleasurable.
Multiple orgasms
One of the key differences between people with vulvas and people with penises is that those with vulvas are able to orgasm more than once in a short space of time—known as multiple orgasms. Usually an orgasm with a penis is followed by a ‘refractory period’—anywhere between minutes to hours—during which the person who has come needs to rest before getting ready for another.
This is one of the easiest masturbation tricks for women to attempt because all you need to do is continue stimulating yourself after you have come. Some will find that the clitoris becomes extremely sensitive immediately after orgasm, so you might want to change the kind of stimulation/sensation you’re focusing on for a short while in order to build up to multiple orgasms.
As with squirting above, remember that not everyone enjoys or is able to experience multiple orgasms, so if you find that you can’t, try not to put pressure on yourself to experience pleasure in a way that isn’t comfortable for you. As with everything else in this female masturbation guide, it’s supposed to be fun, not homework!
Anal play
Just as with vaginal play, there are many different types of anal play and not all of them involve penetration. Though you can add penetration to your masturbation routine using toys like butt plugs or slim dildos (with plenty of lubricant, of course!) you might also like to explore options for shallow play. Running lubed-up fingers around the anus, where there is a collection of nerve endings, can help to enhance your pleasure alongside other masturbating techniques. Likewise shallow penetration, such as inserting the tip of your finger or the tip of a sex toy just inside the anus, can give additional stimulation during clitoral or vagina masturbation.
Some people find that full anal penetration can be a huge turn-on too, with butt plugs making the vagina itself feel tighter and therefore increasing the intensity of vaginal penetration. For safety and hygiene reasons, make sure that you don’t swap toys round from the anus to the vagina without careful cleaning in between. Only body-safe (non-porous) toys should be used for penetration, but if you have sex toys made from non-porous materials such as glass, metal, and body-safe silicone, these should be safe to use anally too. When you’re selecting toys for anal play make sure that they all have a flared base. Unlike the vagina, which ends at the tight ring of the cervix, the anus extends all the way into the body and so any toy must always have an external part that is never inserted into the body, to allow for ease of removal.
You can find more information on all this in our guide on How To Have Anal Sex.
Other areas
We’ve covered the best women’s masturbation techniques focusing specifically on the genitals, but you might also want to include other erogenous zones into your play too. Nipples and breasts can also give a lot of pleasure, and nipples especially often respond well to stimulation such as pinching, touching, stroking and temperature play (if you’re using ice or chilled sex toys, as mentioned earlier in this masturbation guide for women, those can be applied to the nipples too for an extra tingle!). You might also like to try using vibrating toys on your nipples.
One of the most important things to remember about masturbation is that it’s all about making you feel sexy and helping you get the most from your body. To that end, don’t be shy to include other areas like buttocks, thighs, stomach and anywhere else you enjoy being stroked and touched. You don’t need an extra person to touch and stimulate those places, incorporate some women’s masturbation techniques that include stroking your whole body and enjoying everything it has to offer. This is made easier by hands-free sex toys such as wearable or ride-on vibrators, which leave both of your hands available for grabbing and touching!
Other sex toys designed for partnered play might work for you during masturbation too—gags, for instance, or rope. If you’re playing on your own, always make sure that you can escape self-bondage easily, but sometimes a rope tie around your thighs, chest or stomach can increase your pleasure while you’re masturbating. Likewise other kit such as pinwheels or e-stim (electro stimulation) can be incorporated into your women’s masturbation techniques.
Time for you
Now that you’ve got a thorough grounding in some of the most popular masturbation tricks for women, it’s time for the fun part: experimentation! Try to find some time when you know you won’t be disturbed, and give yourself the mental and physical space to explore some of the options in this female masturbation guide. Remember that masturbation is very personal and not everyone will respond to the same things, but hopefully you will by now have a good idea of which masturbation tricks for women might work for you.
You might want to give yourself a specific time and day—perhaps a quiet Sunday afternoon or a relaxed evening in—to spend exploring your body. Take a bath or shower first if you like, pamper yourself a little to get yourself in a sexy mood. You might like to dress up in underwear that makes you feel horny, or go completely naked if you prefer. Surround yourself with candles or lie/sit down facing a mirror so you can see as much of your sexy self as possible. Whatever works for you: solo sex doesn’t have to be rushed, it can be as romantic as sex with a partner if that is what makes you feel good.
Make sure you have everything you need close to hand: your sex toys if you’re using them (make sure they’re fully charged before you start!), any lube you might need, and a towel/cloth to wipe the lube away (few things in life are as frustrating as fumbling with the buttons on your vibe because they’re too slippery with lube!). Lock the door, put your phone on silent, and give yourself time and space to pleasure yourself.
Of all the masturbation tricks for women that are contained in this guide, perhaps the most important one is this: value yourself and your pleasure. Though everyone will experience masturbation differently, with some more focused on how to finger a vagina and others more interested in clitoral masturbation toys for women, knowing your own body and giving yourself the time, space and permission to explore it is a vital part of embracing and enjoying your own sexuality.