Recap: MBS Sunday Brunch for Feb 3

I suppose it’s oddly appropriate that we are talking about bruises on Super Bowl Sunday. Here are your thoughts on the subject.

JMRPT:We try to avoid marks and bruises most of the time. If the marks last more than 24 hours, then we think we got it a bit wrong.

Sometimes we do play really hard, but we always discuss the consequences of this before we start.

We did postpone a trip to the nude spa recently because my bottom was still marked.

Arnica cream does seem to help, but recently I found an article that says it makes no difference. But I still think it works, perhaps on a psychological level, which also helps the physical level. And I like MP rubbing on my sore bottom!

Todd and Suzy: Suzy rarely ever bruises. Her bottom gets really red, really fast. But then almost as fast, it fades. So marking isn't much of a concern. When a bruise does happen, we don't have any problem with it. If you're going to whack bare skin with a wooden paddle (for example), the possibility of bruising comes with the territory.

We don't try to treat a bruise. Suzy usually gets ice on her bottom after a really hard spanking, and then some lotion. That probably helps with bruising, but that's not why we do it.

The only time we change plans is when there is a doctor’s appointment coming up. That said, Suzy had a freshly spanked bottom with a small bruise when she had to go to the hospital with a kidney stone. The nurse didn't say a word.

Whenever we play with someone else, we do always ask how they feel about bruising. It's never been a problem. If it were, that would mean only light to moderate hand spanking.

Skellos: I try to avoid bruising when I play. With me, it's a bit of a style point. I've been into spanking long enough to know, for the most part, how to minimize bruising. I think a good warm up, along with the aforementioned arnica cream are both good tools to help people avoid a lot of bruising. Like many spanking enthusiasts, I love seeing a round red/pink bottom. That being said, I try to produce that without a lot of bruises!

Dave: I don't feel that I have been punished properly unless I have bruises. I like to look at them after the spanking to remind myself of how much punishment I was able to take. They remind me of my mistress's affection and the fact that she took the time to make those marks and to exert the energy required. I prefer bruising in that way to cutting type marks.

The best implement we have found so far is a length of automotive hose. The end curls a bit, so if she holds it with the curve so that the end hits my ass, it makes quite nice circular marks that last a few days and aren't too debilitating (although I usually have some muscle stiffness from other implements anyway).

Ofia: Yes, I've had bruising after a spanking. I don't mind the bruises. Sometimes I like them. Marks or muscle stiffness/soreness is a reminder of what happened. My bruises don't specifically get treated, but bruises usually happen with the harder spankings where I ask to have aloe applied.

He has changed an implement or not used an implement because of a bruise that occurred during a spanking and I think a spanking has been delayed because of lasting bruises.

I don't remember any plans being changed because of bruises/or marks, but that's probably more of a not yet. (Going to the pool, that kind of thing hasn't come up recently.)

Sabrina: I don't really mind for the most part, even more so in the winter. I also find that I bruise so much less now that I am getting spanked on a regular basis.

I can clearly remember a long while back, when I first met Dallas and we were in Hawaii. A few days in to the trip and I was most assuredly a mass of marks and bruises. We had just spent a morning ziplining over Kauai and came home to a massage couple who showed up to give us an open air massage. I'm sorry, but I just can't resist a massage. I tried to put it out of my mind and just know that the absolute wonderfulness of what was happening outweighed the marks/etc that my therapist must have seen.

He was cool and never said a word. I think if you are, other people will be as well. We are sometimes harder on ourselves than others are (sometimes).

And on regular days, it's still interesting to look back some mornings and say think, "Wow! I was really spanked last night."

Jessica: I had quite a bit of bruising when we first started. Now I don't bruise much (and it has only been a couple of weeks). Dan usually leaves any bruising on the sit spot where it can't really be seen. I don't mind some bruising. In fact, it seems weird to have a sore bottom and a just slightly pink hue or no marks at all the next day. When he uses the rod, there is often a little bit of bruising.

Lori: I don't think I could bruise now if I tried. That wasn't always the case though. I used to bruise a lot at first and that would really freak Joe out. He hated the bruises. We always used ice, but still I bruised. I don't avoid any implements now. Nor do I change plans because of marks. I just don't mark anymore and unfortunately, I don't have that wonderful day after feeling either. :(

Anon: I don't mind some marks on my arse, it's a nice reminder for later ;)

If you think you've gone overboard and are anxious to avoid bruising, you might try some arnica lotion from the health food store. I used it heavily when I broke my nose years ago. Immediately, I could see the bruising coming in and slathered it on. I imagine it would work well on the other end as well.

Mary: I do not bruise easily. Well, at least I thought so until we got a wooden paddle from Hanson’s Paddle Works. It is solid and it bruises every time. That was why I didn't want to use it on our recent trip. There was a public jacuzzi and sauna and I didn't want any bruises to show while in my swim suit. We did experiment and I still got the paddle, but it was over my skirt and only a couple of swats. This didn't bruise (of course, that was the trip where I was branded a wimp!). So maybe I wasn't spanked too hard.

When I am bruised, I don't do anything to treat them. I just enjoy the ouchie reminder for a couple of days and in about a week to two they fade completely.

Prefectdt: I do not get to play as often as I would like. The upside of that is that I have no recovery time issues.

I have always marked badly, so much so that the first time I play with a new top, they usually show concern over what’s happening at my tail end. In fact, they very often need reassurance that it looks far worse than it feels to get them to continue.

But I recover very quickly. If I play in the afternoon I am usually black and blue after the action, bright red by the evening, and totally unmarked by the following morning.

I wish the marking would last longer. After a good play, I can usually still feel the effects, when I sit down, up to five days afterwards even though the visual evidence is gone. It would be nice to have something to show for the fun that was had.

The exception to this is a well applied cane, but it does have to be used hard enough to cause one or two small bleeds to achieve what I desire, a few nice stripes that last three or four days.

DavidK: Mthc will get up after spanking play and head straight for the mirror to check for bruises. I think sometimes she is upset if there are none there.

S & D: Scarlet bottom, yes. Bruising, hopefully not. It is usually caused by using the wrong weapons or bad spanking technique. Canes, heavy straps, thick paddles are nearly certain to cause bruising, and allowing the spanking to stray off the meaty part of the bottom will do so also. If we use a cane, it is always across tight jeans or skirt. This stings like the devil, and leaves red stripes that should not develop into long lasting bruises. We do not think a bruised bottom is attractive, unlike one glowing like a scarlet tomato, which gives that wonderful hot burning smart beneath my skirt and a feeling that my bottom is balloon-like. This reminds me of my spanking, without making sitting a major problem. There should be no trace of the spanking after 48 hours. In fact, we know of one spankee who exacts revenge from her top if she is till marked two days later.

Paul: Mel bruised very easily at the beginning. During some early punishments, when she bruised, we used ice and Arnica. Mel didn't like me using palliative treatments, because like many spankees, she liked to feel her spankings. She loved going to sleep with a really hot butt.

Terpsichore: I am not really there yet in our journey to respond to the question. But I do admit I am a little afraid of bruising. Realistically, I also know I have pale skin and tend to bruise easily. Therefore, it is likely I will, at least in the beginning, if we start to use implements. I don't want my husband to be worried about my bruising as he already is concerned about hurting me. I want us to playfully explore and continue on this journey.

Tina: Hard spankings make me bruise. We stopped using some implements, like the belt, because they caused just too much bruising. We now use thin canes and whips. When applied hard and repeatedly, they still cause me to bruise heavily.

I wouldn’t mind. I like the reminder. But I have children, I like the sauna, and I sometimes need to see the doctor. Also, I am worried about long term damage.

Is it true, that bruising is mainly a "beginner´s problem"? I am wondering: Which implements cause the most pain and the least bruising?

Tina – It’s not exclusively a beginner’s problem, but many spankees find that their bottoms become more resilient with regular spankings. As for the ideal implement, I have no doubt we would get a wide variety of opinions were we to poll the readers. I suggest a light, flexible leather paddle.

Hermione: Like many others, I don't mind marks. In fact, I enjoy seeing the blue badges of courage. My husband doesn't feel the same way, but he generally avoids doing serious damage to my posterior. And while I bruise easily on other parts of my body, I rarely have more than a reddened bottom after play.

The last marks I received were from a belt that is seldom used. I was also in a slightly different position, so Ron'a aim was probably somewhat off. I ended up with a large vertical welt which I was quite proud of. By the next day, I had three triangular marks where the folded edge of the belt had bitten me. A day later, they had morphed into a huge purple bruise.

Aware of Ron's dislike of marks, I uncharacteristically hoped I wouldn't be the recipient of another spanking for a while, until the bruise faded. But the next time he bared my bottom the mark was still very obvious. To my relief, he gently placed his hand over the discoloured area, and then got on with the job at hand in a very satisfactory manner. It took three weeks for the area to return to normal, and no other implements have since caused any similar marks.

I do love the belt, and would hate to have to give it up, so I hope the marking was just an isolated incident. I'll have to drop a hint that it's time to give it another try.

Anon VII: I take considerable pride in NOT leaving marks except for red patches immediately after the event. After a stress-relief session with the paddle, there often are white spots in the middle of the red patches until the blood works its way back into the tissue. I fashioned my broadsword to make plenty of noise and leave a blistering sting, but not any lasting marks if I'm careful to apply it flat-on and avoid the edges. In addition, I take her over my lap after a hard paddling (the "grab-your-ankles" kind) and apply topical pain-killer and ice. As a result, marks that last more than 24 hours are very rare, and often there are none at all by the next morning. I dislike marks even more than she does.

PK: I rarely bruise, probably because Nick doesn't always spank as hard as I would like. While I am not going for bruises, I do not mind them at all. It is almost like a badge of honor. The first time I bruised was one of my most fondly remembered spankings. I guess it is really not the bruising I want as much as I want to be able to feel it the next day.

Snookie: I enjoy seeing the marks the next day. Unfortunately, I tend not to bruise visibly even though I sometimes experience tenderness the next day, which I like as it is a happy reminder.

Robin: Depending upon which implement and how much force, yes, I do sometimes bruise, particularly in the sit spot area.

I kind of like to see and feel the bruising. It's a tangible reminder the next day or so of what fun DH and I have had. However, DH can get a little freaked out when he sees marks starting to develop during the spanking (I’m not sure which implement it is, but it leaves almost welt like marks during use). Sometimes, he's bothered enough by it to stop the spanking, and that’s not necessarily what I want.

We don't deliberately use or not use an implement based on marking (or at least I am not aware of any such decision DH may be making).

So far haven't felt a need to change any plans. My first bruising was during our vacation last year and the possibility that someone else might notice while I was in my swimsuit truthfully never crossed my mind -- and DH didn't say anything either. I know that it's always possible that I may need to see the doctor, or have a massage appointment shortly after a spanking that has marked me. If so, I'll just have to deal with any questions that may arise.

I ultimately don't mind the bruises and often like to see them. As others have said, they're like a badge of courage or honor.

Bonnie: I am fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate in some sense) in that I seldom bruise. It’s not that Randy doesn’t know how to make it happen (hard strokes with a heavy wooden brush or paddle without a proper warm-up). However, marks for their own sake are not usually his goal.

I’ve certainly had bruises, but most fade within a couple of days. We don’t typically treat them in any special way, although I will admit a fondness for having cream rubbed on that portion of my anatomy.

I remember one trip to Florida where I spent a lot of time trying to stretch the seat of my bathing suit. The locker room at the gym is another potential trouble spot. I have altered my schedule and/or changing strategy based on the condition of my bottom.

As others have commented, it’s nice sometimes to be able to enjoy the aftereffects the following day.

Thanks to everyone who joined in our discussion. I hope to see you again next week!