Simple question

[pman111]

Here is a simple question; I wonder if the answers will be simple.

Question #1: Why do the buttocks redden when they are smacked?

[sarah thorne]

Smacking the skin (buttocks or anywhere else on the body) puts pressure onto the tissue below the skin. When you put pressure on an area of tissue, you cut off the blood flow (in spanking, this would be momentary) to that area by physically collapsing the vessels which deprive that tissue of oxygen. In essence, when the 'pressure' is off, blood flows to the tissue (surface of the skin, obviously and red color) into the area, almost as if the tissue were blushing.

Keep smacking the bottom (continuing pressure) and you just cause more blood to flow to the tissue to supply it with oxygen, therefore creating more redness.

sarah

[pman111]

Gee, thanks Sarah, for taking away all the suspense....

OK Question 2: How long does it take for the endorphin response to kick in? What are the variables that control it?

[sarah thorne]

If the question is meant to be a joke, then say so. I thought your question was serious.

What do you take me for, a biology/physiology major?

[pman111]

Sarah,

That wasn't a joke at all, I was really interested and pleased to see you post a comprehensive answer. It's just that I thought we'd get more discussion before the answer - no worries.

I am interested in the endorphin kick-in, too. I'm wondering about how it relates to the length of the warmup spanking I give.

[emily]

i would think the endorphins would be different for everyone..

[aurora]

Sarah is right about the blood flow, coupled with the fact that the body naturally increases blood flow to just about any stimuli, and spanking is definately stimulating. Endorphins are a whole 'nother matter, though. There's no basic biological trigger to release them. We can't say, "if you spank her to this particular point, she'll drift into subspace." It just doesn't work that way. In fact, I would venture that the vast majority of spankings don't result in that big endorphin rush.

I know from my own personal perspective that I thought the endorphins were responsible for that calm sorta feeling I have after a spanking. I didn't know until I actually got that endorphin high for the first time last week what the real difference was.

It's just one more facet of our lifestyle that's part of the psychological game we play. EVERYTHING varies according to ourselves and our partners and how we interact. You've just got to find the right buttons to push with your partner if you're interested in that endorphin release.

[lil_babygirl]

Wow.. thanks for posting those answers sarah.. I was kinda wondering myself.. especially since for me.. I've never had the pleasure of reaching subspace.. but hopefully with the connection I'm growing with a Top that it will finally happen.

[RG_]

And just to add some irony to it all, folks, on the scale of how red a bottom gets and how long it lasts, sarah is probably on the very low end (pun intended) of the scale. The girl's bottom does get red, and it can, with effort, get quite red. But everything being equal, it's takes waaaaaaay more with her. I can wear this girl out, leave quite an impression, and a few minutes later ask how her bottom is. She'll skin her underwear down, and often there's hardly a hint that anything has happened! And we're not just talking hand spanking here. It holds true with everything from belts to heavy leather straps (like our quite substantial prison strap). Wooden paddles leave a bit more of an impression, but even with those, it's here today, gone tomorrow.

So another intersesting aspect of this discussion for me is what physical and physiological factors contribute to this great variation in response. Some girls will bruise with little more than mild spanking, and carry the marks for days or weeks. Others, like sarah, seem to be built like tanks. One of my favorite sayings for her is that she takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.

[kaylex]

who used to bruise horrifically and now after playing more regularly have very little marking beyond red. I must say I miss the marks.

Kaylex