mummyman321
Posts: 2102
Joined: 10/31/2005
From: Dusseldorf
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Mummification Risks, Myths, & Knowledge
I am writing this to hopefully share some information about mummification. Obviously for those who know me on the board it is a passion of mine. I am posting this because I have run into a lot of Dommes of late who feel mummification is not safe mainly due to their inexperience, misinformation or just not having the correct medical knowledge.
What I have written here is based on my own experiences, what I have learned, read and experienced. I have been in the BDSM lifestyle for over 20 years now and have been doing mummification for over 15 of those years. I have done mummification scenes lasting up to 36 hours.
I am not a doctor but I have acquired a lot of medical knowledge and training. I spent 3 years in physical therapy after an industrial accident. After physical therapy I went to college for Mechanical Engineering and took and interest in the Biomedical field. Through these experiences and my fetish for mummification I have learned a great deal about the human body and how it works. Below is a list of dangers that anyone doing Mummification should be aware of. It is not an all-inclusive list but it is a great start. Most are more of a concern if the mummification is to last more than an hour or two but still anyone performing mummification should be aware of these things.
Skin Suffocation:
Skin suffocation is a myth. This myth was really set into motion with the James Bond movie GoldFinger where the woman is found dead in the hotel room after being painted with gold paint over her entire body. Many people think if you are wrapped in plastic, your skin cannot breathe and you will die. This is not true. If the skin cannot release sweat and oils then a person can get sick and/or die for toxicity. But this will only happen if the pores in the skin become blocked and cannot release sweat and oil. Wearing rubber/latex or being wrapped in plastic or other materials will not block the pores and prevent sweat from being released.
Suffocation:
This is the biggest fear I hear about from both Dom/me's and subs alike. With the proper precautions this should not be a major concern. Mummification presents no more danger than a hood or a gag would for a sub. If you are performing a total encasement, make sure there are sufficient holes in the wrap for proper breathing. Breathing tubes for the mouth or for the nostrils may also be used to aid in breathing. Silicone or PVC vinyl tubing can be used for this purpose. Silicone is softer and will not irritate the skin and be found at most home medical supply stores.
While suffocation should not be a problem never leave your sub alone while hooded, gagged, or completely mummified (ie: the head is wrapped). Baby monitors are a good idea can be used if you have to leave the room for a moment or two. If you are doing a mummification longer than 2 to 3 hours, chances are you will need a bathroom break at the very least. Most people cannot hold their breaths longer than 30 seconds, so a 2-minute bathroom break is more than enough time for a person to get into serious trouble.
Heat Exhaustion:
This is probably the single biggest concern during mummification. The body heat becomes trapped and the body cannot cool itself fast enough, hence you sweat. For a short period of time this is fine for most people. But in doing extended mummifications lasting hours this is not okay. Some type of dialog must be set up with the sub in advance. Whether is be some type of signal, series of grunts, a head nod, hand signal. One option is to create a simple set of questions before you play that only require a yes/no answer. That way a sub can reply with one or two grunts for yes and no or whatever type of signal you prefer.
If the person becomes overheated, a fan can be used to cool the body down quickly. A fan blowing directly on a mummified body will cool it down fairly quickly. To cool the person down even faster, wipe the wrap with a wet dishtowel and use a fan to blow over the body. A more long-term measure would be to adjust the room temperature via heating or air conditioning depending on the time of year and the temperature in the room. Here again, everyone if different, so there is no "one" temperature that is good for everyone. You will have to learn what temperature best suits your sub.
Hypothermia:
I know this sounds strange but it is true and can happen. This is more of a concern during extended mummifications. During initial mummification, most people become warm or hot. And many other activities are combined with mummification such as CB&T, nipple torment, erotic teasing/torture to name a few. In all this excitement the body becomes warm and begins to sweat in order to cool the body down. Now if the person is left to meditate after the play
is done is when Hypothermia can set in. You now have a sub who is soaking wet from sweat and no way to dry off. The sweat cannot evaporate due to the wrapping. Now the sweat will act as a heat conductor and continue to carry heat away from the body. If the room temperature is cool the sub can lose heat quickly. If the person is to be left mummified for hours, covering him/her with a thin blanket or sheet may be necessary. Every person is different, so you will have to know your sub or have a good dialog set up to determine if your sub is okay.
Dehydration:
A person can lose a lot of water depending on their body, room temperature, and type of mummification and how much they sweat. Everyone is different. If you are planning on keeping a person mummified for more than a couple of hours you need to be able to give them water if necessary. I have lost up to 6 lbs, all water of course, while mummified in plastic wrap and duct tape. Dehydration can be very serious and should not be taken lightly. Denying a person water during mummification should never be used as a torture method. The kidneys, the bladder as well as other major body functions will begin to shut down in severe cases of dehydration.
Allergies:
Be aware of any sinus allergies your sub may have. Allergies can cause increased mucus discharge causing the nasal passages to restrict or completely close causing breathing problems/difficulties. More severe allergies can lead the asthmatic attacks. If your sub is bothered by Rhinitis, pollen, animal dander, dust mites, grasses, cigarette smoke or other allergies, be aware and always check for difficulty in breathing. Tilting the head up slightly, if the person is mummified in the horizontal position, will help his/her sinuses to drain. Leaving the face unwrapped is always an option.
No matter how clean your house or facility is, you simply cannot eliminate all sources of allergens unless you have a Class I clean room. Dust mites are in every house/building. If you have animals, pet dander is present no matter how many baths you give your animal and how many times your run the sweeper. High efficiency filters in furnaces does reduce but does not eliminate pollen and other airborne allergens.
Blood Circulation:
Caution should be taken when wrapping a person whether it is in rubber, saran wrap, tape or other material not to cut off blood circulation. The arms, hands and feet tend to be areas most effected but can happen to any area of the body if wrapped too tightly. One option is not to pull the wrap tight, but to apply more layers. As more layers are added, movement becomes more and more restricted. Another thing to consider is body position. Natural body positions are better to prevent cutoff circulation and muscle cramps as well. This is something you will have to play with and will vary from person to person on what they can tolerate.
I know this is a long article but I hope some find it informative. Mummification play can be intensely fun for those who enjoy such play. Feel free to ask me questions on here or via email if you need more information. I simply want you to be well informed.
steve
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Life - Its not about where you are but about the journey to get there - I prefer to choose the road less traveled
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