Lubrication

Many guys like to masturbate with some kind of lubrication between their hand and penis, while others don't bother. One factor to consider is whether or not you're circumcised. If you were never circumcised, and therefore you have some extra skin on your penis to move up and down along the shaft, you can simply grab on firmly and pump away, rolling the sleeve of skin that covers your penis back and forth over the shaft. This will cause your "foreskin" (that's the skin that surrounds the penis head) to move back and forth across your penis head, producing a great feeling. However, even some uncircumcised guys prefer the feeling of a little lubrication between the penis head and the foreskin.

If you're circumcised, you can either "go dry" or "go wet." In the dry technique, you either grip firmly onto your penis and make the most of the mobility of the top layer of skin (most effective if the skin is somewhat loose), or you grip lightly and slide your fingers across the surface of your penis. The downside to this second option is your penis is more likely to get sore, and you can't enjoy the incredible feeling of a firm grip moving up and down the shaft. It also doesn't work very well in warm weather, when your perspiration increases friction. For this reason, many guys prefer to masturbate "wet" – they use lubrication.

One common form of lubrication is spit – it's cheap and always in supply. (Except, perhaps, when you start getting really excited and your mouth dries out!) But you may have to use quite a lot of it if you want really good lubrication, and some people just don't produce that much saliva. Another method is to masturbate in the shower or bathtub with soap or shampoo. While this can feel great at first, it has definite disadvantages. Depending on how harsh it is, shampoo or soap can irritate the skin when applied so vigorously and for so long to the skin – and this can dry out the skin severely, causing it to crack and peel for a few days. Also, soap can sting if it gets into the hole (the urethral opening) at the end of your penis. For these reasons JackinWorld does not recommend using soap or shampoo as a lube. Some kinds of hair conditioner, on the other hand, don't have these problems and feel just as good. Use carefully.

Alternatively, petroleum jelly (Vaseline) works, but it's greasy and tough to clean up. Plus, since it's so thick, Vaseline may not allow your hand to move as fast as you want. Baby oil works, but it too is messy to clean up and leaves stains. Hand lotion, like Vaseline Intensive Care, is popular and works well. It cleans up fairly easily, is plenty slippery, lasts long, and lets you go as fast as you want.

There's a whole industry of water-based "personal lubricants," some of which can be found in drugstores or supermarkets, usually near condoms or feminine-protection products. (The leading brand is Johnson & Johnson's K-Y Jelly.) These lubricants traditionally come in a form that looks like a tube of toothpaste – although liquid versions sold in small bottles are also becoming popular. Personal lubricants have just the right consistency for great masturbation at any grip or speed, and they clean up easily with a towel.

There is one problem with water-based lubricants: They dry out. If you masturbate for 20 minutes, you'll probably have to re-apply the lube several times, and over time the stuff starts to thicken up. If that happens, put a little spit on your penis, or dribble a few drops of water. That will wake the lube right up, and you'll be at it full-force again! If you really want to be efficient, make a mixture of water and lube and keep it by your bed. Whenever your hand starts to dry out, add some of the mixture. You can masturbate worry-free all night long with this technique! The trick, though, is to balance your concoction with just the right combination of water and lube. Too much water and the lube will start to wash away; two little and the lube ingredients will accumulate and get too thick.

Some of the more modern brands of personal lubricants are formulated to dry out slower. For masturbation, this has obvious benefits.

Have a question about lubrication? Go here.