Can vibrators make you less sensitive? Here’s what the research says

Can a vibrator make you less sensitive?

A recent Swedish television program recently raised the question of whether vibrators can make other stimulation, such as fingers, tongue, or touch, feel less effective.

It is a notion that comes up from time to time. But what does the research actually say?

Short answer: vibrators do not make you permanently less sensitive

There is no good scientific evidence that normal vibrator use would make the clitoris permanently less sensitive or impair the ability to enjoy other types of stimulation.

However, intense vibration can make the area feel temporarily numb immediately afterward. This does not mean that sensation has been damaged or that the body has permanently “gotten used to” the vibrations.

In a study of more than 2,000 women, genital symptoms linked to vibrator use were uncommon. When temporary numbness occurred, it was generally mild and short-lived.

Different types of stimulation do not compete with one another

Vibrations, fingers, hands, tongue, and penetrative sex provide different kinds of stimulation.

Therefore, liking one type of stimulation does not mean that the body loses its ability to enjoy another.

For many people, sex toys can instead be a way to get to know their body better and understand what type of touch feels good: both on their own and with a partner.

If sex feels different, there may be many other explanations

How touch and sex feel is affected by much more than the type of stimulation used.

Hormones, stress, arousal, and vaginal dryness can, for example, affect both sensation and comfort. If the mucous membranes are dry, friction can also make touch less comfortable.

A lubricant can then reduce friction and make sex and intimate touch more comfortable. VagiVital Active Glide is specifically developed to provide lubrication and reduce friction during intimacy.

For those experiencing vaginal dryness, irritation, or itching, there is also VagiVital AktivGel, a hormone-free vaginal gel developed to treat symptoms of vaginal atrophy.

Can the body get used to a vibrator?

To some extent, the body can get used to a particular way of being stimulated. If you always use the same vibrator, at the same setting and in exactly the same way, other stimulation may sometimes feel less intense by comparison.

That is not the same thing as your sensation having been damaged.

Varying the intensity, position, type of stimulation, or simply taking a break can change the experience again.

The most important thing is actually quite simple: there is no type of stimulation that is more “right” than another.

Vibrator, hands, tongue, or something completely different - sexual pleasure is about what feels good for your body.

Sources

Herbenick D. et al. Prevalence and characteristics of vibrator use by women in the United States: results from a nationally representative study. Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Prause N. et al. Clinical and research concerns with vibratory stimulation: a review and pilot study of common stimulation devices.