Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/sukanya sitthikongsak
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Viral
Callum Jones
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Viral
The sex trend known as 'shallowing' is a popular act in the bedroom, but what exactly does it involve?
Many couples will be looking at new ways to spice things up in the bedroom, and what better way to do so with a sex trend that even the experts are recommending, right?
The latest trend you can embark on under the sheets is known as shallowing - but what exactly does it entail?
It was apparently first named in literature in 2021, though it is far from a futuristic sex manoeuvre that none of us have ever heard of.
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It was a survey conducted by the Indiana University School of Medicine that propelled the sex trend into the limelight some four years ago.
Out of over 4,000 women quizzed as part of the research, it was discovered that close 84 percent women in the US between the ages of 18 and 93 found 'increased pleasure' from this outercourse play - and that's where shallowing was born.
The trend is a form of sexual play that typically involves lightly stimulating the entrance to the vagina, with those partaking in the trend using fingers, a toy, a penis or a tongue to pleasure their partner.
Speaking of the trend, Cecile Gasnault, brand director of sex toy company SmileMakers, told Glamour in 2022: "If you practice penetrative sex, you might have already found it pleasurable when the head of the penis creates pressure at the vaginal entrance before or at the very beginning of penetration.
"[It’s the] same with a toy or fingers. The idea is to go in only by a few centimeters."
Meanwhile, sex expert Ness Cooper previously told the Metro: "Dirty talk can make the body release feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and oxytocin, which can not only turn us on but help us bond further with our sexual partners.
"Testosterone is also released which can help with arousal and orgasm."
A worry in the bedroom is the risk of sustaining an injury, with sex expert Annabelle Knight recently offering her advice on how to avoid a bedroom disaster.
Speaking on behalf of Lovehoney, Knight said: "Placing a pillow under the lumbar spine can reduce back injuries or flare-ups. It may also help increase pleasure during penetration.
"If the individual on top finds they have discomfort in their knees during this position, moving to a standing position whilst the receiver is on the bed may avoid this.
"Changing how close you are to your lover's body may make it easier or harder for you and reduce muscle fatigue - it’s all about experimenting!”