Broad shoulders. Manicured feet. Outie belly buttons.
No body part is off limits when it comes to sex fetishes — but there’s one overlooked feature of the anatomy that is having a moment.
Maschalagnia, more commonly known as ‘armpit licking’ or ‘sweaty armpits’ was one of the most requested fetishes on ethical porn site Ersties in 2025.
It ranked fourth just behind pegging (pun intended), feet content, and watersports (peeplay), but unlike the others, it’s only just starting to become mainstream.
Interested? Here’s how to incorporate your armpits into your sex life.
What is armpit licking?
It’s pretty self explanatory: maschalagnia is when people get turned on by licking armpits or enjoy having their own pits licked.
‘It can have to do with the salty taste of sweat, the scent of the body odour,’ Gigi Engle, sexologist and author of Kink Curious, tells Metro. ‘It definitely has a tie in with sweat and people who have an interest in bodily secretions of various types.
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‘There’s also a lot of overlap with tickling fetishes — people who are interested in being tickled or tickling someone — because armpits are a sensitive area for that.’
Armpit licking also ties in to tickle torture and humiliation kinks — both of which are under the BDSM umbrella.
Why are armpits such a turn on?
There are various reasons the humble armpit can elicit such a sexual response.
When it comes to humiliation and tickling, it’s less about the armpit itself, and more about feeling vulnerable and ‘less than’. It can be a form of punishment or control.
‘A domme might force their sub to lick their armpit because it can be degrading (but obviously this is happening between consenting adults),’ Gigi says.
‘There’s the power and vulnerability – you’re tickling someone’s armpits and that person is in a very vulnerable position with their arms raised or tied up, so it’s surrendering control to the dominant partner, which can trigger arousal.’
Then, there’s the fact that our armpits are pretty sensitive.
‘It’s such a nerve dense area that even light touches and playful little tickles can feel really intense, that’s what makes it erotic,’ Gigi explains.
‘There are definitely people who can orgasm from having their armpits licked, and there’s also the anticipation aspect – if you know the stimulation is coming, you can interpret that as erotic excitement.’
As for the smell, 59% of daters say BO is a total turn on. Why? Clinical and relationship psychotherapist, Dipti Tait, says: ‘While it may not sound particularly appealing, body odour can influence sexual attraction. However, it’s not just any old scent that does the trick.
‘Rather, it’s the unique combination of pheromones and other odoriferous compounds exuded by our bodies that can elicit a primal response in potential partners.’
Why is armpit licking becoming more popular?
The internet has a lot to answer for here.
As discussions pop up on online forums, it normalises the kink, and exposes more people to it.
‘Once people find community, they find more value and they’re able to feel less shame about their fetish because they have people who can relate and exchange clips,’ Gigi adds.
Just as fetishists have discovered armpit licking via porn site Ersties, it’s now become a staple on Fetlife and has been discussed on online forums like Reddit.
Not to mention there’s a dedicated X account called Armpit Galaxy, which boasts 76,000 followers, and posts porn solely dedicated to armpit licking.
Gigi explains that both men, women and non-binary people enjoy this fetish, although she believes men talk about it more.
One man wrote one r/TooAfraidToAsk: ‘I am a guy and I have an armpit fetish. My preferred armpits are hairy and sweaty armpits on women.
‘Idk why but something about the natural BO smell (nothing too crazy) of a woman turns me on. I like licking and smelling them and I fantasise about mine getting the same treatment as well. Do women find it weird or is it normal?’
In response, a female user chimed in. ‘Female here, I’ve always loved to bury my face in my boyfriends armpits and sniff as hard as I can. Its like a primal thing and I cant help myself,’ another Redditor shared. ‘I like it when they’re clean with a hint of their own natural scent mixed in. It’s like an aphrodisiac to me.’
Incorporating armpit play into your sex life
If the idea of your partner’s armpit is arousing to you, sexologist Gigi has some simply tips for introducing it into your sex life.
‘Start slow, number one, and obviously communicate,’ she says. ‘Be open with your partner and share why you’re curious about it and what about it turns you on.’
Obviously you need your partner’s consent to experiment with this, so Gigi stresses the importance of working out what boundaries you have.
‘What’s off limits and what’s not?’ she says. ‘How will you be stimulating their armpits?’
She recommends starting with very light kisses and touches on the armpit because it’s so sensitive – then you can build your way up to more intense stimulation from there.
‘You can also try combining it with other sensations like tickling, teasing the area, gentle bondage (so you’re tied up while having your armpits stimulated),’ Gigi adds.
‘Most importantly respect people’s comfort zones and come up with a safe word.’
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