Pearling pleasure in the pants

Dear Dr G,

I am somewhat embarrassed and curious to ask you about a technique of body modification I have heard about.

I am a fifty-year-old man who is divorced and starting new relationships.

In my previous marriage, my ex-wife and I were not very active in bed.

It was partly due to my low libido and perhaps lack of skills between the sheets.

My ex-wife reckons I was not adventurous enough when it comes to bedroom matters.

In fact, just before the divorce, she said I never satisfied her in bed.

My confidence was clearly affected, and ego dented.

This time round, I am determined not to make the same mistakes, and will put in more effort to increase my skills.

I have spoken to my mates, who reckon the best to enhance my skills is to instal some pleasuring pearls in my pants.

Several of my peers assured me such technique has been around for hundreds of years and they will increase my pleasuring skills instantly.

I am curious, tempted yet skeptical, I hope to put Dr G on the spot for some wisdoms on these beading ideas?

Can you please tell me what exactly is pearling or beading?

What is the origin of this practice, and has it been around for many years?

What are the risks and benefits of pearling?

Finally, is there any scientific evidence pearling can enhance my bedroom skills by a quantum leap?

Please help.

Yours truly,

Pearly Pete

Pearling or genital beading is a form of body modification intended for self-expression and sexual enhancement. The practice involves the insertion of small beads beneath of the skin of genitalia.

Penile pearling involves insertion of small beads beneath the penile skin, while such practice is less common in women when the beads are inserted beneath the labia.

Apart from the aesthetic purpose of pearling, the beads under the skin are also intended to increase friction pleasure of the genitalia during sexual intercourse.

The precise origin of pearling is largely unknown. Early documentation in China indicates that it had been imported from South-East Asia around the early 1400s.

Historical documents refer to the inserts as Mian Ling, literally translated to Burmese Bells, thought to be brought in from Myanmar during the 13th century.

Other parts of South-East Asia also have such documentation of pearling.

In the Philippines, researchers established these were present in various forms from the Visayas to Southern Luzon. Pins made of gold, ivory, or brass were inserted in young boys through their penis heads, according to research by the pre-eminent historian of pre-colonial Philippines, William Henry Scott.

Scott described as many as 30 different kinds of beads to "cater to a lady's choice."

In more recent years, the best-known historical documentation of pearling involved the Yakuza clans of Japan. Members are known to accept several modes of body modifications, and apparently pearling was performed in prisons by the Yakuza, with each pearl supposedly symbolizing a year spent in prison.

However, the intended purpose for sexual pleasure is unknown.

The procedure of bean insertion is relatively safe, much like a subdermal implant in any other part of the body. Although extensive medical knowledge of the practitioner and specialised tools are not always necessary, the utilisation of sterile equipment and some experience may be necessary to prevent tissue damage, bleeding and subsequent infections.

A wide variety of inert implant materials can be used for this implant. Prior to the availability of modern materials, there is a long history of pearls being used as implants hence the name pearling.

Alternative forms of implants have become available with modern materials, these include surgical steel, titanium and Teflon. The most desirable quality of the implants is to be inert, which will allow quick healing without inflammatory changes or rejections.

Despite the common claim that the penile beads inserts increase a partner's sexual pleasure, reviews in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that there is little evidence to support this claim.

There has also been mixed feedback from partners of men who have penile implants in smaller studies. In fact, for the implanted pearl to really stimulate the clitoris, the implant must be placed at the base of the penis, which almost never happens.

Of course, eroticism is largely a psychological matter, and since the famous pearl has some mysteries, it might actually tickle the brain more than any other part of the body.

The English theatre critic and writer, Kenneth Tynan once said: “The pearl is a disease of oysters”.

When Dr G is put on the spot by men who are curious about inserting pleasuring pearls in the pants, his view is: “Don’t limit the potential disease of the pearl in the pants, instead tickle the brain and the pleasurable world is your oyster!”