The vibrator has a storied and colorful history that dates back to — if you believe the reports — 54bc with Cleopatra putting bees inside a phallic shaped sheath.
In the 4th century Greek philosophers reported cases of ‘hysteria’ in women. By the 19th century, genital massage was widely used by doctors to treat hysteria. So widely used in fact, that mechanical and steam powered vibrators were invented to save the sore wrists of doctors (a precursor to repetitive strain injury).
For those of you that missed it, this unlikely origin of the vibrator was immortalized in the 2012 film Hysteria, which received some critical praise but was not a huge box office success.
Today, vibrators come in all colours, shapes and sizes. They have been featured in TV, magazines and even museums — but the basic form of the vibrator has seen very little change over this long time line. Vibrators of today are little more than a phallic shaped object with an unbalanced motor used to create mechanical energy.
A New Era
Today, a new high-end vibrator has been released which may just upend the $2 billion USD global vibrator market. It’s called Afterglow (no ‘the’ in front, they inform us) and is the product of more than 2 years of research into the effects of ‘light based energy’ and its ability to promote blood flow in the body.
It is the first vibrator in the world to feature technology of a medical origin and on the surface, it seems like a very good fit. The device uses light energy, shown elsewhere in medical products and studies to promote blood flow, to create a powerful and heightened state of arousal, with the potential for bigger, stronger and longer orgasms.
For women, this is obviously an entertaining notion. Do we really need medical technology inside a vibrator though? Consider this comment from the device’s founder, Dr. Ralph Zipper:
‘Most other vibrators are simply an unbalanced motor inside a plastic or silicone sheath. Afterglow has microchips multiple circuit boards, and multiple near infrared diodes designed to promote blood flow, emitting patented ‘Pulsewave’ light patterns, and, also two motors’.
Is this the world’s most high tech vibrator? It certainly sounds like it!
‘It took 2 years of overcoming engineering challenges to pack it all in’ says Zipper.
A Vibrator With A Kitchen Sink
Being overladen with technology like this does however beg the question: why put it all inside a vibrator? . Increasing blood flow to … ahem, that region is essentially making the user of the device feel more aroused. Afterglow uses proprietary pulsed light energy in ‘specific wave patterns’ known to affect the powerhouse of human cells, the mitochondria. Light catalyzed reactions in the cell can promote an increase in blood flow. Although capable of creating great arousal, Pulsewave ™ is very safe “ says Zipper, emitting ‘about 500 times less power than a light bulb’. These LEDs are presently being used elsewhere in medicine to heal damaged tissue and promote blood flow.
So is this the Female answer to Viagra?
‘That’s one way to think of it’ Says Zipper. ‘Women with low libido or intimacy issues can use it to increase their arousal in the bedroom.
1 in 2 women in America use vibrators and we are confident that they will find Afterglow a far better bedroom companion than other sex toys that only vibrate’.
Which, of course, is basically every other vibrator on the market.
So is this a new genre of product? Vibrators emitting arousing light energy? A lightsabre for the vagina?
Zipper, it seems, is in an enviable position. ‘There is absolutely no other sex toy like this on the market. It does things that no other vibrator does. And our customers are REALLY liking it’.
Shake Stick. More Fun.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Afterglow is its medical origins. The product actually came about due to the side effects a series of women felt in clinical trials of a medical product designed to treat overactive bladder disease.
Women in the clinical trials reported heightened feelings of sexual pleasure and feeling ‘younger down there and wanting more sex’. Zipper and his team of doctors realized at this time, that they had a sex toy on their hands.
Lacking the requisite experience in the adult toy space, a catalyst arrived to their business in the form of 33-year-old Australian entrepreneur, Lloyd Perry. Perry had previously owned a condom brand that had made waves down under with a condom courier delivery service and an ad campaign that was banned from television. Perry helped to debut the Afterglow in a pre-launch capacity at a trade show where significant market interest was found.
Eventually though, it was decided that the Afterglow would be sold directly through their website.
So what’s next?
‘An Afterglow in every discerning woman’s bedroom in America’ says Zipper. ‘Every woman knows good foreplay makes for great sex. And far too often, foreplay and intimacy gets forgotten in relationships. Afterglow is the ultimate arousal tool’.
The Afterglow is on sale now at http://www.afterglowscience.com/. Free Shipping is offered to all customers until Valentines Day.
