Sending and receiving nudes can be a very exciting experience. It’s erotic to send pictures of your body to your partner and know you’re getting them turned on. You can make your partner crave you from thousands of miles away by sending them a teaser photo of you. They wish they could touch your body but at the time, they can only look at your picture. It’s erotic to know your partner is fantasizing about touching you.

While sending nude photos is thrilling, it can also be dangerous. It’s erotic to know that you can turn someone on just by snapping pictures of your body. Everything about sending nude photos is erotic and exciting – but it’s important to know how to send nude photos to ensure you remain safe and comfortable. Here’s how.

Communicate.

The person you’re texting should have enough courtesy to ask, “Can I save your picture?” However, many people don’t. You should always assume the person you’re messaging, Snapchatting, or DM-ing may save your picture without asking, even though that doesn’t make it right. Before sending a picture of yourself, communicate with your partner and tell them what you’re comfortable with. You could say, “Hey, I’m going to send you some pictures but I’d appreciate if you didn’t save them” or “You can save them but please don’t show them to anyone else. They’re for your eyes only.” Your partner should respect your wishes no matter what you communicate with them.

Editor’s Note: It’s generally assumed that any intimate pictures sent to someone else are for their eyes only, and shouldn’t be saved if they’re on a disappearing platform like Snapchat. If you don’t communicate your desires explicitly, it is still a reasonable assumption for you to expect that person wouldn’t save or share your pictures. So, if you forget to tell them explicitly, they are still in the wrong if they save or share them without your consent, including legally in most states. You are not at fault if someone non-consensually saves or shares your photos, whether you explicitly expressed your wishes or not.

I recommend sending your nudes through Snapchat. If someone saves your picture on Snapchat, you’ll get a notification that they’ve saved it. If they don’t respect your boundaries then you know you can’t trust them enough to send them more pictures.

If your partner decides to send you nudes back, make sure you know their boundaries. If you want to save their picture, make sure you have their permission first. Also, make sure you and your partner both have a password lock on your phones. That way if it’s ever stolen, your pictures are safe. If they’re respecting you, you owe them the same respect back.

Don’t do it just because they asked.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together, do not send pictures just because your partner asks you to. Sometimes it is fun to send pictures when they ask, just because or to play submissive. But if you’re not in the mood to send pictures, just don’t. You don’t owe anyone pictures just because they asked, whether your relationship is platonic, sexual, or romantic. If your partner gets angry because you won’t send them nude photos, they don’t respect you the way they should.

Don’t surprise them without warning.

Don’t try to surprise them by sending them nudes without warning them first. Your partner could be at work or out with friends. If your partner’s Snapchat notifies them that you’ve sent them a picture, they may be expecting a cute smiling face with puppy dog ears. They may open the picture on the table without even picking up their phone and then everyone sitting around them knows what you look like naked. Definitely send them a warning message that reads something like, “I’m about to send you some pictures, be sure to hide your phone.” This doesn’t give the surprise away. Your partner still wasn’t expecting you to send them pictures. Warning them turns them on and gets them ready for you to start sending.

Leave your face out.

Your face is absolutely beautiful and while it’s extremely tempting to include your face in your nudes, my suggestion: Don’t do it. You never know how long you and your partner are going to be together; yes, even if you’re married. Even if you’ve communicated your boundaries, there’s always a chance someone could get pissed off at you for whatever reason. While it’s not right, they could share your pictures. If a picture of you begins to surface, you can always deny the picture being you, unless your face is in the picture. Snap all the pictures you want of your boobs, ass, and even those legs but remember to never include your face or to do so with caution.

Double check who you’re sending them to.

It would be a real surprise to click “Dad” instead of “Dan” or “Bob” (your boss) instead of “William” when sending your nudes. Always double-check and double-check again that you’re sending your nudes to the correct person before clicking send. Make sure your nudes are only going to who they’re intended to go to. Additionally, make sure you haven’t selected “send to all” before clicking send. Everyone in your address book would get your nudes including grandma, all of your exes (let’s face it, you never deleted their numbers) and even that handyman who fixed your air conditioner two years ago.

You can still show off your hot bod to bae and get them turned on no matter how far apart you two are – just be safe while you’re doing it. Most importantly, be sure to communicate with your partner about your boundaries when sending nudes. You’re in complete control when it comes to sending nudes and if they aren’t going to respect your limits, they don’t deserve your pics. You don’t owe them anything so don’t send them nudes just because they ask. When you do send your nudes, consider leaving your face out of the picture and double-check that you’re sending them to the right person. Sending nudes can be fun, erotic, and exciting while also being safe.

Happy – and safe – sexting!