Microphilia is a sexual attraction or interest in small people or body parts. It may also be called micro fetish.
Subcategories of Microphilia
Microphiles tend to focus their sexual attention on one type of fantasy. The small things that arouse them give rise to different subcategories of microphilia. Some microphiles feel aroused by tiny people. They may get turned on by the whole small person, sometimes called a shrunken man or shrunken woman. They may prefer imagining people of specific nationalities shrunken. They may also focus their attention on a particular part of the body. For example, someone turned on by tiny feet may have a microphilic foot fetish.
Some microphiles focus on the experience of being small. They may imagine that they are much smaller than they are. They might also imagine that they have tiny body parts, such as a micropenis.
Some microphiles may have a shrinking fetish. People with this type of transformation fetish get turned on by the thought of an average-sized human shrinking to become a tiny person. Some prefer thinking of the shrunken person’s clothes shrinking along with them while others prefer the thought of the now shrunken person having oversized clothes.
How common is microphilia?
It’s difficult to determine how common microphilia is as it’s still a fringe fetish. There have been few studies into this fetish and some people with it may prefer keeping such a taboo sexual interest private. However, in a video about microphilia, Dr. Dawn Michael said microphiles make up a “very small percentage of the population.” She said people of any gender may be microphiles and did not suggest it is more common in any one gender.
However, in a 2012 blog post, Dr. Michael Griffiths cited the now-defunct microphilia website The Minimizer which claimed it’s more common for men to fantasize about shrunken women and women to fantasize about being a shrunken woman. According to Urban Dictionary, this fetish is more common among the furry community than the general population.
Microphilia vs. Macrophilia
Some people use the term macrophilia for any attraction involving people of differing sizes. However, strictly speaking microphilia is the opposite of macrophilia. Commonly called a giant fetish, this is a sexual interest in large people or body parts.
Microphilia isn't the same as macrophilia. Microphiles who imagine themselves as shrunken people get aroused by the thought of being very small, not being with a giant partner as macrophiles do. While microphiles may also have a giant fetish, not all microphiles are aroused by giants.
The appeal of small bodies and body parts
Society typically views small bodies as more vulnerable and less powerful than larger ones. Playing with this concept can be appealing to anyone interested in power exchange. Someone who feels attracted to small partners may enjoy dominating them. A small partner may also bring out their nurturing side.
Conversely, microphiles who want to become small may love the idea of being vulnerable to a partner. It’s common for microphiles who want to be small to imagine that they could get eaten (vore) or swallowed up by the vagina (unbirth) of a much larger partner. They could also feel aroused by the thought of a larger, stronger person taking care of them.
The same elements of power exchange reveal themselves through an interest in small body parts. For example, a microphile may love the thought of penetrating a small partner’s tiny holes. If they imagine themselves with a micropenis, they may get off on feeling humiliated for it.
People with a shrinking kink may get turned on by the thought of themselves or a partner transforming. As someone must give in to their transformation, there is an element of submission in this kind of fetish. The shrunken person may feel vulnerable as the world is now so much larger than they are or embarrassed that they’ve lost control of their body.
Playing with microphilia
As microphilia is a sexual interest in very small people or body parts, people are usually content with their fantasies. They might seek out microphilic art or stories to satisfy their fetish. While it’s not as common as giantess porn, there is also adult content focused on small people that microphiles might watch alone or with a partner.
However, they should consider their options carefully according to award-winning erotic filmmaker Erika Lust.
“I want to start by saying I don’t think watching ‘Little People Porn’ on mainstream porn channels is a good way to start. It is very exploitative and sometimes can be unethical,” she cautioned. “The best way to explore would be to find an ethical porn provider that puts the performer's feelings and preferences first. Two ERIKALUST films might be great to explore for this: ‘An Appointment with My Master’, and ‘Faithful Dogs’.”
Lust believes roleplaying can also be a way for microphiles to bring their fantasies to life with a partner.
“Similar to having a giant fetish, people could perhaps roleplay being a small, vulnerable person and play the scene out,” she suggested. “It’s important to have a safe word in case the scene gets hot and heavy and a little bit too much!”
While most people are happy to keep microphilia in the fantasy realm, Dean cautions that this fetish can occasionally overlap with pedophilia. If someone feels sexual urges towards babies or small children, counseling may help them overcome this attraction and manage their urges better.
