Well, a Hollywood-based family found a way to monetize that feeling, and TikTokers are flocking to it.
The Scratcher Girls LLC is a real-life Miami-area business you can call and pay for 30- and 60-minute scratch therapy sessions, with options for couples also available. A 30-minute session will run you about $75, while an hour-long appointment costs about $130, according to the company's website.
The business has attracted scores of positive comments, from people who want to try it to customers praising the experience, including internet celebrity-turned-rapper Bhad Bhabie.
"I loved the appointment," she said in a video recording posted on scratchergirls.com. "It was so nice. You can never find people that like to scratch people, so finding y'all was great."
The Scratcher Girls' TikTok account posts massage videos and livestreams showing women with long, colorful acrylic nails softly scratching happy customers who all look thoroughly relaxed.
While a few commenters were grossed out by the thought of a stranger scratching them ("All the dead skin under the nails freaks me out," wrote one user), the reception has been overwhelmingly positive.
"In my opinion, just soft scratching is the REAL massage," TikTok user Janine writes. "Not that massage where people press their whole elbow into your spine."@scratcher_girls Your brain tingles will thank you 🥹 #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound - Scratcher Girls ASMR
"I've never been so jealous," writes TikToker Monzerrat.
"I would pay anything for this," adds user Lauren S.
And another, more extreme take from TikToker @ssssourskittles_: "Not to be dramatic, but I would commit a crime for this."
According to the company's website, scratch therapy prompts the body to release endorphins — the hormones our bodies release to combat feelings of stress or pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The nonprofit medical research center says activities such as exercising, eating, and — yes — getting a massage can trigger the release of these hormones.@scratcher_girls One 10 minute head scratch can do more for your nervous system than you can imagine 💆♂️ #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound - Scratcher Girls ASMR
According to owner Toni George, the Scratcher Girls LLC is the first business of its kind.
"One night while sleeping, the idea of a back-scratching service came to mind and left me wondering if others would pay for this service like myself," George states on the company's site. "This epiphany left us doing lots and lots of research, and here we are today as the Scratcher Girls brand."
According to its website, the business has an office in Miami Gardens. It also performs scratch therapy at the Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood and holds tour events nationwide.
