Exploring lice, crafts, and being touched by strangers: Inside an ASMR roleplaying spa
It’s time to Check your louse, the woman from “Mrs. “K” whispers directly into my ear as he begins to run his fingers through my scalp and between every strand of hair. I’m in a dark room, oriental flute music playing in the background, as I sit across from my wife, who is also having her hair stroked by a stranger. We close our eyes so we don’t burst out laughing.
“Okay guys, no one wants to start their first day of school,” my partner’s nitpicker, Mrs. A, said in a soft, velvety voice, most likely noticing the startled looks on our faces. “We’re going to be really careful, because a lot of animals and insects can hide very well.”
Our inspectors draw lines and circles on our heads before combing through our hair as a tingling sensation creeps from behind my ears to the middle of my spine. It’s uncomfortable at first because honestly, I’ve never felt this way before and I’m not sure I’m doing everything right. But after 10 minutes of leaning into uncertainty and almost falling asleep, our session ends as we are both “cleared” of lice and they tell us to “go back to class”.
You may ask, am I a child? The answer is negative. This is also not a twist. I’m in my thirties and have not-so-good memories of standing in line for a head lice checkup in elementary school in the early 2000s. But I’m here to experience at Tinglesbar ASMR Spa & Collective in Toronto, Canada. Dubbed the world’s first dedicated ASMR spa, I’m a group of strangers pretending to be fifth graders for a role-playing ASMR experience—and yes, I’m totally terrified.
As a cynic who hates viral internet trends grafted onto IRL scenarios (think Labubu milkshakes sold in Erewhon), I thought I could never take this seriously, especially when it comes to strangers touching or whispering in my ear. ASMR, or Autonomic Sensory Meridian Response, is a sensation triggered by sounds, touch, and feel that sends a tingling sensation through the body, usually in the neck and spine. Devotees claim it induces a sense of calm and complete relaxation, reduces anxiety, and even helps with insomnia. The term was technically coined in 2010, and since then, ASMR videos on YouTube and TikTok have skyrocketed, garnering billions of views. Some content creators in the genre have turned ASMR into a full-time job, and year after year it remains one of the most searched terms on the platforms.
In the past few years, spas and wellness retreats offering ASMR experiences have popped up in the US, UK and Canada, offering back scratches, hair and face brushing and soundscapes. But Tinglesbar stands out for its role-playing offerings, which include Harry Potter role-playing aimed at ‘petrifying’ you, Fairy’s Fortune role-playing ‘providing sweet and gentle fairy answers from your mystical guide’, Doctor’s Visits ‘combining gentle jabs, 10 tense conversations, 10 aesthetic inspections’ and a salon experience, in addition to group hangouts. Depending on the “ASMR triggers”, the details can be customized. Prices range from CAD $139 for a one-on-one session with an add-on of $50 for role-playing, or $25 to $75 for group regiments.
