There are moments that are hard to describe in the language of great changes. Someone gently combs our hair. They slowly move their fingers over the head. They do not hurry, they do not expect an answer and for a moment focus their attention solely on our comfort. For one person it will be a pleasant childhood memory. For another - a favorite part of a visit to the hairdresser. Yet another will only discover whether such a touch suits her.
It is around this experience that Agata Klingenberg, who runs AJNA Shadowlight, is preparing a new service for women: ASMR Hair Play. The idea includes playing with hair, gentle brushing, passing strands between the fingers, scalp massage and the use of various accessories.
Before the offer fully launched, Agata published an ad seeking models to present it. As she reports, nearly one hundred women applied.
- See what a need women have for someone to take care of them, to do something pleasant for them - she wrote to the editorial office.
The number of applications is not a study of the needs of all women. However, it shows interest among the recipients of this particular ad. And it opens an interesting topic: why can such a simple action as gentle hair brushing seem like an exceptionally tempting proposal?
ASMR Hair Play - what lies behind this name?
“Hair play” literally means playing with hair. In the relaxation service it is not primarily about a new haircut, coloring or changing appearance. The most important thing is the experience itself: a calm rhythm of movements, contact with the hair and scalp and adjusting the touch to the participant's preferences.
Agata lists running fingers through hair, brushing, moving strands between the fingers, scalp massage and using accessories. The individual elements can produce different sensations. Some like light strokes, others prefer a slightly firmer pressure. For one person the rustle of a brush will be pleasant, for another primarily silence.
ASMR is an abbreviation of the English Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It describes a characteristic pleasant tingling, often beginning around the head, which for some people appears in response to certain stimuli, for example a whisper, calm hand movements or gentle sounds. Not everyone experiences such a reaction.
In the case of Agata's service, the name thus describes an inspiration by sensory relaxation. It does not imply a promise that every participant will feel tingling or react the same way.
A moment when you don't have to do anything
In Agata's message the words stand out particularly: “for someone to take care of them”.
They can be read as an invitation to rest, during which you do not have to organize anything. You do not have to carry on a conversation, make further decisions or work on your appearance. It is enough to say what is pleasant and what is bothersome.
For a woman who spends her day between work, home and caring for loved ones, such a proposal can have personal significance. Likewise for one who manages well on a daily basis but simply likes a calm touch and wants to set aside some time for pleasure.
At the same time, you do not have to assume that every interested person is lonely, overloaded or lacking closeness. There can be many reasons: curiosity, a desire to rest, a fondness for ASMR or pleasant associations with hair brushing.
Interest in such a session does not require a story of crisis. You can simply want to do something nice for yourself.
What does science say about ASMR?
Researchers are examining ASMR, although knowledge about this phenomenon is still developing.
In a study by Giulia Lara Poerio and co-authors, published in 2018 in “PLOS ONE”, reactions to ASMR videos were examined. In people who experience this phenomenon there was an increase in pleasant sensations, including calm, and a decrease in heart rate. At the same time skin conductance increased, which is one of the indicators of physiological arousal. The results show that the response can combine calming with a certain form of sensory arousal.
This is an interesting clue, but it requires proper interpretation. The study examined watching video materials, not an in-office Hair Play session. Therefore you cannot automatically ascribe all observed effects to the new service.
One can say, however, that a pleasant reaction to certain ASMR stimuli is a phenomenon that can also be studied through physiological measurements. Its intensity and character depend on the person.
Touch and well-being - a broader picture
Hair Play combines ASMR inspiration with real touch. These are two related but separate areas of research.
In 2024 a large review and meta-analysis of studies on touch-based interventions was published in “Nature Human Behaviour”. The entire review covered data for nearly 13,000 people. The authors reported benefits for various indicators of physical and mental health; in adults these included, among others, pain and symptoms of anxiety and depression. They also pointed to limitations of the studies, including difficulty blinding participants and the influence of small samples.
This is not evidence that playing with hair cures depression, anxiety disorders, or pain. The analysis concerned different forms of touch, often massage, used in various conditions.
However, it provides a scientific context for interest in touch as an element of caring for well-being. In relation to Agata's new offering it is most honest to speak of the possibility of pleasant rest, calming, and individually experienced relaxation.
And what about scalp massage?
Research also concerns scalp massage itself, although their scale is sometimes small.
In a paper published in 2016 in “Journal of Physical Therapy Science”, 34 women working in offices participated. Groups receiving scalp massage for 15 or 25 minutes were compared with a control group. Sessions took place twice a week for ten weeks. The researchers noted significant differences concerning, among other things, cortisol, noradrenaline and blood pressure.
This is a result encouraging further research, but insufficient to make broad promises. The small group and the specific multi-week program do not allow prediction of the effects of a single visit.
For this reason slogans about “regulating hormones”, treating insomnia or permanently removing stress would go beyond what can be reliably promised for this service. Comfort and pleasure themselves do not need such declarations to have value.
What benefits can such a meeting provide?
Based on the nature of the service and available research, a few possible experiences can be identified:
Sensory pleasure - for people who enjoy having their hair touched, gentle brushing and scalp massage.
A sense of calm - related to a quiet environment and gentle stimuli.
A break from daily obligations - time reserved for rest.
Attentive care during the meeting - provided the participant's preferences and boundaries are respected.
An ASMR reaction in some people - without a guarantee of the characteristic tingling sensation appearing. Research on ASMR and touch provides context for these possibilities, and not an evaluation of the effectiveness of any specific AJNA Shadowlight offering.
For one woman touch will be most important. For another, the possibility of silence. For a third, simply the fact that, for a moment, another person's attention is focused on her comfort.
With Agata also including an element of Reiki
Agata announces that Hair Play will be combined with her Reiki practice. In her description, this is the energy flowing from the hands during the service.
This is Agata's spiritual interpretation, which forms part of her way of working. It is worth clearly distinguishing it from research on ASMR and massage. Findings concerning touch or reactions to sensory stimuli do not confirm the mechanism of Reiki.
The American National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health indicates that Reiki has not been shown conclusively to be effective for health purposes, and the postulated energy field has no scientific confirmation.
For an interested person, the practical importance is therefore clear information before booking: which elements the meeting includes and whether its spiritual character suits her. One can also ask Agata about the possibility of using only the relaxation part - such a variant has not yet been confirmed in the information provided to the editorial office.
Comfort begins with consent
In a touch-based service it is important to be able to say: "more gently", "without that accessory" or "I want to stop".
Before the session it is worth agreeing on which actions are acceptable. Does the participant like brushing? Does she want a scalp massage? Does silence, music or whispering suit her? Does she accept any cosmetics and scents?
The condition of the hair and scalp also matters. Pain, irritation, fresh wounds or a recent procedure are reasons to clarify before the meeting whether touch will be appropriate; in case of health doubts, ask a doctor. Accessories should be clean, and movements should not cause pain or pull the hair.
Photographing or recording the model also requires a separate, clear agreement. Consent to the service and consent to the publication of the image are two different decisions.
Almost a hundred applications and a topic for another conversation
The story of Agata's announcement provides a good starting point for further interviews. What prompted the women to apply? What kind of touch do they like? Did they know Hair Play before, or did they only now see a name for something that had long given them pleasure?
Only the participants themselves will answer these questions. For now it is known that - according to Agata - the proposal met with great interest.
The new service draws attention to a simple need: the possibility of rest during which someone attentively cares for our comfort. Without the need to achieve a result or to prove that we deserved the break.
Agata wants to build another part of AJNA Shadowlight around this experience. She will inform about dates, price, session length and the final scope of the offer after they are determined.
Author: Steve Joobs, Twoja Norwegia
The material was created based on information provided by Agata Klingenberg and scientific publications concerning ASMR, touch, and scalp massage. The described offering is of a relaxation and spiritual nature; it does not replace medical care or psychotherapy.
