I get paid £60 an hour just to play with people’s hair – trolls say it’s a stupid job, but my bank account disagrees
A SAVVY mum has revealed she’s raking in the “most money she’s ever earned” thanks to her unique business – and hit back at trolls who question her prices.
Luci Banks, 28, is Scotland’s leading ASMR Massage treatment provider and has 800 clients on her books.
ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and is essentially the tingly or goosebump feeling that you get on your body in response to different triggers.
For a lot of people it can be a nostalgic feeling from when they were a child, such as having their hair brushed or their arms stroked by a parent or a grandparent.
An ASMR massage aims to set off that reaction by combining slow gentle stroking movements, hair brushing, skin tracing and the use of tools such as make up brushes and feathers.
And Luci, based in Paisley, Renfrewshire, charges up to £60-an-hour for her services.
She says: “If you’re someone who enjoys having their hair played with or their back-tickled as a child or grown up then this is the perfect treatment for you because that’s exactly what we do.”
Luci – mum to Alfie, aged eight – first stumbled across ASMR videos as a teen and always belived there was a gap in the market for an in-person service.
She finally took the plunge and launched her business, Light ASMR Massage, in May 2023 and is now regularly fully booked for months at a time.
She also racks up millions of views on her TikTok page – @light_asmrmassage – where she gives ASMR fans a sneak peek at her treatments.
“I still don’t quite believe that this is my life”, the humble entrepreneur confessed.
“I don’t know when it will kick in.
“I earn the most amount of money that I’ve ever earned in my life and I work the least amount of hours that I’ve ever had to work.
“I am the happiest that I’ve ever been. I come to work and I actually love what I do and I find that so rare.”
But despite her obvious success, Luci has also faced sneering comments from people who look down on her business.
Judgemental comments include “what a waste of money” and “my husband does it for free”.
Someone else claimed that “£60 is insane” while another wrote: “Got better things to do with my money. I’ll play with my own hair thanks.”
But Luci has the perfect response for any trolls who question her job and prices.
She says: “One thing I like to live by in life is opinions are like a***holes. We’ve all got one, but we don’t have to go about showing everyone ours, you know.
“It’s absolutely fine that you wouldn’t pay £60 to get your hair brushed. There’s things out there that I wouldn’t pay for to have done.
“But never let anyone tell you that you’re too expensive. Know your worth and add tax is my motto in life.
“There’s always going to be somebody out there who values and appreciates you and will pay what you’re asking if not more.”
And to the people who gloat that they can get the service for free at home from a loved one, she adds: “People should really think themselves lucky when they have a husband, a sister, a mum who can brush their hair and make them feel loved and cared for.
“Not everybody has that and that’s why I do what I do because I want everyone to have that in their life.”
The negative messages only make up a small minority of comments on the ASMR queen’s social media page, however, as she’s mostly flooded with messages from people desperate to book in – and price is no issue.
Clients have even travelled from as far as Belfast for an appointment.
One person gushed: “I would pay even £100 bc it’s super relaxing.”
“TAKE ALL MY MONEY”, wrote someone else.
A third insisted: “I’d pay you my monthly wage to play with my hair. Absolutely gutted I live so far away.”
A fourth chimed in: “I would pay so much money for this.”
“I’d pay without thinking twice….I LOVE it when someone plays with my hair”, said a fifth.
Meanwhile, a sixth added: “I honestly can not wait to book. If you told me it was £500 I honestly wouldn’t blink an eye, take my money.”
Luci is now actively helping other people turn their passion for ASMR into a business with her own ‘how-to’ eBook.
When she started up her business, there was no such guide and she admits she relied on “lots of trial and error”.
But now she can offer other budding ASMR enthusiasts everything that she’s learned over the yearsin a business manual to “help you get started with confidence”.
She told us: “I’ve helped around 20 people through my in-person masterclass and I’ve sold around 160 copies of my eBook to people all over the world including the USA and Australia.
“The education/mentoring side of the business is what I’m really focusing on this year.
“I’ve always been passionate about helping people and I really thrive off seeing them succeed.”
To find out more information about Luci’s ASMR massages or eBook, visit her website here or make a booking here.