YouTube channel makes fortune through ‘dandruff scraping’ videos

SOME find these videos repulsive — and others can’t seem to get enough. Either way, they’re making their creators a fortune. WARNING: Graphic.

WARNING: Graphic.

LAST month, news.com.au reported on the disgusting way Dr Sandra Lee — aka “Dr Pimple Popper” — has made her staggering $9.2 million fortune.

The US dermatologist has made it her life’s work to collect the most vile videos of pimples, boils and cysts being squeezed and ruptured, and to upload them online for our viewing pleasure.

And thanks to her massive fan base — Dr Lee has amassed millions of subscribers on her channel, which grows by thousands every single day and has already attracted 2.5 billion views so far — she has managed to make seriously good money from her niche skill set.

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But now, it seems there’s a new gross trend taking YouTube by storm — dandruff scraping.

And just like Dr Pimple Popper’s mesmerising zit-squeezing clips, they’re making their creators seriously rich.

The video content is simple, showing people suffering from serious cases of flaky scalp scratching and scraping the dandruff free.

Scores of YouTube videos and entire channels devoted to the genre have sprung up in recent months, scoring millions of views.

One of the most successful of those is the ScratchingMyScalpOff channel, which was created in April this year and features a series of videos of an unnamed woman scraping her own chronic dandruff.

Less than six months later, the channel has already exploded, attracting 19,845 subscribers and 6,202,118 video views.

According to Social Blade, a site dedicated to tracking YouTube statistics, the channel is now estimated to earn up to $3575 a month and $42,730 a year just through YouTube alone.

If its popularity continues to skyrocket, it’s likely revenue will too — and that’s without factoring in the potential for expanding into other social media sites such as Instagram, product launches and TV appearances which Dr Pimple Popper has done to her significant financial advantage.

So what’s driving the unlikely popularity of these clips?

One reason is because they fall into the wider autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) trend which has taken over the internet recently.

ASMR videos — which can include dandruff scraping as well as other gentle sounds such as whispering, tapping and brushing sounds — are said to trigger a “relaxing tingle” in some sensitive individuals and are designed to be pleasant.

And those who do love the videos swear they are “satisfying” and “soothing”, with the ScratchingMyScalpOff channel littered with comments from fans singing its praises.

“I normally find dandruff gross but this is so satisfying …” one said, while another added: “OMG I love it is so satisfying You got a new subscriber your videos make me happy.”

“Your channel is going to blow up. Good angles, clear video, no talking, soothing background noise, nice neat parts, lovely nails, beautiful hair, great editing … this by far is the best video I’ve seen on dandruff,” another fanatic published.

But of course, there are also plenty of detractors, with the videos variously slammed as “gross”, “disgusting” and “horrifying”.

“Instead of feeling satisfied I am feeling like (I need) to vomit,” one viewer posted on the channel, while another wrote: “How sick can people be … get your hair maintained. That’s not OK.”

Dr Sandra Lee, aka Dr Pimple Popper, is making a fortune from her strangely addictive videos. Picture: Instagram

For the record, experts have warned that large dandruff flakes could actually be seborrhoeic dermatitis — a condition which needs medical attention.

Dr Anjali Mahto from the British Association of Dermatologists recently told BBC Three sufferers should avoid the urge to scratch.

“I would recommend people avoid scraping and picking at their scalp. It can be painful and you risk inflammation and infection,” he said.

“A bit like spot-popping videos, many people find these videos very satisfying to watch, but in reality the practice is best avoided.”

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