A Chinese resident named Zhang Xiaoqiao came up with an unusual business — a salon where clients get their bodies professionally scratched with nails. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing South China Morning Post.

How the business idea came about

According to Xiaoqiao, the idea came from his childhood, when his father scratched his back before bed, which helped him relax. He also saw a popular video on social media where a woman was scratching her husband's back, and users in the comments wrote that they would be willing to pay for such a service.

Salon revenue

The entrepreneur currently has two locations that bring him about 160,000 yuan, or roughly 11 million tenge per month. Specialists use artificial pointed nails to gently stroke itchy areas.

Research and preparation

Xiaoqiao spent four months on research. He found that humans have five main itch zones and more than 30 individual points. He also independently practiced pressure, speed, and sequence of movements on acquaintances and subscribers.

Prices

A 30-minute session at such a salon costs about 100 yuan (about 7,000 tenge), and an hour-long session costs about 200 yuan (about 14,000 tenge). The most frequent choice among clients is an hour-long full-body session for 289-299 yuan (20-21 thousand tenge).

Who are the clients

Regular clients of the salon are office workers from large cities. They make up to 70% of visitors. According to the entrepreneur, due to the frantic pace of life, people experience severe stress. The procedure helps them relax so effectively that six out of ten clients fall fast asleep right during the session. Many find it more pleasant than a regular massage.

Doctors' opinion

Doctors note that relaxation and stress relief are beneficial for health, but caution is always important in body procedures. For example, neurologists warn that even a classic neck massage requires care to avoid harming blood vessels. In Xiaoqiao's salons, the emphasis is on gentle scratching of the skin, which gives people long-awaited peace and rest.

Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle wrote about a Colombian woman who found an unusual way to earn money: she spent years collecting gossip about neighbors, writing it down in a notebook, and then selling it to those interested. According to the woman herself, this "business" turned out to be so profitable that it allowed her to buy two houses at once.