Everyone has annoying blackheads. While removing them in real life is often considered intimate and sometimes disgusting, thousands of people watch pimple-popping videos for relaxation. The combination of sounds and visuals can create an uniquely nasty experience, but there is also a hidden part of the brain that gets unlocked in that process – and starts to strangely enjoys it.

An older woman lies on a lounger with her eyes closed. The camera zooms in on her face, revealing deep furrows, small wrinkles, and black pores. This is the work of Dr. Sandra Lee, better known as “Dr. Lee Pimple Popper,” a YouTube star with 7.58 million subscribers. She has been sharing videos of her cosmetic skin treatments since 2010, even landing her own TV show in 2018. Viewers are divided; some find these “Nasty ASMR” videos soothing, while others are horrified.

A needle pricks a group of black dots while a woman’s voice explains the procedure. The dot pops out, pulling sebum and dirt with it. For 24-year-old Dorika, known as “Doriasmr” on YouTube, pimple popping no longer has much to do with the actual feeling of traditional ASMR. The trigger is not auditory: “It’s more of a purely visual stimulation”, says the Frankfurt native, who mainly works with whistles for her 160,000 subscribers.

Since 2010, ASMR videos have evolved, with over 13 million now on YouTube. The phenomenon has attracted scientific interest, with psychologist Giulia Poerio finding ASMR to be a mix of relaxation and emotional arousal, comparable to nostalgia or awe.

Claus-Christian Carbon, a perceptual psychologist, suggests that sound and visual aesthetics in ASMR videos may reinforce each other. The multisensory experience can make viewers feel like they can taste or smell what they see. This effect can apply to Dr. Lee’s videos, where the cleansing process, combined with Dr. Lee’s commentary and the patients’ reactions, may evoke a feeling of liberation among viewers despite the nasty and disgusting nature of the content.

Jennifer Kornelsen’s research in 2019 indicated that people sensitive to stimuli are more susceptible to ASMR. Personal imprinting and the perceived closeness in videos, such as the zoom and intimate actions, stimulate the brain’s prefrontal cortex, responsible for processing social behavior. This can lead to the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, making “nasty” pimple-squeezing a virtual grooming experience.