Hair loss 'attacks' young Koreans

Four out of every 10 people who seek hair loss treatment in Korea are in their 20s and 30s, reflecting the growing trend of younger people experiencing hair loss due to stress and modern lifestyles.

Up to 39,079 people in their 20s and 51,619 people in their 30s suffered from hair loss and needed treatment in Korea - Photo: themonodist.com

Data released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) on October 8 showed that out of 10 patients who visited hospitals for hair loss treatment in Korea, 4 were in their 20s and 30s, reflecting the trend of hair loss becoming younger due to stress, diet and modern lifestyle.

According to the report, the number of patients treated for hair loss increased by 2.7% in 4 years, from 234,780 people in 2020 to 241,217 people in 2024. This figure only counts cases covered by health insurance, mainly alopecia areata, not cases caused by genetic diseases or cosmetic treatments.

Notably, the young patient group accounts for 37.6% of the total number of cases, with 39,079 people in their 20s and 51,619 people in their 30s. The 40 and 50 age groups have 54,724 and 46,913 patients, respectively.

Experts say Westernized lifestyles, stress, smoking, lack of sleep and extreme dieting are the main causes of increased hair loss in young people.

Professor Kwon Oh Sang of the Department of Dermatology at Seoul National University Hospital said: "In addition to genetic factors and age, environmental causes such as smoking and obesity are increasingly having a strong impact on hair loss in young people."

The rate of hair loss in middle-aged women also increased significantly, with women accounting for 37.2% in the 20-40 age group, but increasing to 49.7% in the 50-year-old group and 60.2% in the 60-year-old group, mainly due to hormonal changes with age.

By type, alopecia areata accounted for 72% of all cases, equivalent to 177,371 patients. Male pattern hair loss had 25,776 cases, and other types accounted for 31,395 cases.

Medical experts recommend that hair loss is a "hair aging" process that needs to be controlled early. Losing 50-100 hairs a day is normal, but if it exceeds 100 hairs, it is a sign of illness. To prevent it, avoid smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep, and maintain a reasonable weight by exercising regularly.

VNA

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/rung-toc-tan-cong-nguoi-tre-han-quoc-20251009211948303.htm