China is witnessing exponential demand for hair transplant operations, what is driving this trend and what are the implications for the rest of us? We take a closer look.
Chinese Hair Loss
We recently covered news out of China which looked at the results of a huge survey on hair loss. The work was carried out by the China Association of Health Promotion and Education (CAHPE) and it concluded that China had 250 million hair loss sufferers, of whom 160 million were men. The numbers are enormous, but then so is China and statistically, they might be about what was expected. But another survey, carried out on 2017 on 4000 students at Tsinghua University, discovered that an amazing 60% reported thinning hair, and 40% reported a receding hairline.
Hair Loss Solutions
The result of an economy that has experienced double-digit growth for decades has been an explosion in the size of the Chinese middle class, an affluent sector with a very Western attitude to consumerism. Taobao, the Chinese E-Commerce giant, reported that there were several hair loss products among their 40 best selling lines. The list includes everything from minoxidil to vibrating hairbrushes and adhesive hair pieces. What was truly remarkable about the Taobao results was that they showed 40% of the sales of these items were made to customers under 30 years old.
It seems a reasonable assumption then that the problem of hair loss for younger people is real, and that the desire to do something about it is facilitated by the availability of western treatments and tools.
Hair Transplantation
With hair loss becoming a major concern for these young affluent workers it is probably no surprise that an industry has grown to meet their needs. In 2017 iResearch reported that the hair transplant market in China was already worth $1.37B… but it was their claim that growth has been in excess of 100% year ar on year.
Liu Zheng is CEO of Lotus, one of the major chains of private clinics with 30 branches across the country. He told China Daily that he expects the exponential growth to continue and predicts a market worth over $10B within a decade. He points to the development of techniques and equipment in China that will continue to improve outcomes and drive down costs. So that despite the possibility of a general slowing down of the country’s growth rate the health of the hair transplant industry looks secure.
HIS Hair Clinic
We look at the growth in China as encouraging. There can be little doubt that a dynamic and growing hair loss industry in China will have positive implications for sufferers around the world.
If you would like to discuss your hair loss situation with one of our team of friendly experts, simply complete our contact form on this page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
