EP02-Growing Hair Loss Trouble

China is seeing a soaring number of people troubled by hair loss, which has created lucrative business opportunities for related industries, such as hair transplant surgeries. "Hair loss" has become a buzzword among young Chinese. A report released earlier by the China Association of Health Promotion and Education estimated that 250 million Chinese are plagued by hair loss, mainly those aged between 20 and 40. In February, the West China Hospital in Chengdu called online for 30 volunteers to test a hair growth product yet to hit the market. The notice soon went viral and attracted some 20,000 applicants within two days, and most of them were in their 20s and 30s. Liu Xue, one of the volunteers, said that she's trying once more to fix her receding hairline from academic pressure. "The problem really worries me very much. I don't dare wear my hair in a ponytail to show the hairline," said the postgraduate student in Chengdu, adding that the shopping of anti-hair loss products has become a hot topic between her and her friends. According to a report released in 2017 by Alihealth and Alidata – two subordinate platforms of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, among the consumers of anti hair loss and hair growth products, those born after 1990 take up 36.1 percent, followed by the so-called post-80s generation. Li Li, a veteran dermatologist from the West China Hospital, said multiple factors are to blame for the "crisis." "An important aspect is that people's lifestyles have changed a lot. Despite improvements in living standards, people's workloads have also intensified. Meanwhile, changing recreational habits, like excessive smartphone use, have affected many people's sleep," she said. The increasing anxiety caused by hair loss has created a lucrative market. Besides all kinds of hair care products, China has seen a boom in hair transplant institutions in recent years as the demand continues to grow. Mr. Zhang, a mechanic in his 30s, received hair transplant surgery in March. He said that he'd troubled for about nine years and tried many products but all in vain. The emerging industry has attracted the attention of investors. Several leading brands, including Yonghe and Lotus, have acquired large investments, which enabled them to open more chain stores across the country.