More Young People Seek Treatment for Hair Loss

More younger people are seeking treatment for hair loss, a recent analysis by the National Health Insurance Corporation reveals.

The NHIC analyzed health insurance data for last year and found that those in their 30s accounted for the largest proportion of some 233,194 people who received hospital treatment for hair loss.

They accounted for 22.2 percent, comprising 33,913 men and 17,838 women. Some 50,038 patients or 21.5 percent were in their 40s, followed by those in their 20s with 408,257 or 20.7 percent.

Doctors say hair loss in young people is mainly due to a lot of stress. Difficulty getting jobs and financial concerns amid the prolonged coronavirus epidemic seem to have caused an overall uptick in patients with hair loss, especially among young people.

But Cho Nam-joon, a dermatologist at NHIS Ilsan Hospital, said, "The increase may be because more men in their 30s care about their appearance and tend to frequent hospitals more often, rather than being caused by serious hair loss."