"200,000 KRW Per Person for Hair Loss Sufferers Aged 19-39"… Which Regions Are Offering Support?

Ordinance Passed... Up to 200,000 KRW Support Expected Per Person

Youths aged 19 to 39 living in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province will soon receive support for hair loss treatment costs.

On the 26th, the Bucheon City Council announced that the "Bucheon City Youth Hair Loss Support Ordinance," which was primarily proposed by City Councilor Son Jun-gi of the Democratic Party of Korea, was passed at the recent extraordinary plenary session.

The ordinance includes provisions to support hair loss treatment costs for youths aged 19 to 39 who have lived in Bucheon for more than two years. After receiving a diagnosis of hair loss at a Korean medicine hospital or a general hospital, individuals must apply directly to receive treatment cost support.

The specific amount of support has not been decided. A plan to reimburse actual treatment expenses up to a limit of 200,000 KRW per person is being strongly considered. Based on an annual budget of 80 million KRW, the plan is to support hair loss treatment costs for 400 people each year.

Councilor Son said, "Hair loss is often considered a cosmetic issue, but the stress caused by it can lead to loss of confidence and social anxiety," adding, "There are many youth support measures related to employment and childbirth, but few local governments provide support for hair loss treatment costs, so we created this ordinance."

The number of hair loss patients in South Korea is on the rise. According to the "Statistics on Diseases and Medical Services in Daily Life" released by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of hair loss patients in the country increased from 224,840 in 2018 to 247,915 in 2022. The scale of medical expenses also rose by about 35%, from 27.1 billion KRW in 2018 to 36.8 billion KRW in 2022. It is estimated that about 1,500 youths with hair loss currently live in Bucheon.

Accordingly, the number of regions establishing ordinances to support youth hair loss treatment costs is increasing. Currently, six areas, including Seongdong-gu in Seoul, Osan-si in Gyeonggi, Suyeong-gu and Saha-gu in Busan, Daegu City, and Boryeong-si in Chungnam, are conducting hair loss treatment cost support projects.