"My Hair Is Precious"... Visiting the 'Hair Loss Mecca' Popular Among MZ Generation

Increased Interest in Appearance Leads to Greater Focus on Hair Care
Dozens Crowd Dermatology and ENT Clinics in Jongno
Long-term Prescriptions Available at Relatively Low Cost

On the afternoon of the 8th, near Exit 1 of Jongno 5-ga Station in Seoul, a cluster of dermatology and otolaryngology clinics could be seen displaying advertisements such as "It's not too late to start now" and "Treating hair loss is a marathon." In this area, which has recently been dubbed a "hair loss mecca" among young people, it was common to see young adults visiting clinics on the second floor with prescriptions in hand, then heading to pharmacies on the first floor.

On the 7th, a hospital prescribing hair loss medication near Jongno 5-ga Station in the Seoul subway is advertising hair loss medication prescriptions. Photo by Seungwook Park

Kim, a 30-year-old office worker, said, "I was shocked when I saw clumps of hair on my pillow. At first, I thought it was a temporary phenomenon caused by stress, but seeing the hair fall out every morning made me lose confidence." Kim added, "I regularly buy medication here, and it seems that the amount of hair loss has decreased since I started taking the pills."

When the reporter entered one of the clinics, about 20 people were waiting for their turn to be seen. Some patients had to stand or briefly step outside because there were not enough seats. Lee, a 26-year-old university student visiting for the first time, said, "After completing my military service, my hair became thinner and weaker, so I decided to come here. At first, I felt embarrassed, but seeing so many people like me was comforting."

About 40 minutes after registering, the reporter was able to see a doctor. When the reporter explained, "I came because my hair seems to be thinning," the doctor examined the reporter's scalp and forehead. The doctor explained, "If you want a prescription for prevention, you can choose between the dutasteride group and the finasteride group. Dutasteride is more effective for hair loss prevention but may cause decreased libido, while finasteride is less effective but also has fewer side effects."

On the 7th, citizens are flocking to pharmacies near Jongno 5-ga Station in the Seoul subway for hair loss medication prescriptions. Photo by Park Seungwook

The young people coming for treatment cited the relatively low cost of long-term prescriptions as an advantage. Jang Junhwan, a 33-year-old office worker, said, "I get a six-month supply of medication at a time, and the cost is about 110,000 won. I've been taking it for four years to prevent hair loss." Lee, 30, said, "You need a prescription to take hair loss medication, but here you can get a long-term prescription for one or even two years at a time. Since many adults in my family have hair loss, I started taking the medication in advance before my hair began to fall out."

According to a recent survey by market research firm Embrain of 1,000 men and women aged 19 to 59, 61.0% of respondents in their 20s and 58.3% in their 30s said they felt the need to prevent hair loss. As young people's interest in appearance increases, the age at which they begin to care for their hair is decreasing.

Experts advise that in order to prevent hair loss, medication should be combined with improvements in diet and regular exercise. Kwon Osang, a professor of dermatology at Seoul National University Hospital, said, "Hair loss is one of the signs of aging, and as puberty occurs earlier, the age at which hair loss begins is also decreasing. Taking hair loss medication consistently, managing your weight, and adopting a vegetable-based diet can help prevent hair loss."

Lee Sangwook, president of the Korean Society of Hair Restoration, also said, "Lack of sleep and irregular lifestyles can cause hair loss, so it is important to maintain a regular routine and get enough sleep." He added, "Uniformly prescribing hair loss medication should be avoided. Prescriptions should be tailored to each patient's gender, age, and blood test results, using a combination of different medications. However, because of the large number of patients, there are cases where medications are prescribed indiscriminately, leading to symptoms such as dizziness and insomnia."