On the afternoon of May 8, near Exit 1 of Jongno 5-ga Station in Seoul, dermatology and otolaryngology clinics with advertisements such as "It's not too late to start now" and "Hair loss treatment is a marathon" were clustered together. In this area, now referred to as the "hair loss mecca" among young people, it was common to see young people holding prescriptions, visiting clinics on the second floor and 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

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Kim, an office worker in his 30s, said, "I was shocked to see my pillow covered with clumps of hair. At first, I thought it was a temporary phenomenon caused by stress, but seeing my hair fall out every morning lowered my self-esteem." Kim added, "I regularly buy medication here, and since I started taking it, the amount of hair falling out seems to have decreased."

When the reporter entered one of the clinics, about 20 people were waiting for their turn to see the doctor. Some had to stand due to a lack of seats, while others stepped outside for a while before returning. Lee, a 26-year-old college 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."

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

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

Young people visiting for treatment cited the ability to receive long-term prescriptions at relatively low prices 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 have been taking the medication for four years to prevent hair loss." Lee, age 30, said, "You need a prescription for 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 take the medication in advance before my hair starts to fall out."

According to a recent survey conducted by market research firm Embrain on 1,000 adults aged 19 to 59, 61.0% of respondents in their 20s and 58.3% in their 30s answered that "hair loss prevention is necessary." As young people become more concerned about their appearance, the age group paying attention to hair care has lowered. Getty Image Bank

Experts advise that medication should be combined with improved dietary habits and regular exercise to prevent hair loss. 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 decreasing. Taking hair loss medication consistently, managing your weight, and maintaining a vegetable-based diet can help with prevention."

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Lee Sangwook, president of the Korean Hair Research Society, also said, "Lack of sleep and irregular lifestyles can trigger 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 by combining various medications according to the patient's gender, age, and blood test results. However, due to the large number of patients, there are cases where medications are prescribed uniformly, leading to symptoms such as dizziness and insomnia."