Hair Loss (Alopecia): Understanding Why It Happens and What Can Be Done

Hair loss — medically termed alopecia — ranges from the very common (male and female pattern hair loss) to the potentially serious (alopecia areata, traction alopecia, and hair loss secondary to systemic disease). In Korea, dermatology and trichology clinics — Seoul in particular has a dense concentration of specialists — offer comprehensive hair loss evaluation and treatment, including advanced options like PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections, hair transplant surgery, and laser therapy.

The most common type is androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness) — affecting men as a receding hairline and crown thinning, and women as diffuse thinning at the top of the scalp. It is driven by genetic sensitivity to DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and is not a sign of illness, though it can cause significant psychological distress. Medical causes of hair loss include iron deficiency, hypothyroidism, PCOS, telogen effluvium (hair shedding after stress, illness, childbirth, or crash dieting), and autoimmune alopecia areata (patchy hair loss).

In Korea, workplace stress, chemical hair treatments (perms and dyes are common), tight hairstyles, and nutritional deficiencies contribute to hair fragility and shedding. Evaluation typically involves blood tests (FBC, ferritin, thyroid, vitamin D, zinc), scalp examination, and sometimes trichoscopy or scalp biopsy. Medical treatments include minoxidil (topical or oral), finasteride (men), spironolactone (women), and corticosteroids for alopecia areata. Korea has some of the world's most advanced hair transplant clinics for those seeking surgical options.