New Survey Finds Growing Demand for Proven Hair Loss Treatments
New Survey Conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery Finds Growing Demand for Proven Hair Loss Treatments
Results released today of a new member survey conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) show more men — and women — are turning to hair restoration surgery as a permanent, natural-looking solution to combat hair loss.
The worldwide volume of surgical hair restoration procedures performed from 2006 to 2014 jumped 76 percent, with 397,048 procedures performed in 2014. The largest gains were reported in the Middle East, Mexico/Central and South America, and Asia.
“The reason hair restoration surgery has surged in popularity over the years is simple — it’s a proven therapy to correct hair loss that has been continually refined with enhanced techniques and instrumentation that can create virtually undetectable results,” said Sharon Keene, MD, president of the ISHRS. “With any type of cosmetic surgery, a doctor’s training and experience matter.
Patients often wish to restore the appearance of hair they once had. Hair restoration surgery is limited by the amount of available donor hair, but remarkable cosmetic restoration can be achieved.
Sometimes this is accomplished by replenishing hair to a receding hairline or filling in a bald spot in men and adding fullness to a widening part in women. Often it involves creating the illusion of density with far fewer hairs than what nature once provided — but results can be life changing for many.”
Since 2006, the worldwide number of hair restoration patients — both surgical and non-surgical patients — increased 64 percent.
While in the past men dominated the hair restoration patient base, more women continue to seek help for hair loss. In 2014, 84.7 percent of all hair restoration surgical patients worldwide were male and 15.3 percent were female.
The number of female surgical hair restoration patients worldwide increased 11 percent since 2006.
Despite a less-than-robust worldwide economy and nearly flat growth in real wages last year, the estimated worldwide market for surgical hair restoration in 2014 was nearly $2.5 billion USD. This is a 28 percent increase in market size since 2012 (see the full report for details).
Overall, 1,055,480 hair restoration patients sought treatment for hair loss in 2014, representing a 9 percent increase since 2012.
Other notable trends and facts from the ISHRS Practice Census survey include:
- In 2014, more than half of both male and female surgical patients worldwide fell between the ages of 30 to 49 years old, 58.6% and 54.7%, respectively
- In 2014, ISHRS members treated a higher percentage of men with surgical hair restoration procedures (84.7%) compared to non-surgical procedures (59.9%)
- In 2014, ISHRS members treated a higher percentage of women with non-surgical hair restoration procedures (40.1%) compared to surgical procedures (15.3%)
- Aside from “wanting more hair”, ISHRS members reported the main reason women were seeking hair restoration in 2014 was that they “felt self-conscious about lack of or thinning hair in this area” (65%)
- 52% of ISHRS members think the next technological “leap” in hair restoration will be cloning/stem cells/cell therapy/cell growth/tissue engineering
To help patients understand the causes and available treatments for hair loss, the ISHRS has produced a series of videos available on its website entitled “Why Do Women Lose Their Hair?”and “Why Do Guys Lose Their Hair?”
About the ISHRS
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) is a global non-profit medical association and the leading authority on hair loss treatment and restoration with more than 1,200 members throughout 70 countries worldwide.
Above all, the ISHRS is dedicated to achieving excellence in patient outcomes by promoting the highest standards of medical practice, medical ethics, and research in the medical hair restoration industry. The ISHRS also provides continuing medical education to physicians specializing in hair transplant surgery and is committed to delivering the latest information on medical and surgical treatments to consumers suffering from hair loss, and most commonly from androgenetic alopecia –male pattern baldness and female pattern hair loss.
It was founded in 1993 as the first international society to promote continuing quality improvement and education for professionals in the field of hair restoration surgery. For more information and to locate a physician, visit http://www.ishrs.org.
About the Survey
Conducted by Relevant Research, Inc., of Chicago, IL, USA, the ISHRS 2015 Practice Census is a compilation of information provided solely by participating physicians. The information published in this survey was developed from actual historical information and does not include any projected information. The margin of error for the sample is within plus or minus 4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level. For a full reprint of the ISHRS 2015 Practice Census Report, visit Hair Restoration Statistics.
