2006 Consumer Hair Loss Survey Fact Sheet

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Thursday, July 20, 2006

Hair loss is caused by which of the following?

  • 82% of adults correctly identified heredity as a cause of hair loss.
  • Nearly six in 10 adults believe stress (58%) and medical causes (58%) can trigger hair loss.
  • Less than one in five respondents associate wearing a hat (19%), over-brushing hair (13%) or shampooing too much (10%) with hair loss – all of which are not causes of hair loss.
  • Respondents aged 18-24 are the most likely age group to think stress (73%), over-brushing hair (24%) and shampooing too much (20%) cause hair loss.

Who would you consult first for hair loss?

  • 40% of adults would first seek advice from a primary care or family physician if they were experiencing hair loss, 16% would consult a dermatologist, 15% would consult a physician specializing in hair restoration surgery, 8% would turn to a friend or family member, and 7% would consult a hair stylist.
  • Women are much more likely than men to say they would see a primary care or family physician first (53% vs. 26%).
  • Men are more likely than women to seek advice from a physician specializing in hair restoration surgery (20% vs. 12%).

Would hair loss affect your social life?

  • Nearly two-thirds of adults (63%) would be very or somewhat concerned if they were recently divorced and started dating again and were experiencing unexplained, noticeable hair loss.
  • More women (76%) would be concerned with hair loss if they were recently divorced and had started dating again than men (50%).
  • Respondents aged 18-34 are more likely than those 35 and older to be concerned with hair loss if they were recently divorced and started dating again (72% vs. 60%).
  • Respondents in the South (44%) are more likely than those in the West (34%) to be very concerned with hair loss if they were recently divorced.

Would hair loss affect your career?

  • About three-quarters of adults (77%) would be very or somewhat concerned if they were in their twenties and just starting out in their career and experiencing unexplained, noticeable hair loss.
  • More women (88%) would be concerned if they were in their twenties and just starting out in their career and experiencing unexplained, noticeable hair loss than men (65%).
  • Adults living in the Midwest (25%) are more likely to be somewhat concerned with hair loss in this circumstance than those in the South and West (both 17%).

How would women in their 30s feel about hair loss?

  • Nearly nine in 10 (86%) women would be very or somewhat concerned if they were in their thirties and experiencing unexplained, noticeable hair loss.
  • Women aged 55 and older are more likely to say they would be very concerned if they were experiencing hair loss in their thirties than women aged 18-54 (72% vs. 59%).
  • 68% of women with no children in their household said they would be very concerned if they were experiencing hair loss in their thirties vs. 56% of women with children.

The facts presented were determined from a survey conducted in June 2006 by Opinion Research Corporation in collaboration with the ISHRS. Survey results were based on telephone interviews with 1,023 adults 18 years of age and older living in private households in the continental United States. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level is plus or minus three percentage points.

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