North Korea sees strange uptick in number of people suffering from hair loss

North Korea is seeing a strange uptick in the number of citizens suffering from hair loss, according to reports on Monday (Nov 27) citing South Korean experts. Speaking to Radio Free Asia (RFA), experts said how the phenomenon appeared to derive from multiple sources, including infections that caused hair loss as an after-effect and use of soap and laundry detergent.

Speaking to RFA, Dr Choi Jeong Hoon from the Public Policy Research Institute at Seoul's Korea University, said that it is "not easy" for North Koreans to find "mild" chemical products.

Dr Hoon, who was earlier in North Korea and fled to the south, said that ordinary North Korean citizens cannot afford to worry about hair loss and the cost of treatment is expensive. 

Another expert said that the military caps might also damage hair due to lack of proper ventilation, which leads to bacterial buildup and clogged pores that can result in thinning hair, Fox News reported.

Ahn Kyung Soo, who runs a blog on health news in North Korea, said that many treatments are more akin to oriental medicines. The report by Fox News also said that hair loss is not just a problem in North Korea, but also South Korea.

In recent years, South Korea has seen sudden and widespread hair loss among citizens. Hair loss became an issue in last year's presidential election. Lee Jae-myung, a candidate in the election who is not bold, garnered from voters after proposing that the government should pay for treatment of hair loss.

(With inputs from agencies)