More than 60 percent of Taiwanese men have shown signs of hair loss before the age of 30, higher than the percentages in South Korea and China, a survey showed.
The survey, which was commissioned by a German pharmaceutical and cosmetic company, showed that 39 percent of Taiwanese men — about 1.5 million people — suffer from hair loss, while more than 60 percent said they discovered signs of hair loss before turning 30.
Forty-three percent said stress was the main cause, followed by hereditary factors.
Clinical dermatologist Chao Chao-ming (趙昭明) said in addition to genetics, other factors, such as stress, dietary habits, changes in lifestyle and smoking, can also lead to hair loss in young men.
In his observations, Chao said more young people — especially men — are seeking medical treatment for hair loss, even some teenage senior-high school students.
One of his patients was a 20-year-old man, who said his hair began to fall out when he was in junior-high school and he nearly became bald in senior-high school, he said, adding that it was likely caused by stress from studying for school entrance exams.
The survey also showed that 40 percent consider hair to be an important part of their appearance, while nearly 30 percent think hair loss would affect their self-esteem.
Nearly 70 percent are willing to give up drinking alcohol and nearly 20 percent are willing to sacrifice sexual intercourse if it could alleviate their hair loss.
Chao said people who smoke, consume too much sugar and deep-fried or spicy food, or drink excessive amounts of coffee or alcohol are more likely to have the condition, and advised people to abstain from these habits.
Using an anti-hair loss shampoo every day could also help keep the scalp healthier and make hair stronger, he said.
The survey was conducted by marketing research firm Nielsen between Nov. 23 and Dec. 6 last year on 601 men aged between 25 and 45 in Taiwan, excluding Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties.
Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President William Lai (賴清德) told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners. The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff’s message on Jan. 1’s
A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to work in Taiwan and send her winnings to her family in Vietnam to improve their life. More Taiwanese and migrant workers have flocked to the lottery shop on Sec 2 of Jhangshuei Road (彰水路) to share in the luck. The shop owner, surnamed Chen (陳), said that his shop has been open for just
TAKE BREAKS: A woman developed cystitis by refusing to get up to use the bathroom while playing mahjong for fear of disturbing her winning streak, a doctor said People should stand up and move around often while traveling or playing mahjong during the Lunar New Year holiday, as prolonged sitting can lead to cystitis or hemorrhoids, doctors said. Yuan’s General Hospital urologist Lee Tsung-hsi (李宗熹) said that he treated a 63-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙) who had been sitting motionless and holding off going to the bathroom, increasing her risk of bladder infection. Chao would drink beverages and not urinate for several hours while playing mahjong with friends and family, especially when she was on a winning streak, afraid that using the bathroom would ruin her luck, he said. She had
MUST REMAIN FREE: A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would lead to a global conflict, and if the nation blows up, the world’s factories would fall in a week, a minister said Taiwan is like Prague in 1938 facing Adolf Hitler; only if Taiwan remains free and democratic would the world be safe, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. The ministry on Saturday said Corriere della Sera is one of Italy’s oldest and most read newspapers, frequently covers European economic and political issues, and that Wu agreed to an interview with the paper’s senior political analyst Massimo Franco in Taipei on Jan. 3. The interview was published on Jan. 26 with the title “Taiwan like Prague in 1938 with Hitler,” the ministry
RSS