ditional medicine, which combines herbal extracts, acu-
puncture and therapeutic massages (Jihop), has been
proven over several thousand years of practice. In fact,
large numbers of modern drugs have been developed
based on their traditional medicine. reliable products at the university level, in coopera-
tion with corporate,” said Professor Noh Young-hee at
Konyang University, the school that pioneered Medi-
cal-beauty, incorporating medical aspects into beauty
culture.
Asian scholars and cosmetologists saw the potential of
trichology and began incorporating the conventionally
developed trichology of the UK with Asian traditional
therapy. The result was explosive. Within the first three
years, more than 25,000 trichology centers opened in
Korea alone, and the numbers are still growing rapidly.
Service fees range from $50-$150 for a 1-hour session
with millions of consumers visiting trichology centers
regularly. During the past decade, Noh and a number of scholars
have published more than 70 books on trichology. The
study of trichology is now included as a part of cosme-
tology studies in more than 140 colleges and Universi-
ties in Korea alone, including the private institutions.
There are thousands of new trichologists entering the
market each year.
As the demand for trichology services grows, medical
clinics have been pressured into providing trichology
service. It has become a popular treatment at most der-
matologists’ offices, but with much larger price tags.
What Triggered Its Success?
“I think it is mostly because
academia and the beauty indus-
try working hand in hand from
the beginning. These sound
infrastructures helped generate
a large number of well-trained
trichologists in a relatively
short period of time and devel-
oping scientific theories and
In addition to the strong support of academia, the scien-
tists who studied traditional medicine made a huge im-
pact when they merged the modern science of trichol-
ogy with the benefits of the herbal science from Asia.
Fueled by the enthusiastic consumers, and with a prov-
en track record, the herbal trichology service is likely
to spread like wildfire into North America and Europe.
Opportunities and Challenges
When considering the
potential to generate
tens of thousands of
new jobs and bringing
more clients to salons,
the herbal trichology
industry clearly offers
many opportunities for
29