The professional scalp care segment showed a strong increase in sales last year. A stable 12% growth was seen across all regions and almost all country markets covered in our recently published Professional Scalp Care Products: Global Market Snapshot report. While scalp care growth is still behind the overall salon hair care market, its decrease in 2020 was also not as abrupt.
Globally, there are three main factors driving the demand for scalp care products:
Scalp health becoming a priority
Stressful lifestyles, pollution, and aging are some of the main reasons why the demand for scalp care products is on the rise. As consumers are experiencing more issues related to the scalp, they are becoming increasingly aware of at-home regimens to protect and maintain a healthy scalp. Salon services tackling scalp care concerns are equally important. In fact, the average price of a scalp care service in U.S. salons is up 18% for the first half of 2022 compared to 2021, according to Kline PRO, our salon retail products and services database.
An influx of new product launches
Every year, there is a plethora of care product launches with scalp care functions. Our Professional Hair Care Intelligence Center shows that 13% of all new product activities that we track belongs to the scalp care and hair thinning category. Hair loss is the number one concern addressed by scalp care products in Western countries, such as the United States. It also remains the main function in most markets. Aging is a key product function in Asian countries. In Japan, more than half of the products address hair loss/thinning hair issues, with moisturization being another important feature.
Examples of new product launches in Japan
Examples of new product launches in the United States
High penetration in key markets
While the United States and Japan are the leading markets for scalp care products, the most robust growth comes from other countries. Canada stood out with over 50% growth in sales in 2021. However, scalp care is still a niche category in the Canada hair care market. With rising stress levels and illnesses during the pandemic, the demand for these products surged significantly—even in countries where it was not as prominent previously. With an almost 20% increase, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary collectively represent the second-fastest growing scalp care market. Treatments for sensitive scalp and hair loss grew in popularity there, particularly in the take-home segment.
For more dynamics on the global market for salon hair care products targeting issues related to the scalp, such as hair thinning, hair loss, dandruff, and sensitive scalp, please refer to our Professional Scalp Care Products: Global Market Snapshot. It covers sales and growth of scalp care products in 10 key markets—Canada, China, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States—as well as a deep analysis of scalp care product portfolios of key brands.
