November 22, 2024

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A Kolmar Korea researcher is testing materials used in cosmetics. (Kolmar Korea)

Kolmar Korea, a cosmetics original design manufacturer, said Thursday that the company has developed an artificial intelligence-based solution that can diagnose hair loss, using scalp biomarkers.

The new solution can diagnose 16 types of androgenic hair loss, including nine male and seven female types, by screening biomarkers on the scalp's surface.

When a dermatologist collects samples of a patient’s scalp and places them on analysis equipment, the AI-powered solution is designed to analyze the scalp of patients to identify the type of hair loss, Kolmar Korea explained.

“Scalp biomarkers allow dermatologists to study a patient's scalp microbiome and more specifically determine the cause of a patient’s hair loss,” an official from Kolmar Korea said. In December last year, Kolar Korea issued a patent relating to this diagnostic method that uses scalp biomarkers, the company added.

Kolmar Korea expects its hair loss diagnostic tool will help patients and dermatologists choose optimized treatments. The company also plans to develop cosmetics that target 16 different types of androgenic hair loss.

“There are many genetic variations in regards to androgenetic alopecia. Kolmar Korea will aim to secure over 10,000 types of cosmetics that can target a wide range of individuals with hair loss symptoms,” the official from Kolmar Korea said.

Kolmar Korea added the company is increasing its research and development efforts to introduce new hair loss products that use natural ingredients and microbiomes.

In April, Kolmar Korea showcased the results from its research that studied the hair loss prevention effect of Sophora flavescens extract at this year’s World Congress for Hair Research, the most anticipated gathering of hair researchers held in Texas in the US.

At the conference, Kolmar introduced its findings that Sophora flavescens extract can not only strengthen hair roots and hair growths but also modulate the expression of some of the genes involved in baldness.

In January, Kolmar Korea announced that the company has recently succeeded in developing “biome-scented” ingredients that suppress hair loss-causing bacteria and balance a healthy scalp ecosystem. The company is the first in the world to develop this ingredient and has filed patents in three countries, including Korea, the US and Japan, it added.

A Kolmar Korea official stated, “As the global market for hair loss products grows, there is also an increasing demand for premium hair loss cosmetics. We will accelerate the research and development of various hair loss products, including the newly developed Sophora flavescens root extract.”

According to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, the global market for hair loss treatment products is estimated to reach some $21.1 billion by 2025, with an average annual growth rate of 9 percent.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)