A Chinese woman dyes her hair 1.9 times per year, while the number in Western countries is 5, according to the China Hair Report released last week.

Co-launched by China Consumers' Association, China Hairdressing and Beauty Association, and the global cosmetics giant L'Oreal, the report says hair coloring is a big sector in the country, and will become much more profitable in the future, especially in the next five years.

"Many Chinese consumers still have a bias against hair dye," says Yan Xiuzhen, president of CHBA.

Some believe it conflicts with traditional healthcare theories, while others fear it might hurt the hair or dry out the scalp, causing flaking skin. "But with the appearance of professional and trustable hair salons, more consumers are becoming sophisticated and will choose to dye," Yan says.

Growing trend

According to the report, 46 percent of Chinese women have received hair-dye services. About 500 million consumers go to professional hair salons for coloring per year. Three years ago, more than 20 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 24 dyed their hair, but this year, the percentage is 33.

At the same time, there is a growing trend in the country for men to dye their hair. More are businessmen older than 35, who want to cover gray and white hairs.

L'Oreal, the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company, has specially launched gray-coverage service for the Chinese market in high-end hair salons that attract new male customers - especially in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

However, the company notes that some male consumers ask for a coloring treatment that produces a mix of gray and black, in a chic, modern style. That means Chinese men are becoming more open to coloring options beyond preserving the jet-black of their youth.

Christophe Schmutz, vice-president of L'Oreal China Professional Products Division, says the hair salon plays a very important role in the industry.

"In China, we see there are some key features of successful salons. First, top quality. Salons must be a good destination of beauty and well-being. Second, they must have a well-trained team, especially on coloration. The third one is using top-quality products to insure confidence and trust from the consumers. Good communication is also very important," Schmutz says.

A big showcase

Together with the launching of the report, the French company also held a L'Oreal Color Trophy show to present its latest hairstyles and colors.

The trophy show, founded in 1950 in the Great Britain, came to China in 2001. This year, the show featured colorful creations from L'Oreal Chinese hairstylists Hao Hai, Yang Shu, Yang Xiaodong and Zhou Xiaofeng.

Zhou wowed the fashionistas by presenting a big curvy hairstyle in dark purple. The warm color and the vintage style give a sexy touch to the model. He says hair coloration in China is becoming "much bolder".

"The most popular colors among Chinese female consumers are brown, red, and purple. But more younger consumers tend to dye some bright colors, for example, pink, silver and even green," says the veteran stylist Zhou.

gantian@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 09/09/2013 page8)