The Long and Short of Hair Care

In personal care, the hair care market holds an impressive second only to the booming skin care segment. Valued at US$47 billion in 2004, the mature hair care sector witnessed a 4.7% rise—not really impressive—but getting there. The hair industry has definitely experienced its share of tangles. Among the factors that have paralyzed the market include: challenging economics (in the United States and China); high penetration driving down unit prices; and very little in terms of innovation. Even in shampoo—the bread and butter of hair care—product saturation must be combated with new ingredients, new technology and new positioning. On the good side, the basics of hair—shampoos, conditioners and styling products—have seen some hopeful development. In this month’s issue, we present our Hair In-Focus documentary to assist you in creating a breakthrough.