The Effects of Hair Loss Stress on Appearance Orientation and Scalp Care Product Purchasing Behavior among Male Office Workers

In modern society, appearance plays an important role in an individual’s competitiveness and self-identity. As interest in appearance management increases among men, male pattern baldness is acting as a major psychological and social stressor, especially for office workers. This study investigated how hair loss stress affects the appearance interest and scalp care product consumption behavior of office men. An online survey was conducted from April 16 to 20, 2025, targeting 201 men in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Data were analyzed using the SPSSWIN 23.0 program for frequency analysis, factor analysis, reliability verification, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, and the following analysis results were derived. Hair loss stress was divided into interpersonal relationship, appearance-related, and mental stress. The results of the study showed that hair loss stress had a significant positive correlation with appearance interest and consumption behavior. In particular, appearance-related stress had a strong effect on increasing both appearance management and product consumption, and mental stress had a positive effect on others’ perception, but had a negative effect on actual appearance management and consumption behavior. This suggests that men’s attitudes and behaviors differ depending on the type of hair loss stress. This study provides useful implications for establishing marketing strategies in the male scalp care market.