Small stylized posters or blessing paper are hung in the office to protect employees from going bald. Photo: Screenshot of video by Zhejiang Daily

Baldness is becoming more common in China, with a new survey showing that one out of six Chinese people, or about 250 million people, are suffering from hair loss. 

According to a survey released by the China Association of Health Promotion and Education (CAHEP), men aged 20 to 40 are the main group with the problem.  

The report, conducted by Nielsen, a global market research company, shows that among 1,800 male consumers from megacities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, some 60 percent of respondents said they had hair health problems; 54 percent had signs of hair loss, and 6 percent had severe hair loss problems.

An increasing number of young people are suffering from hair loss. About 36 percent of the hair-loss population is post-90s, a report conducted by AliHealth, a private health arm of Alibaba Group, shows.

Another fact is that men are more likely to experience hair loss than women. A survey from China's medical doctor association concludes that the incidence of hair loss among Chinese men is 25 percent. 

If one adds up the bald area of these men, there are almost 4,725 square kilometers, equivalent to a quarter of Beijing, Caixin Magazine reported. 

According to Zhang Jiuhong, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, the main factor in hair loss is heredity. 

"There are no drugs that can completely cure hair loss," Zhang told the Global Times on Monday. "Too much stress also leads to hair loss."

But while it is a big problem for a lot of people, it is also a boost for the hair care industry. 

Data from e-commerce company JD.com shows that during the first quarter of 2018, sales of shampoos that help prevent and reduce hair loss grew by 387 percent compared with the same period in the year before.

"Keeping a good mood, eating less greasy food, and not staying up late can help relieve hair loss," Zhang noted.