L’Oréal takes longevity science to hair care

Recently, the 14th World Congress for Hair Research (WCHR 2026), known as the “academic Olympics” of the global hair science community, was held in Seoul, South Korea. As an official partner, L’Oréal Research & Innovation (R&I), together with Vichy, a brand under L’Oréal Dermatological Beauty, participated in the congress. During the event, L’Oréal North Asia hosted a dedicated “L’Oréal North Asia Innovation Summit,” marking the first systematic launch in Asia of several pioneering scientific breakthroughs in hair and scalp longevity. The summit showcased L’Oréal’s latest explorations in The Beauty of Longevity, Medical-Research Co-Creation, and AI-powered evaluations. At the summit, L’Oréal also engaged in dialogue with leading global clinical and hair research experts, as well as industry leaders, including Prof. Chang Hun Huh, Co-president of WCHR 2026 and Chair of the Department of Dermatology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, and Prof. Wenyu Wu, President of WCHR 2030 and Director of the Department of Dermatology at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, to discuss the future of beauty and health innovation. The most important message from the summit is clear: L’Oréal is extending its vision of The Beauty of Longevity from skin to scalp and hair. Follicle biological age: Hair longevity’s new frontier At the summit, Pascale Mora, Global Director of Scientific Communication at L’Oréal R&I, introduced the concept of “Follicle Biological Age.” In simple terms, hair follicles have their own “age,” which may not necessarily align with a person’s chronological age. Some people may experience hair loss, graying, or scalp sensitivity at a relatively young age, while others may maintain relatively stable hair conditions as they grow older. This is closely linked to factors such as stem cell vitality, mitochondrial function, chronic micro-inflammation, and proteostasis. While these terms may sound highly scientific, for consumers they point to a more intuitive question: why do some people’s scalp and hair enter a “fatigued” state earlier than their actual age would suggest? Based on these discoveries, L'Oréal has established a proprietary, patent-protected scientific framework of hair longevity to systematically explore the root causes behind hair thinning, hair loss, graying, and scalp sensitivity. The ultimate goal is to extend the healthy lifespan of every hair follicle through earlier and more precise scientific intervention — heralding a paradigm shift from “hair loss prevention” to “hair longevity.” How AI is mapping the mental toll of hair loss At the same time, AI is playing a pivotal role in L’Oréal’s Longevity Integrative Science. Dr. Frédéric Flament, Global Head of Clinical, Physics & Tech Sciences of Evaluation Intelligence at L’Oréal R&I, shared findings from the company’s largest-scale global study on the correlation between skin and hair conditions and mental well-being. The study covered 12 countries and more than 21,000 participants, combining extensive questionnaire responses with image data for analysis. The study found that, among all skin and hair concerns, hair loss is the single most psychologically penalizing dermatological condition worldwide. Its effects go beyond appearance-related anxiety, influencing a person’s self-confidence, sense of vitality, and social engagement. More importantly, this impact is not limited to one specific group, but transcends boundaries of gender, skin phototype, and cultural background. During the summit, Dr. Chunya Ni from the Department of Dermatology at Jing’an Branch of Huashan Hospital, also shared the latest co-creation achievements of the Joint Lab of Huashan Hospital-L’Oréal China, including Asia’s first “Hair Fall Atlas for Chinese Men Based on Trichoscopy,” demonstrating the important value of deep synergy between clinical medicine and industrial research in advancing scalp and hair longevity innovation. Why North Asia drives global beauty innovation The summit also featured a “Future of Beauty” roundtable. Moderated by Sharon So, Corporate Affairs and Engagement Director of L’Oréal South Korea, the panel brought together Professor Wenyu Wu, Director of the Department of Dermatology at Huashan Hospital, Fudan University; Dr. Frédéric Flament, Global Head of Clinical, Physics and Tech Sciences of Evaluation Intelligence at L’Oréal R&I; Dr. Anne-Laure Bernard, Global Head of Hair Scalp DA at L’Oréal R&I; and Daniel Ye, Director of Augmented Beauty at L’Oréal North Asia R&I. The speakers held an in-depth discussion on the real-world application of L’Oréal’s longevity integrative science, the balance between AI and human care, and how North Asia can serve as an innovation engine for global beauty tech. From the holistic L’Oréal Longevity Integrative Science framework to AI-powered global scale studies, the series of achievements unveiled at the summit point to the complete scientific ecosystem L’Oréal is building: one that begins with fundamental research, is supported by clinical validation and co-creation, and ultimately returns to real consumer needs. This also means that scalp and hair care is moving beyond traditional problem-solving routines into a longer-term, more precise, and more forward-looking stage of health management. When hair is no longer treated as something passively waiting to be “repaired,” but is instead integrated into a more scientific health management system, the beauty industry’s narrative around “youth” is also beginning to change.

L’Oréal takes longevity science to hair care

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L’Oréal takes longevity science to hair care

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