Over 16 million Chinese are suffering from trichomadesis or losing hairs, an insider said here Sunday.

A healthy adult has about 100,000 hairs and loses 50 to 100 hairs daily, Shao Guoyun, an insider with the Shanghai Master Biology Gene Science and Technology Development Company said.

"If you lose more than 100 hairs a day, you should consult doctors," Shao said.

China's coastal and developed areas have more people suffering from losing hairs with those higher salary earners in particular, Shao said.

In Hong Kong, five to six people in every ten have the problem of hair losing currently but only two to three ten years ago, Lin Shuling, an expert in Hong Kong said.

"Nowadays, unbalanced diet, job pressure, environmental pollution, TV or computer's radiation are the main reasons for hair losing," she said.

Lin especially opposed those people who frequently dyed or permed their hairs, "it is extremely harmful to one's hairs," she said.

Shao also pointed out that with more people losing hair, the market for hair re-growth liniment is also quite huge in China.

"The Chinese market is filled with fake hair re-growth liniment at present," Shao warned.

"Patients should go to standard hospitals or clinics for consultation and to buy quality hair regrowth liniment according to different causes," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 26, 2005)