Professor Chang-Hun Huh: “WCHR 2026 to Seoul Was the Result of Tireless Efforts—A Reflection of Korea’s Elevated Global Standing”

“I hope that the 1,700 participants from around the world will have the opportunity to exchange valuable knowledge and fully experience Korean culture. After such a long period of preparation, it is finally time to enjoy this celebration.”

Professor Chang-Hun Huh (Vice President of The Korean Hair Research Society and Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital) spoke with the excitement of someone whose long-held dream had finally come true.

During the annual meeting of The Korean Hair Research Society in 2023, Professor Chang-Hun Huh expressed his determination to bring the World Congress for Hair Research (WCHR 2026) to Seoul. That aspiration has now become a reality. As a Co-Chair of the congress, he once again sat down with reporters at the venue of the 14th World Congress for Hair Research, which officially opened on May 28.

The host city of WCHR 2026 is decided by the board of the International Federation of Hair Research Societies. The federation consists of eight member societies. Beginning with the American Hair Research Society meeting held in Dallas two years ago, I attended every member society meeting at least once and actively promoted the congress in addition to giving lectures.

After the host city was selected, we also conducted virtual lectures for researchers in Russia and Ukraine, where international travel had become difficult because of the war, and encouraged participation from many countries.

As a result, this year's congress has recorded the largest attendance in its history. I believe it will become a turning point for Korea to establish itself as a major hub for global hair research.

This year, a number of real-world data studies on recently developed treatments for Alopecia areata are expected to be presented. In addition, clinical findings on various treatment approaches for Cicatricial alopecia, a condition that has gained greater attention in recent years, as well as results from studies of new therapies for Androgenic Alopecia, will be introduced. Objective hair assessment technologies utilizing AI and other advanced tools are also scheduled to be presented. Given the significant interest surrounding this topic, these sessions are expected to attract considerable attention.

I believe stem cell therapy will become an important pillar of the future hair research and industry landscape. This is because it is attracting attention as an approach that challenges the difficult task of generating new hair follicles and brings us one step closer to overcoming hair loss. At this year's congress, a number of experimental studies aimed at creating new hair follicles will also be presented. However, as this remains a field that requires substantial further research, it is likely to take some time before these approaches can be applied in clinical practice.

AI is proving particularly helpful in the area of diagnosis. Because visual examination plays an important role in the assessment of hair disorders, it is not always easy to evaluate exactly the same hairs each time a patient returns for a follow-up visit. In fact, the topic of my presentation at this congress is AI. In the past, tattoos were used to identify the same area and monitor changes in hair status over time. However, I will be introducing a method recently developed in Korea that uses AI to assign an identification number to each individual hair, register every hair as if it were a unique individual, and track it longitudinally over time.

The Korean Hair Research Society has played a key role since the early years of the International Federation of Hair Research Societies, the organization that oversees WCHR 2026, as one of its member societies. In the early days, we were satisfied simply to participate in international meetings. However, after successfully hosting the World Congress for Hair Research in Jeju 12 years ago, Korea's standing in the field increased significantly. In particular, researchers around the world highly regard the uniquely Korean spirit of challenge and innovation, reflected not only in basic research but also in the development of new drugs and technologies that have achieved world-first milestones. Today, it is not uncommon to see leading international scholars presenting research findings originating from Korea.

Of course. In particular, many leading researchers are impressed by the well-organized data available in Korea. High-quality baseline data are essential for studying treatment responses, and Korea is recognized internationally for its well-established medical data and healthcare statistics. In addition, the new technologies being developed through innovative ideas are attracting considerable attention from researchers around the world.

The Korean Hair Research Society holds academic exchange programs with the Japanese Society for Hair Research every year, and we are also planning to establish a similar academic exchange program with the Chinese Society for Hair Research in the future. These exchanges are particularly beneficial for young researchers. They provide opportunities to learn from one another, helping participants improve their clinical expertise while also growing as physicians. I believe that creating such opportunities is one of the key responsibilities of a society’s leadership. China, in particular, is a growing market in the field of hair loss treatment. Active exchanges with China will have a positive impact not only on Korean researchers but also on the development of related industries.