GSP 2004 - Demand for Hair Straightening in Asia - (Straightening, relaxing, services, products, professional, retail, requirements, chemicals.)

SUMMARY

The market for all hair care products and services in Asia is positive. Demand for hair straightening services and products is higher in the professional channel (salons) than in other markets around the world. These services are lucrative for salons because they areamong the most expensive.

Hair straightening clients spend more than twice the average spending per salon visit. They are also the most important purchasers of retail hair care products in salons. They buy premium, high mark up products (shampoo and conditioners, treatments, styling aids), particularly those specially formulated for chemically treated hair.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2

THE GSP SERIES 5

PRODUCTS AND TOOLS USED TO STRAIGHTEN HAIR 6

How terms are used 6

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7

MARKET TRENDS 8

THE SIZE OF THE STRAIGHTENING MARKET 8

Some comparisons: China and the UK 8

MARKET CHARACTERISTICS 9

Age of consumers 9

MARKET DRIVERS 9

CONSUMERS HAIR CONCERNS 10

Summary 10

Table 1 Top consumer hair concerns 10

THE RISE OF STRAIGHT HAIR 10

Any return for the curl? 11

The fall of the curl 11

The unfashionable and the unsafe permanent wave 11

One chemical bad, two chemicals worse 11

Chemical combiners 12

Bleached black hair 12

Liability waivers 12

CONSUMER SEGMENTS FOR HAIR STRAIGHTENING IN ASIA 12

Table 2 Consumer segments for hair straightening 12

Straightening curly and straight hair 12

PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS - CHEMICAL STRAIGHTENERS 13

Summary 13

Safer straighteners to avoid bad hair days 13

Table 3 Chemical perils 14

FORMULATIONS FOR ASIAN HAIR 14

The uniqueness of Asian hair 14

"Foreign"  formulations 14

A SIMPLER PRODUCT RANGE AND PROCESS 15

A simpler product range 15

One size fits all 15

Safe on natural and treated hair 15

The straightening cycle 15

A multi-functional perm product 16

Simpler process 16

Shorter product development times 16

Example product(s) 16

Requirements of professional-only products 17

Restricting sales to quality salons 17

Strong demand for add on products 18

Table 4 Check list of product requirements "the dos"  19

Table 5 list of product requirements "the donts"  19

DEMAND FOR PERMING SERVICES IN GSP ASIA 20

Table 6 Markets in Asia in GSP series 20

Table 7 Demand for perming services in 10 countries 20

Table 8 Demand for perming services by type in 7 countries 21

SAMPLE PRICES OF PERMING SERVICES IN SALONS 22

Table 9 Average spending 22

Table 10 Prices for perming services 22

HAIR STRAIGHTENING BRANDS IDENTIFIED IN GSP ASIA 23

Summary 23

The unregulated market 23

Table 11 Companies and brands -Europe and USA- in GSP Asia 23

Table 12 Companies and brands - Japan (16) - in GSP Asia 24

Table 13 Companies and brands - Korea (11) - in GSP Asia 25

Table 14 Companies and brands -Taiwan - in GSP Asia 25

Table 15 Companies and brands - other countries - in GSP Asia 25

Salon own label products 26

APPENDICES 27

APPENDIX GLOSSARY OF TERMS 27

Table 16 Glossary of hair perming and straightening terms 27

The new vocabulary to avoid the p... word 27

APPENDIX HAIR STRAIGHTENING - CHEMICAL PROCESSES 28

Table 17 The chemical formulas and popular terms 28

Lye and no lye 28

Thio and Acid-Based formulas 28

How the chemicals work 28

APPENDIX HAIR STRAIGHTENING IN SALONS 29

Table 18 Hair straightening process in salons 29

Summary 29

The salon consultation 29

Pre-treatment test 29

Are tests carried out? 29

Applying the scalp protector and chemical formula 30

Rinse and apply neutralizer 30

Thermal straightening 30

On-going care of straightened hair 30

Table 19 Product development times and duration 31

APPENDIX REGULATORY SYSTEMS 32

The "Western"  and "Asian"  systems 32

Harmonization for AFTA 32

Product categories 32

Table 20 Hair care products by regulatory category 33

APPENDIX PROBLEMS ESTIMATING THE SIZE OF PERMING MARKET 34

Table 21 Hair care market retail and professional in China 34

Hair market 34

Table 22 Basic data on hair salons and hair care products in China 35

APPENDIX PROFILE OF COMPANIES AND BRANDS 36

Problems with accurate identification and spellings 36

INDEX OF COMPANY AND BRAND NAMES 49

DIAGONAL REPORTS STATEMENT 53

Symbols used in tables 53