K-Beauty Revolution: How Dr. Groot and Kerasis Are Dominating North America’s Hair Care Market

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K-Beauty is moving fast beyond skincare and staking its claim on scalp and hair. Glossy, camera-ready hair sported by K-pop idols and K-drama stars has turned into a global beauty moment, and Korean brands are racing to bring “K-haircare” into mainstream U.S. retail.
 
Industry sources said on March 29 that LG Household & Health Care’s premium scalp-care brand, Dr. Groot, launched on Sephora’s North American online store the day before and is slated to hit roughly 400 Sephora stores across the U.S. this August. Sephora is the world’s largest beauty specialty retailer and has a notoriously high bar for product claims and brand reputation, so getting shelf space there matters. Since October, Dr. Groot has also expanded into more than 600 Costco locations across North America and broadened its lineup from shampoos to include conditioners—helping push its North American sales up by more than 800% year over year in 2025.
 
Personal-care company Aekyung is making its own U.S. play with Kerasys. On March 2, Kerasys entered Walmart, the country’s largest retail channel, launching three SKUs from its Propolis Hair-Bonding line simultaneously in about 390 Walmart stores across 35 states and on Walmart’s online marketplace. Those products highlight repair and nourishment for hair damaged by bleaching and heat tools—clearly tailored to local consumer needs. Aekyung says it will keep expanding Kerasys’s U.S. distribution through sustained sales and marketing efforts.
 
The success of these Korean brands comes down to careful localization. In the U.S. and Latin America, where curly hair is more common and heat styling is frequent, repair and nutrient-rich formulas dominate. By contrast, scalp care and hair-loss prevention are bigger priorities in Southeast Asia and Greater China. Herbal-ingredient shampoos like AmorePacific’s Ryo and Doori Cosmetics’ Daeng Gi Meori have carved out premium positions across Asian markets.
 
Market researcher Fortune Business Insights valued the global haircare market at about $113.9 billion last year (approximately 151.9 trillion KRW). It projects the market will reach roughly $122.0 billion this year (approximately 162.7 trillion KRW) and grow to $216.9 billion by 2034 (approximately 289.2 trillion KRW). According to Korea Customs Service trade statistics, South Korea’s exports of haircare products have risen annually: $358.22 million in 2023 (approximately 477.63 billion KRW), $413.08 million in 2024 (approximately 550.77 billion KRW), and $478.17 million in 2025 (approximately 637.56 billion KRW).
 
An industry executive said, “K-Beauty companies that proved their competitiveness in skincare are now leveraging that technological edge in haircare. K-haircare looks poised to become the next growth engine for K-Beauty after skincare.”