YOUR AI HAIRCUT LOOKS AMAZING. But can your hair actually do it?

 

To be completely clear and upfront: I’m not against AI.

In fact, I think it’s an incredibly exciting tool for inspiration.

I love seeing the creative, “perfect” haircuts and colours that clients bring into the salon, not just to me, but to my entire team.

These hyper-realistic images are fantastic for capturing a specific mood, a vibrant tone or an overall aesthetic goal.

However, because these images can look so completely believable, it’s becoming more important than ever for us to sit down and break them down together.

As a hairdresser, my job isn’t to shoot down your vision or, more importantly, your excitement.

It’s to translate an algorithmic dream into a physical reality. And that means looking at what happens when digital perfection meets the laws of science and nature.

The truth is, AI hair simply doesn’t obey the same physical limitations as the hair sitting in my chair, or anyone else’s chair for that matter.

And I think I can confidently say there’s a large percentage of hairdressers out there who feel exactly the same way.

My Top 4 Considerations

(And Why Hairdressers Will Always Be the Experts)

1. AI can’t feel your hair texture.

A digital photograph cannot tell you how your hair strands actually behave. It doesn’t know how much natural movement your hair has, whether it expands with humidity, how it responds to tension, or what will happen if it’s cut shorter.

These are things we can only really understand by seeing and feeling your hair in person.

2. AI doesn’t really know your density.

Sure, a computer can generate a fabulous full fringe or a thick perimeter of lush layers on a digital avatar.

But it does that without knowing whether your actual, real-world density can support that result.

You might love the fringe in the picture, but if creating it means taking half the hair from the top of your head to make it look that thick, we need to have a conversation.

3. AI doesn’t know your hair’s condition.

How does AI even begin to understand the health of your hair strands?

Even if you type in prompts like “damaged because of too much balayage” or “fine and oily depending on my Pilates workout”, a screen can’t truly diagnose your hair.

Hairdressers take the art of client consultation seriously. We need to physically feel the hair, assess its condition and learn about your lifestyle to ensure the best possible outcome from your salon visit.

Sometimes the colour you’re showing us is achievable. Sometimes it’s achievable, but not today. And sometimes getting there would compromise the condition of your hair far more than I’d ever be comfortable with.

That distinction matters.

4. AI doesn’t have to maintain your haircut tomorrow morning.

The generated version of you will never have to wash their hair, style it, deal with regrowth, battle humidity or struggle to recreate what you saw in that magically generated picture.

You do!

And that’s why I’m always thinking beyond how your hair looks when you leave the salon.

What happens tomorrow morning? What happens after you wash it yourself? How much time are you realistically going to spend styling it? Are you coming back every six weeks, or are you more of a “see you in three months, Anthony” kind of person?

All of that matters.

The Reality Check

Here’s the thing: AI is an incredible tool. Absolutely.

And while I can only speak for myself, I would honestly rather a client bring in an AI image than nothing at all.

Why?

Because that image tells me exactly what you’re attracted to.

Maybe it’s the shape. Maybe it’s the softness around the face. Maybe it’s the volume, the colour, the fringe or simply the overall attitude of the hair.

That gives us somewhere to start.

From there, we can work out which parts of that fantasy can actually work with your unique hair texture, density, condition, face shape, lifestyle and commitment to maintenance between salon visits.

And sometimes we can get incredibly close.

Other times, your hair might actually lead us somewhere even better.

If I can leave you with a few words from my decades of wisdom, it’s this:

A skilled hairdresser doesn’t just copy an image, they interpret it for the real person sitting in their chair.

AI can create the inspiration.

But your hairdresser still has to create the hair.

And last but not least, I thought I’d practice what I’m preaching and thought I’d take to AI for THE VERY FIRST TIME, I’m not kidding…first time ever 🥳

I’m kind of into the long wavy blonde with the dark root stretch…I think 🤔 Thoughts?