HJ DEBATE

“Can AI Help the Hair Industry?”

Three stylists discuss whether AI has a future in hairdressing

1 BILLY RYAN, OPERATIONS MANAGER, TRIBE SALONS

“AI is reshaping how people work, learn and create and hairdressing is no exception. Some fear it could replace creativity, but in reality, I believe it enhances it. AI removes repetitive work and gives people more time to think, create and connect. For an industry built on personal connection and artistry, that is a major opportunity. AI handles the admin that slows stylists down, with smart scheduling, data analysis and instant access to information. It learns preferences and uses that data to personalise every step of the client journey, enhancing service while freeing stylists to focus on what they do best: delivering great hair and great experiences. It gives stylists tools that accelerate learning, personalise training and raise standards. Collaboration and the exchange of ideas across the world will expand our references and techniques. Virtual reality will soon allow stylists to practise in realistic digital settings before working on live models, making education faster and more accessible. This shift will reshape how salons operate. Traditional hierarchies will matter less, and speed of learning will matter more. A young stylist who embraces AI will outperform an experienced stylist who resists it. It will also fuel entrepreneurship, allowing stylists to test ideas, build personal brands and launch projects faster and with fewer barriers than ever before. As AI handles execution, human creativity and empathy become the true differentiators. AI will not replace the craft of hairdressing, it will elevate it. Those who learn to harness it now will shape the future of our industry.”

2 NOEL HALLIGAN, CO-OWNER, NOCO HAIR BRISTOL

“AI is a welcome addition to the hairdressing industry. The industry is a business, and AI helps businesses. It automates anything that can rule out human error, streamlines any processes in the background, whether you’re employed or self-employed, and improves consistency. The most common misconception is that it is going to replace hairdressers. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about supporting a human-led industry to deliver a better service. We are using it for everything and anything that we can. Over the past few months at NOCO Hair, we have unpacked our business, and put it back together into three categories: how we win (which is attract new clients), how we wow them in the salon, and how we win again when they get introduced to coming back to see us - and we build the relationships from there. Each area is broken down into its own category and when each category has 1% growth inside it that is massive for delivering incredible service and consistency. There are people who are using it to be lazy. The creative process is something that needs to come from the human. AI works off data, which is from the past and right now it can’t think about what’s happening in the future - it may be able to soon, but realistically you need to be able to back up what you’re selling with your own stories, history and your view on what the future looks like. People are also going to use it to show off work that isn’t theirs, so we’re living in a deep fake era. It’s easy to create a video that makes it look like you’ve done it yourself when realistically you can always tell a better story when you have done it yourself.”

3 ERROL DOUGLAS MBE, OWNER ERROL DOUGLAS HAIR SALON

“I don’t put my trust in AI. My trust is in my craft - my hands, my vision, my years of experience behind the chair. That’s what sets me apart, not someone else’s computer. AI absolutely has a place in concept development, mood boards, and efficiency. But when it comes to hair competitions, the heart of it must remain in authentic craft on real hair, captured on real models. Otherwise, it shifts from hairdressing into digital art - and that’s a completely different thing. It’s vital that we’re having these conversations about AI. It’s a huge topic and one that demands proper recognition and boundaries. For me, hairdressing should always celebrate real creativity, skill, and authenticity. AI can inspire us, yes, but it must never replace the soul of hairdressing. Where it’s starting to creep into competitions and awards, that’s my biggest concern. Photographic competitions will likely need separate categories: one for AI creative concepts, another for true photography and craftsmanship. Because what will always stand the test of time is the artistry, teamwork, and integrity of a live shoot. Audiences and judges value truth, technique, and human creativity above all else. Competitions are meant to honour the mastery of cut, colour, texture, and finish that comes only from hands-on expertise. Allowing AI to create or enhance the hair itself undermines everything - the training, the late nights, the teams, the legacy. It becomes a shortcut, not a celebration. As someone who judges many awards, I’ll say it plainly: in the wrong hands, AI is unfair. Used in certain ways, it’s cheating, and it threatens what this industry stands for.”