by Nikki ~ Product Education Director

AI and IQ throw down over hair and consumer trends for The Year 2026.  Luxurious, long flowing, healthy hair has always been a status symbol and even more so for the Year 2026.  Hair is described as expensive looking with high shine and purposeful styling.  Hair looks voluminous yet feels soft with expertly styled waves.  This year, Guests are not only seeking this coveted high-end look but also advanced science products with an environmentally safe conscience and an expert recommendation.

This also comes at a time when consumers are fascinated with the new seemingly helpful tool of AI generated diagnostics to advise them on which hair products to use.  Although a helpful resource in many fields such as automation and medicine, we feel AI perhaps presents too much of a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to determining hair problems and product solutions.  In reality, AI appears to be thinking but lacks subjective experience, something that is only gained by a seasoned hair professional after analyzing hundreds to thousands of heads of hair.

The hair industry goes beyond AI technology.  Hair, its length, density, color, and condition and how those augment existing texture challenges, is very nuanced.  We have always held the opinion that every head of hair is different.  What’s needed prior to any recommendation is an expert Stylist to properly analyze and interpret every aspect of the Guest’s hair.  Also we know, it’s not just the current state of the hair that needs to be interpreted but also the end style goal that needs to be considered when making product recommendations.  Can an untrained Guest or AI search engine really be able to interpret what is even possible for that Guest to achieve given their current hair variables?

The consumer would need to have the wherewithal to know these issues exist in the first place in order to input these problems and conceivably get correct recommendations.  We find it commonplace and completely understandable that the Guest may not even be aware of their hair’s current status and limitations as we do.  Additionally, it’s also that customer’s vision for their hair, what image they want to project, time and budget available to spend on their hair and much more, that are also part of the evaluation process.

Lastly, as trained professionals, we know it’s not only the proper product selection that’s critical but also how to use that product, how much, and what application technique, that can all differ from head to head.  The actual in-salon service is the Stylist’s teaching mechanism to familiarize the Guest with the system of products that is right for them and their hair goals, how to apply them, how much, how often, and of course the styling lesson too.  All of which are important to communicate especially given what we see as this year’s enthusiasm for healthy long flowing hair and its many styling options.

To see all Philip Pelusi Trend Alerts go to Trend Alerts (busystylist.com)