Artificial intelligence does a lot of heavy lifting, but one thing it can never replace is the head-hands-and-heart combo that a salon professional brings to the beauty industry.
That’s the opinion of Candace Mitchell Harris, one of the most talked-about tech innovators in beauty. She should know: her company, MYAVANA, uses AI and laboratory research for in-depth hair analysis and customized advice for effective hair-care products.
“For the past decade, it’s been such a consumer DIY type of world, with the growth of tech and YouTube content,” Harris says, “but the professionals are so necessary. They’re trained and skilled in how to take care of hair. AI can never replace the salon professional.”
Tech That Empowers Salons & Stylists
Harris and her team started by offering MYAVANA’s services to consumers, and has since developed a Pro version for salons and independent stylists. “As a professional, having more of that knowledge and insight about your clients’ hair only creates more opportunities to service that client well,” she says.
MYAVANA Pro+ includes HairAI, which offers instant hair assessment based on photos; and HairSI, in which clients’ hair samples are sent to the lab for individual analysis.
Both provide data for salon professionals to hone in on products and services they know will work. “You can give them regimens to follow; you can increase your check-ins,” Harris says. “You’re critical to helping them on their healthy hair journey.”
Clients generally jump at the chance to get in-depth knowledge of their hair. “The microscope shows you what your eyes can’t see,” she says. “And when the client sees it too, they can’t deny it.”
The information gleaned about a business' client base can shape critical decisions on retail offerings or stylist training. “If you learn through MYAVANA’s data that client hair loss has been increasing month after month,” Harris says, “hair loss could be a category you might want to explore from an education standpoint.
“It’s an added benefit as far as the insights you can give to your clients,” she says, “and it provides business opportunities to you as well. If the stats say 58 percent of your clients struggle with dry hair, it’s telling you as a business owner to carry more moisturizing products or offer more treatments.”
For Harris, who’s developed a deep appreciation for hair-care experts, supporting stylists and salon owners is personally rewarding. “Everyone needs a good salon professional,” she says, “and I’m excited to be working with them.”
Watch MYAVANA's free, on-demand webinar about its Pro+ service for salons and beauty professionals.