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AI Hair Apps Offer Scans, Advice, and Subscriptions
Can AI-powered apps deliver a healthier, thicker, better head of hair? One writer tried a few to find out.
Mar. 20, 2026 at 2:00pm
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According to the article, a growing number of AI-powered hair care apps are promising to scan, analyze, and optimize users' hair health. The apps require users to take detailed photos of their scalp and hair, then provide feedback on hair count, density, and other metrics. While the results can be surprisingly accurate in some cases, the apps also often deliver contradictory or questionable information. The article explores the pros and cons of relying on these AI-driven hair care tools, noting that they may be a useful starting point but shouldn't replace consultation with a dermatologist.
Why it matters
The rise of AI-powered hair care apps highlights the increasing role of technology in personal grooming and health monitoring. While these apps offer a convenient way for people to track the condition of their hair, the article raises concerns about the reliability of the data and the potential for users to become overly fixated on the metrics. As AI continues to evolve, it will be important for consumers to understand the limitations of these tools and to use them in conjunction with professional medical advice.
The details
The article focuses on the author's experience trying out several AI hair care apps, including MyHair.AI, HairKeep, HairScan, Hairloss AI, and HairSnap. These apps require users to take detailed photos of their scalp and hair from various angles, then provide feedback on metrics like hair count, density, and signs of hair loss. While some of the apps' assessments were surprisingly accurate, others delivered contradictory or questionable information, such as measuring "porosity" - a metric the dermatologist interviewed dismissed as not commonly used. The apps also often try to upsell users on subscription plans and product recommendations, some of which the dermatologist was unfamiliar with and couldn't verify the efficacy of.
- The article was published on March 20, 2026.
The players
Jennifer Shastry
A dermatologist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago who provided expert commentary on the limitations and potential of AI-powered hair care apps.
Andy Vasoyan
The author of the article, who tried out several AI hair care apps and shared his experiences.
What they’re saying
“Male pattern hair loss, or androgenetic alopecia, is the most common hair loss that guys will face, but there are actually a lot of other types. There's autoimmune hair loss, there's scarring hair loss.”
— Jennifer Shastry, Dermatologist
“It seems like a possible number for sure.”
— Jennifer Shastry, Dermatologist
“It's not something that's well studied or with big randomized controlled trials, so this seems like something maybe they're trying to sell you. I think it's worth using things that have been studied, peer-reviewed, with randomized controlled trials—things that we actually have seen evidence for.”
— Jennifer Shastry, Dermatologist
“It's definitely not like anything you put on your scalp is going to necessarily be beneficial, but these are pretty gentle hair-care recommendations, so nothing too crazy.”
— Jennifer Shastry, Dermatologist
“I actually appreciate when patients come in with photos, because it can kind of give me a sense of, 'Three years ago, this is the density we were looking at.' I do have some caution for maybe being too obsessed with it or doing it too often, because you might spiral into some anxiety if you're relying so much on these numbers, which definitely could have a large margin of error.”
— Jennifer Shastry, Dermatologist
What’s next
As AI-powered hair care apps continue to evolve, it will be important for users to approach them with a critical eye and to use them in conjunction with professional medical advice. The dermatologist interviewed in the article cautions against becoming too fixated on the metrics provided by these apps, as they may have a large margin of error.
The takeaway
While AI-powered hair care apps offer a convenient way for people to monitor the health of their hair, the article highlights the need for consumers to understand the limitations of these tools. These apps should be used as a starting point for hair care, but not as a replacement for consultation with a qualified dermatologist who can provide a more comprehensive assessment and personalized treatment plan.
