Will AI replace hairdressers?
Updated
Hairdressers score 26 of 100 for AI exposure. 55% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 17% today and speed up another 28%.
- 17% AI can do it
- 28% AI helps
- 55% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 69% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 22 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 3 of them today, speeds up 6 and leaves 13 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Schedule client appointments. Online booking and calendar software handles appointment scheduling. | 85% AI can do it |
| Update and maintain customer information records, such as beauty services provided. Software can log and update service records from notes. | 80% AI can do it |
| Operate cash registers to receive payments from patrons. Point of sale software already handles payment processing and receipts. | 80% AI can do it |
| Order, display, and maintain supplies. Software can automate reordering and tracking; displaying stays physical. | 40% AI helps |
| Recommend and explain the use of cosmetics, lotions, and creams to soften and lubricate skin and enhance and restore natural appearance. AI can answer product questions; recommendations still need in person assessment. | 40% AI helps |
| Demonstrate and sell hair care products and cosmetics. AI can suggest products and draft pitches; demos stay in person. | 30% AI helps |
| Develop new styles and techniques. AI can generate style ideas; technique development needs hands on testing. | 30% AI helps |
| Train or supervise other hairstylists, hairdressers, and assistants. AI can draft training materials; supervision stays with a person. | 28% AI helps |
| Analyze patrons' hair and other physical features to determine and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles. AI can suggest styles from photos, but in person judgement leads. | 22% AI helps |
| Keep work stations clean and sanitize tools, such as scissors and combs. Physical cleaning and sanitizing of tools and stations. | 8% Needs a person |
Show the other 12 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Attach wigs or hairpieces to model heads and dress wigs and hairpieces according to instructions, samples, sketches or photographs. Attaching and dressing wigs on heads is hands on work. | 6% Needs a person |
| Bleach, dye, or tint hair, using applicator or brush. Applying bleach or dye to hair is hands on work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Administer therapeutic medication and advise patron to seek medical treatment for chronic or contagious scalp conditions. Administering medication and clinical scalp care needs a person. | 5% Needs a person |
| Cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, based on customers' instructions, hair type, and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors. Cutting and shaping hair with tools needs live physical skill. | 4% Needs a person |
| Comb, brush, and spray hair or wigs to set style. Combing, brushing and spraying hair is hands on styling. | 4% Needs a person |
| Shampoo, rinse, condition, and dry hair and scalp or hairpieces with water, liquid soap, or other solutions. Washing and conditioning hair is physical work on a client. | 3% Needs a person |
| Apply water or setting, straightening or waving solutions to hair, and use curlers, rollers, hot combs and curling irons to press and curl hair. Using curling irons and hot combs on hair is physical work. | 3% Needs a person |
| Massage and treat scalp for hygienic and remedial purposes, using hands, fingers, or vibrating equipment. Scalp massage with hands or devices is physical treatment. | 3% Needs a person |
| Give facials to patrons, using special compounds, such as lotions and creams. Facial treatments are physical services applied to the skin. | 3% Needs a person |
| Shape eyebrows and remove facial hair, using depilatory cream, tweezers, electrolysis or wax. Waxing, tweezing and electrolysis require direct hands on skill. | 2% Needs a person |
| Shave, trim, and shape beards and moustaches. Shaving and trimming beards requires blades and physical contact. | 2% Needs a person |
| Clean, shape, and polish fingernails and toenails, using files and nail polish. Filing and polishing nails is hands on physical work. | 2% Needs a person |
How hairdressers compare
All occupations (923)
Personal care and service (31)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $35,790 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 305,710 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +7.7% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Perform balayage, color correction and cutting on live clients
- Manage client bookings in appointment scheduling software
- Keep color formulas in customer information databases
- Hold a state cosmetology license for hair services
- Demonstrate hair care products during in-person consultations
- Track product reorders in Microsoft Excel
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about hairdressers and AI
Will hairdressers be replaced by AI?
Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly scheduling appointments and taking payments at the register. The hands-on work stays with people, since cutting, coloring and styling need a person in the chair.
Will AI take over hairdressing?
AI can already do 17% of the task time in hairdressing and speeds up another 28%. People still do 55% of it. The US has 305,710 hairdresser jobs, with a projected change of +7.7% from 2024 to 2034.
Which tasks is AI taking over for hairdressers?
Appointment scheduling is the most exposed task, scoring 85 for exposure, and online booking software already handles it. Updating client service records, scoring 80, can be logged automatically from stylist notes. Point of sale software also covers the cash register, which scores 80.
Which hairdresser tasks stay human?
Shampooing, rinsing and conditioning hair scores 3 for exposure because it is physical work on a client's scalp. Waxing, tweezing and electrolysis score 2 and need direct hands-on skill. Scalp massage manually also scores 3, since the treatment depends on touch.
How can hairdressers stay valuable as AI spreads?
Lead the in-person consultation, since recommending products scores only 40 and still needs a physical check of the hair and scalp. Keep color formulas and patch test notes current in your customer information database. Use Excel to track product reorders and sales. Post color transformations on YouTube and Facebook to attract clients who book in person.
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