As I've gotten older, I've come to accept the fact that I'm not the greatest at making decisions. Am I going to order the burger or the salmon? I'll likely make a game-time decision. Will I wear my black T-shirt or my white T-shirt? The answer isn't clear. Should I get back together with my ex-boyfriend who left the country to find himself but is now back and wants to date? I'm not sure. Sometimes, it feels like I need someone to make all of my life decisions for me, and that's where AI comes in. (Kind of.)
For those unfamiliar with the AI website ChatGPT, allow me to give you a basic rundown. You visit the website or the app, type in a question, and then allow the AI bot to answer. You can essentially ask it anything, and the AI bot will formulate answers based on its knowledge taken from the internet.
I'm no stranger to using AI. I tried an AI-powered dating app earlier this year to see if it could help me land a date (which it did) and I've also asked AI to help me with my makeup. However, the results from both of those past situations were mixed. Some parts were good, some parts were just OK, and others were downright bad.
Since my experience using the app to create an everyday makeup look didn't go totally belly-up, I decided to see if we could create similar magic with a hair-care routine. I have dry, damaged, color-treated hair, and I've been on a mission to get it as long and healthy as possible for years. As someone who writes about beauty full time, I have access to amazing hairstylists, trichologists, and dermatologists, all with a wealth of knowledge about what products would suit me best. Would AI measure up? I was eager to find out.
I started by asking ChatGPT a fairly broad question: "Can you help me create a hair-care routine for my dry, damaged, color-treated hair? I'm looking to grow my hair long and strong, and I'm searching for a full routine with specific products." ChatGPT quickly generated a seven-step regimen, and stated I should use a gentle, moisturizing shampoo, a conditioning treatment, a weekly hair mask, a leave-in treatment, a heat protectant, and a scalp treatment. The AI bot also noted that I should get regular trims every six to eight weeks to remove split ends.
The AI bot also listed out three specific products per step. I had tested and liked a few of the options, but there were others that I knew I wasn't a fan of; for example, a heat protectant that made my hair feel greasy and a leave-in treatment that made my fine hair feel weighed down. I decided to tell the AI bot which products I had tested and liked in the past and which products I didn't, and from there, I was able to narrow down a list of products that I would use for a week to see how the routine worked for my hair.
I settled on the Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner For Dry Hair ($67) and the dpHUE Cool Brunette Conditioner ($28) because my color-treated hair often gets brassy. I also opted for the Oribe Moisture & Control Deep Treatment Hair Mask ($66) for use once a week, as well as the Wella Ultimate Repair Protective Leave-In ($35), which would serve as my leave-in treatment and heat protectant for wet hair. When I needed to use a heat protectant on dry hair, I would use the Oribe Gold Lust Dry Heat Protection Spray ($46). For a scalp treatment, I went with the Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment Serum ($22)
I was fairly open to testing a host of new products but there were a few I was nervous about. I'd been in love with my current leave-in treatment for years, and I was nervous that switching to a different product would weigh my hair down or leave it feeling greasy.
I also asked the AI bot to make some suggestions for hair tools and luckily, I already owned the majority of what was suggested. However, I asked whether or not I should limit my use of hot tools, and after explaining I used them at least once a day every week, ChatGPT said I should switch to a lower heat setting and only plan to use hot tools one to two days per week, which was not something I was excited about trying out. I'm a hot tools girlie through and through (I can't live without my Dyson Airwrap), but since I knew I was going to be skipping the heat, I decided to ask for some dry shampoo suggestions, and I got the Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo ($15).
Once I had everything I needed stocked up and ready to go in my bathroom, I felt like I was ready to take on the world. After a week of testing almost all new products (and hitting the dry shampoo hard AF), I have to admit: the AI bot suggestions weren't half bad. Did I like air-drying my hair? Not really. But I did get the chance to use some heatless hair hacks that I had been seeing on TikTok and I was able to give my hair a much-needed break.
On the days when I heat-styled my hair, I actually found that some of the products I incorporated into my routine gave me more volume and left my hair feeling silkier and smoother than other products I used to swear by. Although I don't plan on swapping everything out, I'm incorporating at least four of the suggestions into my weekly hair regimen. All in all, I'd consider this to be one of my most successful interactions with an AI bot. Now, if only ChatGPT could get me a boyfriend. . .
Renee Rodriguez is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for PS's TikTok and Instagram accounts.