Cutting your hair is easy. Loving it afterwards? That’s the tricky part. One wrong snip, and suddenly you’re Googling “how fast does hair grow” or digging out hats you haven’t worn in a long time. The reality is, haircuts are a commitment, and unlike clothes, you can’t just return them if you change your mind.
Luckily, we live in a time when you can test-drive a haircut without even touching a pair of scissors. The haircut preview apps give you a chance to explore new styles in a safe way. It’s like having a no-pressure trial room for your hair, letting you explore styles that you might never dare to try in real life. And sometimes, those unexpected experiments turn into your next signature look.
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The best haircut preview apps to try now
If you’ve ever left the salon pretending to love your new cut but cried as soon as you get home, you’re not alone.
However, technology brought some friendly apps that use your photo or your phone’s live camera to overlay realistic hairstyles, letting you see exactly how you’d look before you make a decision.
Some are masters of real-time previews, turning your screen into a magic mirror where you can switch between styles with a single swipe.
In the meantime, others focus on photo editing, giving you more time to fine-tune the look and compare options.
These apps for haircut preview are for anyone who’s ever hesitated in the salon chair, unsure if “just a trim” might suddenly turn into a big regret. Fortunately, there’s an app that can give you the preview you need before you commit.
YouCam Makeup
YouCam Makeup (iOS/Android) might sound like it’s all about lip gloss and contouring, but tucked inside is a surprisingly powerful hairstyle preview tool, offering an impressive catalog of different styles, from natural brunette shades to different fantasy tones.
The app uses advanced AI-powered face mapping to fit hairstyles perfectly to your head shape, avoiding the awkward floating wig effect that some apps suffer from.
You can adjust highlights, tone, and brightness to match your current hair color or experiment with something entirely new.
Beyond just haircut preview, YouCam allows you to coordinate makeup and hairstyle in the same preview, so you can see the full effect of your new look for a night out, a date, a job interview, or just a regular weekday.
Using YouCam it’s like having a patient, endlessly creative stylist who never complains when you change your mind for the fifteenth time.
4.5/5
Perfect365
Meanwhile, Perfect365 (iOS/Android) gives you more control over the finer details. In this app, you can adjust the hair volume, tweak the parting, and even refine the curl pattern until it feels like you.
This is perfect for anyone who knows exactly what they want or who’s been burned by a surprise salon transformation before.
It offers both ultra-realistic previews for everyday wear and more stylized, editorial looks for when you want to dream big.
Also, it is possible to save multiple variations and even take them to your stylist to ensure there’s no room for miscommunication.
The ability to tweak styles means you’re not locked into the app’s interpretation of your haircut. You can create something that’s truly yours, right down to the smallest wave or curl.
3.8/5
How to test hairstyles with AI filters
AI hairstyle filters have come a long way from the unrealistic overlays of the early 2010s. With all the technology available today, they became capable of analyzing your face shape, and skin tone to make the style look like it’s genuinely part of you.
For the most accurate results on haircut preview, you need to position yourself in good lighting, natural daylight works best, and keep your current hair pulled back so the app has a clean canvas to work with.
Then, look straight at the camera to avoid distortions. Remember to resist the urge to tilt your head in that selfie pose, unless you want to get a disappointing result.
And here’s a pro tip: try styles you think won’t work on you. Sometimes the unexpected choice can be surprisingly flattering once you see it in context.
Short, long, bangs or color? See it before you cut
Maybe you’re wondering if you’d regret bangs within a week, or if switching from dark brown to honey blonde would make your skin glow or just look washed out. A preview app answers those questions without the drama.
With haircut preview apps, you can cycle through different lengths, experiment with layers, adjust the fringe, and test out shades you might never have considered.
The best part is being able to save your favorites for later and then compare them side-by-side. After that, you can bring them along to your stylist so there’s no guesswork involved.
Think of it as building a personal lookbook for your future self, a collection of “what if” moments that could turn into your next signature style.
And since it’s all virtual, you can afford to be bold and even a little outrageous without risking a single strand.
Tips for choosing a cut that fits your face
We are always wondering what kind of cut will fit better on our faces. Usually, we tend to see other hairstyles and picture how it would look on us.
So, to know exactly what style fits better on us, you need first to know your face shape. It will give you a head start in picking a flattering cut.
The haircut preview apps can help you visualize, but that baseline knowledge helps you narrow down what’s most likely to work.
Then, bring your saved previews to the salon. They act as a visual guide for your stylist, reducing those lost in translation moments that can lead to unpleasant surprises.
And don’t forget practicality. A style that takes an hour to style every morning might be perfect for a special occasion, but exhausting for daily life. The best cut balances looks with lifestyle.
Best haircut preview apps to try a new style – Conclusion
Haircut preview apps are your pre-snip insurance policy. They let you experiment freely, find inspiration, and avoid the kind of salon decisions that end in months of hat-wearing.
With a mix of AI precision and creative freedom, they put you in control of your look before the first hair falls. You might even find that trying a style digitally gives you the confidence to take the plunge in real life.
And if nothing else, you’ll get some entertaining screenshots to share with friends, because who doesn’t want to see themselves with a 1980s rockstar mullet, just for laughs?
Related: Smart Mirrors: The Future of Virtual Try-Ons
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