An app to compare two haircuts: build a useful shortlist

Hair Magic can help you explore two available haircut directions using the same starting photo, then compare each preview with your original and keep the useful images. Choose it when you want a guided catalog workflow and notes for a stylist. Its verified description establishes original-versus-preview comparison; this guide does not assume a special two-result comparison screen.

You can review selected saved or exported images separately and write down what each clarified. The important part is keeping the decision consistent. A bob in your current color and a differently lit blonde pixie are harder to compare than two outlines with the other choices held steady.

Hair Magic publishes this guide. The product workflow is based on its App Store listing, checked on 18 October 2026. The exercise is a way to organize preferences, not a scientific experiment or a professional assessment of your hair.

Give each candidate a job

Instead of calling the choices A and B immediately, describe what each would change. For example, one could keep more length beside the ears while the other explores a shorter outline. Or one could introduce a fringe while the other leaves the front open.

You may find that your two saved inspirations do not represent different haircuts at all. They could show a similar cut in different finishes. Resolve that first, or the session may lead you to remove length when the styling was what attracted you.

The bob-versus-lob article separates overall length. The bob with and without bangs comparison isolates the front. Use whichever matches the actual choice rather than changing both just to make the images look more different.

Write down what should stay steady

Use one clear recent photo for both directions. Keep the same color where possible and choose a broadly similar finish. This does not make the generated results controlled evidence, but it removes some avoidable confusion from your own comparison.

List one accessory or feature that matters too. If you wear glasses, you need to notice whether the generated rim or arm changes. If you are comparing a fringe, pay attention to the forehead opening and shortest pieces rather than the appeal of the entire portrait.

The photo setup guide helps prepare the original. Avoid switching to a more flattering photo halfway through and then crediting the second hairstyle for the whole difference.

Prepare the two directions in Hair Magic

Browse the catalog and choose the closest available style to the first direction. Keep your current color and adjust the details offered for that selection. Not every hairstyle provides the same controls, and every inspiration label is not guaranteed to have a matching preset.

Review access before tapping Generate. The photo uploads for cloud processing and an internet connection is required. Hair Magic is free to download with in-app purchases; its listing does not state a free generation allowance. Decide whether the current access fits your intended session.

Compare the first preview with your original and optionally retain or export a useful result. Prepare the second available direction from the same starting photo, again keeping the other choices as steady as possible. The photo try-on guide covers the underlying workflow.

There is no requirement to keep generating until one picture looks perfect. If a result changes too much to help you judge, note what is uncertain. That is more useful than treating an unreliable detail as evidence against the haircut.

Use a short comparison sheet

Fill this in after looking at each preview beside the original. Use observations rather than scores; an invented numerical winner will not resolve a physical question about your real hair.

On a small screen, swipe the table to compare every column.

An example might say: “I like the shorter outline in the second picture, but I prefer the open front in the first.” That is a valid result. You do not need to choose one entire generated portrait as a package.

Separate liking a shape from wanting its routine

Look at the version you expect to wear on an ordinary day. Does your preferred image depend on curved ends, a lifted fringe or a smooth finish you do not plan to arrange? Write that down before choosing the cut.

Ask the stylist to explain which details belong to the proposed cutting shape and which depend on styling. The low-maintenance checklist helps you describe the time and actions you are willing to keep in your routine.

If the shorter choice raises questions about hair growth direction, exact tucking reach or density, leave those questions open for the appointment. The accuracy guide explains why an image cannot settle them.

Keep one preference and one question from each

After the session, put the original and the clearest selected images somewhere easy to find. Record one preference and one question for each option. If you use a Salon Card, include the chosen style, color and practical notes; the Salon Card guide explains its purpose.

You might prefer one outline but still want the stylist to evaluate the other. Say that. A useful shortlist can end with two options and a clear decision point, rather than a forced answer from an app.

For choosing a broader tool, compare the iPhone app workflows. If your starting point is a saved inspiration board, the Pinterest planning guide explains how to identify the detail you actually want to explore.

Can the app tell me which haircut is objectively better?

This exercise does not establish that. It helps you describe your own preference and the practical questions behind it. Your stylist can then assess what the options mean for your actual hair.

What if I dislike both previews?

Check what you disliked. If it is the fringe or the amount of styling, you may have learned a useful boundary. If the face or accessories changed, the image may simply be unsuitable for judging that question. Keep the observation instead of assuming both real haircuts would be wrong for you.

Other product and brand names identify the services discussed. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement of Hair Magic by those providers. This comparison is published by Hair Magic.