New Brush Uses Data to Give You the Best Hair Day Ever

The Internet of Things is upon us. We use fitness trackers to count our steps, program our vacuums to clean our rooms, and can set the thermostat in the kitchen while sitting in a meeting at work. If all this connectivity is your jam (and you’ve got hair, or a hairy friend or pet), L’Oréal and Kérastase’s new smart hairbrush will help bring your grooming routine into the 21st century.

The theory behind the Hair Coach is familiar: The more information you have about something—in this case, your luscious locks—the better off you’ll be. The setup is also pretty standard: a smart device linked to a tracking app for mobile phones.

Withings

 
What makes Hair Coach unique is its execution: a high-quality hairbrush packed with enough gadgetry to make a spy jealous. A microphone built into the brush records the sound of your brushstrokes, then sends that information to the app for analysis. Movement sensors track and count your strokes, while load sensors monitor how hard you’re brushing. Conductivity sensors inside the brush’s bristles note whether your hair is wet or dry, while the app pulls in local weather data to consider how humidity and temperature could be affecting your ‘do. The net result is a personalized analysis of brushing technique and hair quality, which is used to generate recommendations and tips for better hair care.

Because this is a L’Oréal/Kérastase collaboration, you can expect advertisements and recommendations like “buy this serum.” But if you’ve got a passion for beauty products and some cash to burn—the Hair Coach will retail for $200 in autumn 2017—you’re probably already their ideal customer.

[h/t Gizmodo]