How to Use AI Hairstyle in PhotoDirector
Try a new cut on a photo before you ever book the appointment.
Updated Aug. 19, 2026 · 4 min read
In a hurry? Use the AI Hairstyle quick guide instead.
AI Hairstyle puts a completely different cut on a photo, so you can see how it sits on a face before a pair of scissors gets anywhere near it. You can take a ready-made style, or describe the length, fringe, color and texture you are after and let PhotoDirector draw that instead. Either way the rest of the portrait stays as it was shot.
- In PhotoDirector, open Guided & GenAI, click Portrait in the rail, and choose Hairstyle under People Beautifier.
- Import a clear, front-facing portrait, then click Continue.
- Pick a style from the Female or Male tab, or open Custom and describe the one you want.
- Click Generate, then Save the version you like.
Steps to Use AI Hairstyle
Step 1: Open AI Hairstyle
From the PhotoDirector launcher, choose Guided & GenAI. That is the mode that holds the step-by-step AI tools, as opposed to the full editing workspace.
Click Portrait in the rail on the left, and Hairstyle sits under People Beautifier, alongside the other portrait tools. Click it and you get a short intro screen explaining the three stages. Click Start Now to get going.
Step 2: Import Your Photo
Bring in the portrait you want to restyle. If you'd rather see what the tool does before committing your own photo, there are three sample images along the bottom you can click instead. On the right, PhotoDirector shows worked examples of what makes a good source photo and what to steer clear of. Click Continue when your photo is in.
Get the photo right first. PhotoDirector asks for a clear face and an upright pose, and warns against a slanted pose, wide angles, and accessories. A photo that fights those points will cost you a generation to find out.
Step 3: Choose a Style, or Describe One
Here the tool forks, and the two routes suit different moods. If you just want to see yourself in something different, the ready-made styles get you there in one click. If you already have a specific cut in mind, Custom lets you spell it out.
Pick a ready-made style
A gallery of cuts, each shown on a model so you can see the shape before you commit. One click and it runs.
Describe it yourself
Set length, fringe and color from the controls, then add the texture words the presets cannot cover.
Option A: Pick a Ready-Made Style
The Female and Male tabs each hold a gallery of cuts, shown as thumbnails on a model so you can judge the shape rather than guess from a name. Click one and it picks up an orange border to show it's selected, then runs on your photo.
Option B: Describe the Style Yourself
Switch to Custom and you build the style from parts instead of picking one whole. The controls handle the structural decisions, and the description box handles everything they can't express:
| Setting | Choices | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female, Male | Which set of cuts the styling is drawn from |
| Hair Length | Short, Mid, Long | Where the hair falls, before any styling is applied |
| Bangs | Bangs, No Bangs | Whether hair comes across the forehead |
| Color | A swatch row, or none | The shade. Leave it unset to keep the color already in the photo |
| Describe the style | Up to 800 characters | Texture and finish, the part no control covers. Ours read "Beach waves, Smooth" |
Then click Generate. Worth knowing that the controls and the description work together rather than competing: set Short and No Bangs, then let the description carry the words like tousled or sleek.
Step 4: Generate and Save
Generating takes a moment and shows its progress over the photo, so you can see it is working rather than stalled.
When the new style lands, Save appears at the top of the panel. If it isn't quite right, Re-generate runs the same settings again and gives you a different take, which is usually faster than rewriting the description.
Haven't got PhotoDirector yet? One photo of yourself is all it takes to see a cut on your own face before booking anything.
Download PhotoDirector Free →FAQ About AI Hairstyle
A clear, front-facing portrait with an upright pose. PhotoDirector shows this advice on the import screen, along with what to avoid: a slanted pose, wide angles, and accessories around the face. The closer your photo is to a plain headshot, the more predictable the result.
Yes, on the Custom tab. Pick a shade from the color row and it applies alongside the length and fringe settings. Leave the color unset and the tool keeps whatever color is already in your photo.
No. Re-generate runs the same settings again and returns a different take, so try that first. Only change the description or the controls if the result is wrong in a specific way rather than just not to your taste.
