To enhance the experience with its consultants and consumers, Natura developed a technology that measures the state/degree of damage to hair. The diagnosis is made using a tool that combines a lens device, a mathematical algorithm, and an app, which also includes a questionnaire about hair habits and structure.
To analyze the hair structure, an image is captured from the device developed by Natura, attached to the cell phone camera. The combination of portable lenses (cell phone lens and device lens) – similar to that of a microscope – allows for a highly magnified image of the hair strand.
One of the challenges was to arrive at the ideal design of the device, which required intense efforts from the research and development area. It is capable of holding an adequate amount of hair from each consumer in the lens setup, as well as standardizing the lighting and magnification of the obtained image. Standardization is important so that the algorithm can properly analyze the strands.
The mobile app collects images and responses from consumers about their hair (how it is and how it looks), and sends them for analysis in the cloud, on a Google platform exclusively for Natura. For all this to happen, Natura researchers worked for over 5 years using more than 18,000 images of hair strands stored in our laboratories. Additionally, over 4,000 images of different types and colors of hair from more than 100 women who participated in the study were collected.
All the knowledge obtained from the image analysis of strands (in vitro in the laboratory) and hair samples (in vivo from the volunteers) was combined to refine the algorithm, which employs machine learning and unsupervised statistical analysis technologies to reach a diagnosis for each submitted photo.
After the real-time evaluation of the hair's condition, which considers the damage and consumer habits, the app indicates the best treatment regimen for that hair, taking into account the products from the Natura portfolio.
The development of the integrated solution is part of Natura's innovation and digital transformation strategy, which seeks to provide tools for Beauty Consultants to offer increasingly differentiated services to consumers through new technologies developed in-house. Generating experiences that add value to the consulting service is essential. The device is currently in the final testing phase and will soon be officially launched to the market.
