First came the robot manicure. Now, we can put our lashes in the “hands” of a machine.
California-based LUUM is using robotics and AI to automate lash extension appointments. Its system handles the painstaking precision work of applying individual lashes, while a human beauty professional takes care of client consultation, prep, customization, and finishing touches.
LUUM robotic lashes are currently available in Dallas, the Bay Area, and Orange County, CA. New York City and metro Chicago are on deck.
CEO Jo Lawson told American Salon how the technology works, why lashes are a natural fit for automation, and what happens to the beauty appointment when AI and robotics pull up a chair.
American Salon: Why were lash extensions the first beauty service you chose to automate?
Jo Lawson: Lash extensions were the natural starting place for LUUM for a few reasons. Manual lash placement on individual lashes is on the edge of human capability in terms of speed, precision, vision, and tedium. It's exactly the kind of job a robot is perfect for because it can move precisely, quickly, and can achieve results.
We believe there is a place for human interactions and involvement, but our robots can take the tedious portion away from beauty professionals so they can host their clients and focus on the overall experience.
AS: What measurable advantages does the technology offer compared with traditional lash appointments?
JL: Robots learn and speed up over time with more appointment data, which means they will ultimately be about three to four times faster than a human lash artist. Instead of hours from traditional application, we will deliver lashes in minutes.
This drives client loyalty because time is the biggest hurdle our clients report as a barrier to regular lashing. It also means our lash artists get to see a lot more clients in a day.
The entire point of our robot is to reduce appointment time; to create a safer client environment with no sharp instruments and no prolonged close contact with humans; and to increase appointments, labor efficiency, and revenue.
AS: How does the technology change the role of the lash artist or esthetician?
JL: LUUM lash artists are critical to our client experience. The lash artist manages literally everything except the bulk of the tedious, time-consuming lash application work.
Our lash artists welcome the client, consult with the client on lash styles, prep the client’s lashes and masks, place the client into the robot, run the robot as needed, and then perform final touchups at the end.
Our clients love the robot/ lash artist team because the robot delivers so much value — speed, comfort, consistency, less intrusive — and the lash artist delivers the personal touch.
For lash artists, LUUM also plays an important role because theirs is a very hard job. We consistently hear of all the aches and pains and musculoskeletal issues that lash artists develop over time. The robot takes the hardest, most tedious part of their job away.
AS: What has client feedback been like so far?
JL: They love the robot. Forty-five percent of our clients are brand new to lashing because of the robot. Its speed, non-intrusiveness, and comfort are all factors that bring them back over and over.
AS: Are there common concerns or misconceptions people have before trying a robotic lash appointment? What typically changes their minds?
JL: Sometimes safety comes up. The interesting thing is that in the manual process, someone is leaning on your forehead, very close, with sharp instruments a millimeter from your eyes, for long periods of time. This is more intrusive and risky than our system is.
Our robot has no sharp instruments and physically cannot reach our clients. The robot uses flexible, not sharp, feather-light wands to isolate a client’s lash and place a lash. Plus, we have safety built into the hardware — it can’t reach a client — and the software. The robot pauses if the client is moving too much.
AS: Other than nail services (which already exist), what other beauty, spa, or wellness services could eventually benefit from AI-assisted or robotic delivery?
JL: We are creating a new category of intelligent beauty services and have a lot of ideas for the future, which I cannot share with you at this time. But the $400B U.S. market for beauty services is ripe for new, automated experiences.
Automation will uncover new types of services in the future that do not exist today and can be better delivered with the precision and vision of a robot.
AS: How do you envision the balance between technology and human artistry evolving over the next five to 10 years?
JL: For the beauty services industry, we believe technology will continue to enhance client experiences but should never remove the human touch.
The tech/ human partnership will evolve based on the needs and desires of clients and the technological innovations that support the evolution of beauty services.