Pinterest launches first inclusive hair pattern search filter

"A much needed milestone for racial equity in the world of coding."

Pinterest has introduced a new hair pattern search tool on its app.

The new hair pattern search enables Pinterest users to refine their hair searches by six different hair patterns: protective, coily, curly, wavy, straight and shaved/bald.

Users will also be able to search for broader hair term like “summer hairstyles”, “glam hair”, or “short hair” and then narrow their results by selecting one of the six hair patterns to find hair inspiration most relevant to their preference.

Over the past month, there has been 120 million searches for hair and over five billion Pins created related to hair on the app. Pinterest has also detected a hair pattern in over 500 million images currently on their site.

Pinterest’s Head of Inclusive Product Annie Ta says the new tool has been introduced to make the platform a more inclusive place.

"As a visual discovery platform, we have an opportunity and responsibility to do a better job of increasing representation in the products we build,' she says. "That's why we built hair pattern search using computer vision technology to help identify hair patterns in images.

"By doing this, we hope we're able to use technology for good and make it easier for people, no matter who they are, to find hair inspiration for them on Pinterest.”

Naeemah LaFond, a diverse hair representation advocate who helped build the tool, calls the update "a much needed milestone for racial equity in the world of coding."

"Just the simple idea that I don’t have to work twice as hard to find a hairstyle because of my hair type is a game changer," she says. "I’m sure that in the coming years we will find ways to even further improve the process, but I’m excited that with Pinterest we’ve taken one huge step forward."

Hair pattern search is available in the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and and will roll out to international markets over the coming months.