SHOULD I GET A HAIRCUT BEFORE MY HEADSHOT SESSION?

I get it, you feel fresh after a nice haircut, I do too. I think it can be great to get a haircut before your headshot session. Avoid getting your haircut the day before your session, and aim for closer to a week before. If you are the type to wait a long time between haircuts (ie. Me) try to keep the haircut to a little trim before your shoot. This way your hair is left looking fresh and healthy but not too different from what you are used to. A bigger haircut can leave the hair not quite sure how it wants to be styled yet. This is why a week is a good amount of time between your haircut and headshot session. This way you will be able to figure out how you like your new hair to be styled. Seattle headshot photographer Pete Templin tells his clients that the more time they take to make sure their hair is settled before getting their headshot done the better. If for some reason you hate your new haircut this also leaves enough time to reschedule your headshot session.

Below I have listed a few things to keep in mind when getting your haircut before your headshot session. Remember to not get this done the day before the shoot!

This is not the time to get a completely new hairstyle! That will look strange to you, and I can usually tell when people come in with a completely new hair style before their shoot. You may not like the way the photos look just because it is something you are not used to seeing yet. Your hair is a big part of your headshot so we have to play this safe, hence don’t go too outside of the box when it comes to your hair.

Come to your headshot session “hair ready”. If you would like, you can bring some hair product with you and we can experiment with it while shooting to fine tune the look. Hair is a very personal thing so a lot of the “look” of the hair falls on you to make happen. I don’t want to change the way you style your hair. This is your headshot after all.

If you tend to get a tan in the summer, our hairline can form tan lines. Watch out for this when getting your haircut as this can easily show if you are getting it pretty short.

Like I said before, don’t wait until the last minute to schedule your haircut.

Avoid styling your hair for what is “in style” right now. This will change and possibly date your headshot. This is an image we want to be able to use for at least a year. If your hair style is something that isn’t cool anymore next year, we are in trouble.

If you have any questions about what to do regarding your hair as it relates to your headshot session. Feel free to reach out, I would love to help!

I have written articles to answer any question you may have about headshots. Feel free to check them out here!