Most hair problems on a shoot come from nobody having asked a question beforehand. You wash your hair that morning and the stylist wanted it a day old. Or you had four inches cut off last week, and the photographer booked you for the long hair in your portfolio.
Ask what the shoot needs
When you agree the brief, ask three things. Is there a hairstylist? What's the look? How should your hair arrive: washed that day or the day before, dry, straightened, or left natural?
The usual default is clean, dry hair with no product in it. Stylists differ, though. Some prefer hair washed the day before because it holds a style better, so ask and don't guess.
Tell them about your hair as well: how long it is now, whether it's fine or thick, straight, curly or coily, whether it's coloured, and whether you wear extensions. If your hair is curly, coily or afro-textured, ask whether the stylist has worked with your texture before, and plan to bring your own products and tools in case they haven't the right ones.
Don't change it without telling anyone
You were booked on how you look in your photos. Turning up with a different colour or a different length, however good it looks, can sink the shoot. If you want a change, say so before the day and let the photographer or the client decide whether it works for them.
If you're having colour done or your roots touched up, book it a few days ahead, so there's time to put right anything that goes wrong. A trim a week or two before takes off split ends, which show under studio light.
A SaltBrite model profile lists your hair colour and length, so when you do change either, update the profile and the photos along with it.
The week before
- Deep condition a few days ahead, not that morning. Dry, damaged, curly or coily hair gains the most from it, and ten to thirty minutes is enough. Done on the day, it can leave hair too soft to hold a style.
- If you use a lot of styling products, one wash with a clarifying shampoo clears the build-up that ordinary shampoo leaves behind.
- Go easy on straighteners, tongs and the blow dryer for the week, and use a heat protectant whenever you do use them. Your hair is going to get plenty of heat on the day.
- Don't try a new treatment. A protein treatment on hair that doesn't need one can leave it stiff and brittle, and this isn't the week to find out.
The night before and the morning
Wash it when you were asked to. Shampoo the scalp, condition from mid-length to the ends, and keep conditioner off the roots, where it only adds weight. Squeeze the water out and wrap your hair in a microfibre towel or a cotton T-shirt. Rubbing it with an ordinary towel causes frizz and breakage. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb, starting at the ends and working up.
Sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase if you have one. Hair slides over it instead of catching, so you wake up with less frizz and fewer tangles.
Getting there
A tight ponytail, an elastic, a clip or a hat can leave a dent in your hair that takes heat and time to get out. Travel with it down, or loosely held with something soft. And wear a top that buttons or zips, so that nothing has to come off over your head once your hair and make-up are done.
What to bring
- Hair ties, neutral pins and clips.
- A brush and a wide-tooth comb.
- Your own heat protectant.
- Any products you know work in your hair, which matters most if it's textured.
- Extensions or clip-ins, if they were agreed.
On set
With a stylist
Let them get on with it, and speak up when you need to. Say if something pulls or a tool is too hot. Tell them if your hair is colour-treated or fragile, because it changes how much heat it can take.
Nobody should cut or colour your hair on a shoot unless it was agreed beforehand. You're never obliged to accept anything that wasn't in the brief, and that includes scissors.
Without one
Keep it simple and well done. Have a second look ready that takes five minutes, such as down for the first set and up for the next, so the photographer gets some range out of one head of hair. Check a mirror between looks. Flyaways you can't see are obvious in the pictures, and a little water on your hands smooths most of them.
Studio lighting bounces off a healthy cuticle and shows up every snapped end.
Afterwards
Shoot hair is often full of spray and backcombing. Don't drag a brush through it. Get it wet, put conditioner in, and ease the tangles out from the ends upwards before you shampoo.
After a shoot in the sea or a pool, rinse your hair thoroughly as soon as you can. Salt water and chlorine both strip moisture, and a leave-in conditioner put on beforehand helps.
How to work with a photographer covers the rest of the day, and how to prepare your skin for a photoshoot covers your face.
Questions people ask
Should I wash my hair before a photoshoot?
Ask whoever is styling it. The usual default is clean, dry hair with no product in it, but some stylists prefer hair washed the day before because it holds a style better, so check when you agree the brief.
Can I cut or colour my hair before a shoot?
Not without telling the photographer or the client. You were booked on how you look in your photos, so a new colour or length needs agreeing first. If you're having colour done anyway, book it a few days ahead so there's time to put anything right.
What should I bring for my hair?
Hair ties, neutral pins and clips, a brush and a wide-tooth comb, a heat protectant, and any products you know work in your hair. If your hair is curly, coily or afro-textured, bring your own products and tools in case the stylist doesn't have the right ones.
Can a stylist cut my hair on a shoot?
Only if it was agreed beforehand. You're never obliged to accept a cut, a colour or anything else that wasn't in the brief.
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