Curly Hair Headshots: How to Prepare, Style and Light Your Curls

Wear your curls natural, defined and lightly refreshed on the day, and book a photographer who plans the lighting and framing around your hair before you walk in. A headshot is there to be recognised, so straightening your hair for the camera usually works against you. At Dock Street Studio in central Leeds, we plan every shoot around a clear brief, so your hair, your wardrobe and the final use of the images are settled before the first frame.

Key Takeaways

• Keep your natural texture. People should recognise you when they meet you, and casting directors say the same about auditions.
• Prepare in the days before: wash the evening before, protect your curls overnight and bring a small refresh kit.
• Choose a light, non-crunchy styling product, because heavy gels can reflect light and look wet on camera.
• Soft, controlled lighting with a gentle hair light defines individual curls. Flash straight at the face or overhead light tends to make them look uneven.
• Retouching should tidy stray hairs, not flatten volume. Ask for texture to stay.

Table of Contents

• Should you wear curly hair natural or straight in a headshot?
• How to prepare curly hair for a headshot
• What to wear for a headshot with curly hair
• Lighting and framing that flatter curls
• Retouching curly hair without losing texture
• A simple plan for the week of your shoot
• Choosing the right session for your hair
• Our perspective on curly hair headshots
• Frequently asked questions
• Book your curly hair headshot in Leeds
• Sources

Should you wear curly hair natural or straight in a headshot?

Natural is the safer and stronger choice. The point of a headshot is that the person who walks into the room matches the picture. Spotlight, the casting platform, tells actors that a headshot should be an honest representation of how you look today, because casting directors want to recognise you when you come in. If your hair is naturally curly and you appear in a photo with a poker-straight finish, the mismatch is the first thing anyone notices.

That doesn’t mean one look has to do everything. The same Spotlight guidance suggests that if you have long or curly hair, you could include one headshot where it is worn straight, for variety, within a set of four to six images. Treat that as an extra, not the main portrait. The lead image should be the version of you that turns up to the meeting, the audition or the networking event.

There is a practical angle for professionals too. Your LinkedIn photo, company profile and speaker biography all work as a promise. When you arrive with the same hair, the promise is kept. If you like the idea of a straight version because you wear it that way sometimes, tell us in advance and we can plan it as a second look. Our post on why your headshot should look like you covers the same principle from the actor’s side.

Hair up or hair down?

Both work with curls, and the choice should follow your industry and how you normally present. Hair down tends to read as warm and approachable, which suits creative and client-facing roles. Hair pulled back reads as more formal and can suit corporate settings such as law or finance. Whatever you pick, wear it the way you actually wear it to work.

A half-up, half-down arrangement is a useful middle route for curls. It keeps the face clear and eyebrows visible while letting the texture show. Curl brand CURLē Beauty recommends styling some sections up and out of the face and avoiding high ponytails or crown-height buns, which can flatten the shape of the head in a tight crop.

How to prepare curly hair for a headshot

Most of the work happens before you reach the studio. Curls respond to timing, moisture and handling, and a rushed morning shows up in the files.

Two to three days before

If you are thinking of a haircut, book it a few days ahead rather than the day before. A fresh cut can look overly sharp, and curls need a little time to settle into their shape. If you colour your hair, do it well before the shoot so roots and tone look settled.

If you want a trim to tidy your ends, speak to a stylist who works with curls and ask them to cut it the way you wear it day to day. Photographs exaggerate uneven lengths, particularly around the face where your hair frames your features.

The night before

This is where curls are won or lost. Our advice for most curl types is to wash the evening before the shoot, style as you normally would, and let the pattern set overnight, so that on the day your curls are defined rather than still wet and unpredictable. Looser curls often look best on the second day; tighter or coily textures can benefit from washing a little earlier, for definition and moisture. Every head of hair is different, so if you have a routine that gives you your best curls, stick with it.

Protect the shape while you sleep:

• Use a satin or silk pillowcase or bonnet. Cotton can pull moisture out and create frizz.
• Loosely gather curls on top of your head (the “pineapple” method) if your curls are looser, so they don’t get flattened on one side.
• If you have tighter curls, clip sections at the root to keep volume where you want it.

These are widely used curl-care habits rather than studio rules, so adapt them to your own hair.

The morning of the shoot

Frizz is the enemy of a sharp outline. Loose hairs form a soft halo around your head that blurs the edge against the backdrop. A touch of lightweight leave-in conditioner or serum, applied with your hands rather than a comb, usually calms this without weighing curls down.

Be careful with product choice. CURLē Beauty points out that gels and heavy products that form a cast can reflect light, leaving curls crunchy and wet-looking and reducing volume. It suggests lighter options such as a whipped creme or a dry mousse. Under studio lights, a shiny cast shows up quickly, so go for a product that leaves curls soft to the touch.

Don’t over-handle your hair once it is dry. Every time you run your fingers through it, the curl clumps break up and frizz returns.

Your refresh kit

Bring a small bag so you can adjust during the session:

• A spray bottle of water mixed with a little leave-in conditioner
• Spare hair elastics, bobby pins and clips
• A wide-tooth comb or pick, if you use one
• Your usual styling product in a small size
• Lip balm and a tissue

A light spritz and a quick scrunch 15 to 30 minutes before you start is enough for most curls. We keep the studio calm and unhurried, so you have time to reset between looks.

What to wear for a headshot with curly hair

Your hair is already a strong visual element, so clothing should support it rather than compete.

Keep necklines simple. Crew necks, V-necks and open collars all work. Voluminous curls fill a lot of the frame, and a very high or bulky neckline can make the whole shape feel heavy.

Choose solid colours. Mid-tones such as navy, teal, forest green, burgundy or soft grey tend to flatter most skin tones and keep attention on your face. Busy patterns and thin stripes can distract.

Think about contrast with the backdrop. If you have dark hair, a dark top against a dark background can merge into one shape. If your hair is light or has highlights, a very pale top against a pale backdrop can do the same. One piece of advice in the search results makes the same point: make sure your hair contrasts with the background so the outline reads clearly. We choose backdrops with this in mind when we plan your shoot.

Avoid large earrings, scarves and chunky necklaces that tangle with curls or catch the light. Glasses are fine; we check for reflections as we shoot.

Bring more than one top. Two or three options, a collared shirt, a knit and a plain tee for example, give you looks for different uses. For a LinkedIn profile, many people choose their usual work outfit; actors often choose simple, neutral tops that don’t date the picture. Our guide on how to prepare for actor headshots goes into wardrobe choices for auditions, and our corporate headshot guidelines do the same for business use.

Lighting and framing that flatter curls

Curly hair behaves differently from straight hair under light. Each curl catches highlights and creates tiny shadows, so poor lighting turns volume into visual noise.

What tends to go wrong

• Direct, on-camera flash can create hot spots on some curls and leave others in shadow.
• Overhead light can light the top of the hair while the face falls into shadow. Voluminous curls act like a canopy and make this worse.
• Several hard light sources can create competing highlights across the curls, which looks busy.

These are the reasons a portrait taken with a phone in an office corridor rarely shows curls at their best, even when the hair itself is well prepared.

What works instead

Soft, large light sources keep the face even and the curls gentle. On top of that, a hair light placed behind and slightly above the subject creates a subtle edge that separates hair from the background. Photography retailer Adorama’s editorial site notes that curly hair needs strong highlights to define the curves when you use a hair light, which is why the power and position of that light matter so much. Too weak and the curls look flat against the backdrop; too strong and the top of your head glows.

We use repeatable studio setups so the lighting is consistent across the session. If you are curious about how those setups differ, our post on studio lighting for headshots walks through three of them.

Framing and angles

Good framing leaves room around the hair. Cropping tight at the top and sides makes curls feel cramped, so we leave some space, particularly for fuller textures. A few other things we look for during the shoot:

• Your parting. If your hair falls more naturally to one side, we work with that rather than forcing a centre parting.
• Balance. If one side is much fuller, a small adjustment, such as tucking a section behind one ear, can even out the shape.
• Silhouette. We check the angle from which the outline of your hair looks most deliberate, and shoot a few frames from there.
• Head tilt and chin. A slight turn of the shoulders and a small tilt can soften volume at the sides of the frame.

You can see how this looks in practice in our warm-smile headshot on a grey backdrop, where natural curls are part of a friendly, approachable portrait.

Retouching curly hair without losing texture

Good retouching is invisible. For curly hair, that means removing distractions, such as a few stray hairs crossing the face or a bright flyaway against the backdrop, while keeping the volume and the natural edge of the curls. Small, careful corrections preserve the transitions between curls; large sweeping fixes tend to erase volume or leave a hard outline that looks cut out.

There is a second reason to keep retouching light. Photographers often make small clean-ups to hair and skin, but if the final image looks different from the person in the room, it fails the recognition test described above.

When you book with us, retouched images are available within 48 hours, so you can use your new headshots quickly. If you have preferences, such as keeping your hairline soft or leaving a bit of natural frizz, tell us when we plan the shoot and they go into the brief.

A simple plan for the week of your shoot

Choosing the right session for your hair

Curls take a little more time to settle than straight hair, so choose a session length that lets you relax and refresh. At Dock Street Studio, our headshot sessions are priced openly:

• LinkedIn Express: £95
• Quick-Fire Spotlight: £150
• In-Depth Portrait: £200

You can see the details of each on our headshot photography page. If you are an actor needing several looks, or a professional who wants a few variations in one visit, say so when you book. Our pre-shoot planning clarifies your brief and shot list, so the session runs to time and the images arrive ready for use. Our relaxed, supportive atmosphere is designed to help you feel comfortable in front of the camera, which matters when you are wondering how your hair will look.

Our perspective on curly hair headshots

We have one rule for curls: the headshot should look like you on a good day, not like someone else. That is why our planning starts before you arrive. We ask what the images are for, who will see them and what you normally do with your hair, then we build the lighting, backdrop and shot list around that.

Curls are easy to photograph well when nobody is fighting them. The studio is set up so we can control the light and take our time. That means soft light on the face, a gentle edge on the hair and no rush when you want to refresh. If your hair needs a minute, it gets a minute.

Retouched images are with you within 48 hours, and we keep the finish natural, so the person who turns up to the meeting matches the picture. That is what a good headshot is for.

Mark

Frequently asked questions

Is straight or curly hair better for headshots?

Neither is better. What matters is that your headshot looks like you. If your hair is naturally curly, wearing it curly is the most honest and recognisable option. If you sometimes wear it straight, you can add one straight-hair image as a variation.

How do I make curly hair look good in photos?

Prepare your curls the day before, protect them overnight and use a light product that doesn’t leave a shiny cast. Calm frizz with a little leave-in conditioner on the morning, and bring a spray bottle to refresh just before the shoot. Soft, controlled studio lighting does the rest.

What should I wear for a headshot if I have curly hair?

Choose solid, mid-tone colours with a simple neckline, such as a crew or V-neck. Make sure your hair and clothes contrast with the backdrop so your outline stays clear. Bring a couple of options and we will help you choose on the day.

Should I wash my hair on the day of the shoot?

For most curl types we suggest washing and styling the evening before. Curls are often more settled and defined the next day than straight out of the shower. If your own routine works better with a different timing, follow it, since you know your hair best.

Will you retouch my curls?

We tidy distractions such as stray hairs and keep the natural volume and texture. You can tell us in advance what you want kept. Retouched images are available within 48 hours.

Book your curly hair headshot in Leeds

If you are ready to have headshots that show your curls as they are, see our headshot sessions in central Leeds and choose the one that fits your use. For more on picking the strongest images afterwards, read how to choose headshots that work harder.

Sources

• Top Headshot Tips from Casting Directors | Spotlight
• 3 CURLē Tips for Photo Ready Hair | CURLē Beauty
• What is a Hair Light in Photography? | 42West

Recommended

• How to Prepare for Actor Headshots
• Makeup for Headshots
• Studio Lighting for Headshots: 3 Repeatable Setups
• How to Pose Headshots