Profile photo, video call, shoot: the blow-dry that works on screen

A camera does not look the way a mirror does. It magnifies hair that frizzes, flattens volume and turns a faint greasy sheen into a shiny patch.

For a profile photo, an important video conference or a shoot, your hair therefore has to be designed for the screen. In most cases, a sleek blow-dry does the cleanest job.

What the camera magnifies

In front of a lens, three flaws take on an importance they do not have in real life.

• Flyaways. Under side light or against the light, every stray hair draws a bright line around the head. On screen, that halo is all you see.
• The parting. An uneven or off-centre parting draws the eye, especially in a close-up, where the top of the head fills a good part of the frame.
• Greasy patches. A slightly heavy root reflects light in patches. The hair shines, but not in the right way.

Conversely, what the eye enjoys in real life, such as a slight messiness or generous volume, is often lost on camera.

Why sleek

A sleek blow-dry answers these flaws point by point. Each section is stretched over the round brush, from root to tip, under hot air, then set with cold air. The result:

1. A clean outline, with almost no hair escaping.
2. An even shine, running the whole length instead of concentrating in places.
3. A readable line even at small size, like a profile thumbnail or a video call window.

For an even cleaner result, the straightener option can be ticked when booking. This very glossy finish is also one of the season's trends: our article on glass hair explains what the catwalks have made of it.

Sleek is not the only option. For a warmer portrait, a soft blow-dry keeps a slight movement at the ends while staying clean on screen.

Photo, video call, shoot: three uses

The profile photo

This is an image you will keep for a long time and that will be seen very small. The line matters more than the detail. A sleek or soft finish, with the hair away from the face, works for most professional networks.

The video call

A webcam compresses the image and wipes out the nuances. What remains are the shapes: the outline of the head, the place of the hair in relation to the face.

Avoid strands falling in front of your eyes, they will have you pushing them back throughout the meeting. If this video call is an interview, our article on the job interview blow-dry adds to this advice.

The shoot

A shoot lasts several hours, under spotlights that give off heat. Takes are repeated, and the hair has to look identical from one take to the next. A clean finish that is easy to put back in place, like sleek, is an asset: one stroke of the comb is enough to find the same line again.

Light and framing

A few simple adjustments change how your hair comes across on screen:

• Place the light in front of you, a window or a lamp behind the screen. Side light reveals flyaways, backlight creates a halo.
• Be wary of very close ring lights: they draw a circular reflection in sleek hair. Move them back a little.
• Frame with a little air above the head. Hair cut off by the edge of the image looks flat.
• Bring the lengths behind the shoulders for a close-up, or to one side for a three-quarter portrait.

On screen, the hair should not stand out: it should draw the face.

The mistakes that show on camera

1. Adding an oil or a serum before the take. On screen, they weigh down the root and make the hair shine in patches.
2. Too much hairspray. It sets the strands in clumps and can catch the light. A light veil, sprayed from a distance, is enough.
3. Changing your parting on the day. A new parting often rebels after an hour.

Book before the take

For a photo or a shoot, have your blow-dry done on the day if possible. For an early-morning video call, the day before works, provided you protect your hair overnight with a loose bun and a silk pillowcase.

Booking is done online: your length, your finish (with the straightener option for sleek if you want it) and a free slot.

Come with clean hair, without oil, serum or styling product: shampoo + treatment optional on site; otherwise, the whole appointment goes into the blow-dry. The address is Avenue d'Yverdon 4, 1004 Lausanne, and the email confirmation gives you the directions.

If your session takes place outdoors, our article on the outdoor photo session will help you handle the wind. For the rest, all you have to do is book your sleek blow-dry before the take.