March 15, 2026 · linkedin · preparation
How to Prep for Your LinkedIn Headshot in 7 Days
A week-by-day prep guide for your LinkedIn headshot session. Sleep, hydration, hair, wardrobe, and the small choices that show up at retouching time.
Most LinkedIn headshots fail at the prep stage, not the shoot. The week before the session matters more than what happens once the camera is rolling.
7 days out: get the haircut
Two weeks is ideal but seven days is the absolute minimum. Fresh cuts photograph stiff and sharp; a week of growth softens the edges and reads natural. If you color, refresh now too.
5 days out: pick the wardrobe
Lay out two outfits, photograph them on a hanger, send them to a friend whose taste you trust. Solid mid-tone colors. Tailored shoulders. No bright white.
3 days out: cut the alcohol
Salt and alcohol both show up under the eyes. The camera sees them; retouching can soften but not erase. Drink water like it is your job.
2 days out: trim and clean
Eyebrows, beard line, nose hair, neck edges. Do not get adventurous — the goal is "neat," not "different."
Night before: sleep, the actual variable
The single biggest visible difference between two headshots of the same person is how rested they look. Caffeine intake, screen time before bed, and going to bed an hour earlier than usual are the cheapest "retouching" you can do.
Morning of
- Eat. Low blood sugar reads as flat in the eyes.
- Iron the outfit, including the back panel.
- Skin: moisturize, avoid heavy SPF on the face (it photographs as a white cast).
- Show up 10 minutes early. The first 10 minutes of any shoot are throwaway frames while you warm up — built into the time.
What to bring
- Both outfits.
- A lint roller.
- A bottle of water.
- Eye drops (especially if you wear contacts).
- Whatever you use to put your hair in place.
That is it. Show up rested, in clothes that fit, and the rest is mine to handle.