Last modified on May 19, 2011 by Brad Phillips

How To Dress For A Media Interview: Hair

This is the fourth in a week-long series that will teach you how to dress, apply makeup, and wear your hair for media interviews and public appearances. You can see the complete series here.

Think of your hair as a frame around your face, recommends Lillian Brown, author of Your Public Best: The Complete Personal Appearance and Media Training Guide. Like a good frame, it should flatter without drawing undue attention.

You can achieve this with a modern cut (no Farrah Fawcett flip, for instance) that doesn’t fall into your eyes. Allow ¾ inch of clearance around the eyes to compensate for shadows.

Unless your hair is part of your image, avoid the Justin Bieber look. Photo: Daniel Ogren, Wikimedia Commons

“A little volume is always good,” so use a brush instead of a comb, say fashion and image consultants Deborah Boland and JoJami Tyler, co-owners of the media and image consulting firm TV Image Live. “If you color your hair, make sure it’s not a solid blob of color. Especially with blondes, have your hairdresser use two or three different-colored blonde highlights to make it look natural. Warmer blondes look better on camera than cooler tones.”

Hairstyles that look best on men are those that cover the top halves of their ears and reach down almost to the collar in the back. Make sure no stray hairs are sticking up, and keep beards and mustaches well-trimmed and off the lips.

Unless you want to look like boxing promoter Don King, comb down the stragglers. Photo: Shawn Lea, Wikimedia Commons

What if hair is a distant memory? Baldness can look fine on television, as long as you take care to minimize the shine. Apply a little powder and keep your jaw level to the floor to avoid dominating the picture with your pate. And stay out of the sun, unless you want a sunburned forehead to be all that viewers remember.

One final caveat for everyone else: avoid getting a haircut just before your appearance; better to wait a few days so it looks more natural.

You can see the other articles in the series here.

Many of these tips were used with permission from Your Public Best: The Complete Personal Appearance and Media Training Guide by Lillian Brown. Published by Newmarket Press.