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Role

Hair Department Head

A Hair Department Head designs or leads the hair plan for a production and manages stylists, wigs, pieces, cuts, color, continuity, products, hygiene, schedules, budgets, and cast coverage. They align character hair with period, story, costume, makeup, camera, stunts, and performer requirements.

Roles

Also known as: Hair Head, Hair Supervisor

Reviewed

Hair design communicates time, identity, status, culture, health, transformation, and routine.

The Department Head must balance design with licensing, hair and scalp health, performer consent, continuity, humidity, weather, action, wigs, microphones, and shooting order.

Responsibilities

  • Break down scripts for character, period, cut, color, texture, wig, action, and continuity needs.
  • Design, test, document, and approve hairstyles with creative leadership.
  • Hire, schedule, brief, and supervise hair stylists and wig specialists.
  • Plan products, tools, sanitation, power, ventilation, fittings, and cast calls.
  • Coordinate daily styling, set maintenance, resets, changes, removals, and wrap.

Tools

  • Professional cutting, styling, thermal, color, and texture tools
  • Wigs, pieces, blocks, adhesives, pins, and maintenance supplies
  • Sanitation, ventilation, skin and scalp protection
  • Continuity photography, design, budget, and cast systems

Documents

  • Hair breakdown
  • Design boards
  • Wig and piece log
  • Continuity photos
  • Product and formula notes
  • Daily cast schedule

Skills

  • Hair design
  • Cutting and styling
  • Texture and period knowledge
  • Department leadership
  • Continuity
  • Performer and scalp care

Career path

  • Department Heads progress through extensive Hair Stylist and Key Hair work across varied textures, periods, wigs, cast, and production scales.

Work environment

  • The role spans early trailer calls, fittings, wig rooms, set touch-ups, travel, power tools, products, and close performer contact.

Pre-production responsibilities

  • Research, design, test, fit, budget, schedule, photograph, and document hair looks.

Production responsibilities

  • Lead daily styling, continuity, touch-ups, changes, and performer care.

Post-production responsibilities

  • Complete wig, tool, product, continuity, and pickup records.

Common questions

Does the Hair Department Head cut performers’ hair?

Sometimes, with consent and appropriate licensing, but they also design, assign, supervise, and protect the whole department workflow.

What does a Hair Department Head do day to day?

Day to day, Hair Department Head work commonly includes Break down scripts for character, period, cut, color, texture, wig, action, and continuity needs., Design, test, document, and approve hairstyles with creative leadership., and Hire, schedule, brief, and supervise hair stylists and wig specialists.. The exact balance changes with the production schedule, crew size, and the point at which the role joins the project.

What skills matter most for a Hair Department Head?

The most useful skills are Hair design, Cutting and styling, Texture and period knowledge, Department leadership, and Continuity. Together, they help the role make dependable decisions, communicate a clear handoff, and respond to notes or changing conditions.

Which tools and documents does a Hair Department Head use?

Common tools include Professional cutting, styling, thermal, color, and texture tools, Wigs, pieces, blocks, adhesives, pins, and maintenance supplies, Sanitation, ventilation, skin and scalp protection, and Continuity photography, design, budget, and cast systems. The role also relies on Hair breakdown, Design boards, Wig and piece log, and Continuity photos so decisions, approvals, continuity, and delivery requirements remain traceable.

How does someone build experience for a Hair Department Head?

Department Heads progress through extensive Hair Stylist and Key Hair work across varied textures, periods, wigs, cast, and production scales.

How does a Hair Department Head vary by production?

The scope changes with format, budget, location, crew structure, and the production's technical method. The role spans early trailer calls, fittings, wig rooms, set touch-ups, travel, power tools, products, and close performer contact.

Union and local practice notes

  • Hair Stylists may need current professional licenses depending on jurisdiction; union classifications and permitted services vary.

Related entries

Sources