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You’ll need to take a long look in the mirror and decide what to do about your hair.

First, you’ll want to make sure your hair looks its best. A good day to take your portrait shots is when you’re scheduled for a haircut or styling. A good practice is to let your stylist know you’re going to be taking your picture, and have him help style your hair to work best in a photo. You’ll want to be sure that hair is not covering your face, and that the style is natural-looking and pleasant.

The goal is to show what you really look like. If you have long hair and wear it back all the time, don’t be afraid to pull it back for the photo. If you’re a man and you’re balding, hey, you won’t be able to hide that when you meet, so don’t play games and make yourself look silly by combing your hair up from the back and down onto your forehead. Be proud of yourself, and show that you’re comfortable with your hairline.

Women should avoid trendy or radical hairstyles. Sure, you may use red streaks now and then.  You may try different styles for special occasions. In your picture, choose the hairstyle you wear most often. The one that looks like you do most of the time. Everyone gets a great “do” for a wedding or social event, but that’s not how you’ll look when you meet at Starbucks for your first coffee together. Set some realistic expectations by showing how you look everyday—which is beautiful, right?

For men, stay away from five o’clock shadow. It’s a good idea to be clean-shaven. Unkempt facial hair can be a turn-off for some women. But if you wear a beard or mustache all the time, don’t shave it off for the photo just to attract more chicks. Look like yourself. If you do have facial hair, be sure it’s trimmed perfectly and that you look neat and groomed.  While on the subject of men, you may have hair that pops up all over, including your chest. If you’re hairy, and your hair pops up out of your open-necked shirt, you may want to consider trimming it a bit or buttoning up all but the top button. Hairy chests can be a turn-on or a turnoff.  Why take the chance of turning off someone when all can be fixed later with a wax job or an electric trimmer, if that is an issue? And no matter what your chest hair situation, do NOT unbutton your shirt down to your navel. This wasn’t a good look in the ‘70s, and you won’t win any dates with it now, either.