How Often Should Kids Get Headshots?

How Often Should Kids Update Their Actor Headshots?

As a parent or guardian of a young actor, one of the most important steps in their career is ensuring your young actor's headshot is up to date. A headshot is an actor's calling card it's often the first impression casting directors get of your child. For kids, however, the frequency with which headshots need to be updated is much higher than for adults, and here's why. I'm here to share some headshot tips for your child actor.

The Importance of an Accurate Actor Headshot

A headshot should represent what an actor looks like at the time it's submitted for casting calls. Casting directors need to see the actor's true appearance, so an outdated headshot can be misleading and hurt your child’s chances. For children, this becomes especially important as they experience rapid changes in their physical appearance, such as growth spurts, new teeth, and even changes in their hairstyle or facial features.

How Often Should Kids Update Their Acting Headshots?

1. Ages 6–11: As children get older, they may still experience frequent changes, but not as fast as in the early years. That being said, it's still a good idea to update their headshots every 6 months to a year, particularly if there have been noticeable changes, such as new teeth, haircuts, or shifts in their overall appearance.

2. Ages 12–17: Once a child hits their pre-teen years, they can likely stretch the time between updates. At this stage, their growth may slow down, but you may still see changes in their appearance, hair growth, skin complexion changes due to weather, new hairstyles, or facial features settling into place. It's still ideal to update their headshots once a year. You want to ensure the headshot is a reflection of who they are now.

3. Ages 18–21: For older teens and young adults, headshots typically require fewer updates. If your child actor is now transitioning into adulthood, updates can be made every 12 to 24 months, depending on any changes in appearance. For example, facial hair or a facial features continuing to settle, this could still warrant an update. But generally speaking, fewer changes in appearance are expected during this age range.

   
   

Key Factors to Consider for Your Child Actress

While age plays a big role in determining how often Actor Headshots should be updated, it’s important to consider other factors as well:

• Growth Spurts: Sudden growth can significantly alter how your child looks in photos.

• New Teeth or Facial Changes: Losing baby teeth and growing new ones or changes in jawline and facial features can drastically affect a child's headshot.

• Haircuts and Styling: A new haircut can completely change how your child looks, so it’s a good idea to update their headshot accordingly.

  
  

The goal of any actor headshot is to look as close to the photo as possible. This is especially important for children, as their appearance can change rapidly. While the frequency of updates will slow down as they grow older, it's still important to ensure that your child’s headshot is an accurate representation of who they are at the time. For younger children, updates should be made twice a year, while older teens and young adults can maintain their headshots for longer periods, updating every 12 to 24 months.

Remember, your child’s headshot is their ticket to getting noticed, so keeping it fresh and reflective of their current look is key to their success in the acting world!