Sarah Hindsgaul didn’t move from Copenhagen to New York for glamor, she came to learn. With a portfolio in hand and excitement outweighing fear, she threw herself into the industry cold turkey. She quickly realized the work she was once proud of needed refining. From mastering the strict American blow-dry to retraining her eye for film and TV, she embraced the opportunity for growth. “You can never train enough,” she says.
Her early career was built on NYU student films, long days, and close collaboration with costume designers. Sarah learned that hair and makeup don’t lead the process, they support it. Understanding costumes, character, and story meant preparing far earlier than her chair time suggested. That mindset created a snowball effect. One job led to another, often in unexpected ways. She leaves us with a bit of advice: be kind to everyone, you never know where the next opportunity will come from.
Drawn to sci-fi and fantasy, Sarah found her creative home in genres that push artists to their limits. That passion led her to Stranger Things, where simplicity became key. Inspired by The Goonies, Season 1 focused on subtle, intentional choices that told deeper stories.
For Nancy Wheeler, hair became a visual marker of purity and emotional growth. Early on, her look was intentionally simple. Brushed, never cut, held back with a small hair clip that added that small ‘80s bump. She wasn’t meant to look like the stereotypical popular girl. Her appeal came from sweetness and sincerity. As Nancy matures, her hair evolves with her, introducing early teen experimentation while maintaining a polished appearance shaped by how she was raised. Each shift mirrors her emotional arc without overwhelming it.
Dustin Henderson’s hair tells a different kind of story. While his look remains consistent, it becomes increasingly intentional in its imperfection. As he grows more comfortable with himself by Season 5, his hair becomes less “put together” and slightly uneven. The goal was to look like he’s missed hair appointments, even though he hasn’t. The effect signals a quiet rejection of fitting in for the sake of it.
Sarah is deeply open to feedback, often sending actors away to live in a look before returning with honest notes. “The more criticism I take, the better I get,” she explains. Behind the scenes, the work is precise and demanding, with quick turnarounds, doubles, wigs, and all.
Sarah believes transformation is at the heart of her work. That philosophy now extends beyond the screen with Hindsgaul Hair, her Scandinavian-inspired haircare line designed to enhance movement, not perfection. “Don’t we all love transformations?” she says. “That’s why we’re here.”
