1. The head is removed from the body.

2.  A vertical incision is made into the back of the skull.

3.  The skin is peeled back, and the skin and flesh are then removed from the skull.

4.  The eyelids are sewn shut with twine and the mouth is pinned with a wooden peg.

5.  The head is then turned inside out to scrape out all of the fat and subcutaneous tissue.

6.  To retain human form, a wooden ball is often placed inside the head.

7.  To shrink the size, the head is then boiled in water, saturated with herbs.

8.  The head then has to be dried using sand and hot rocks. Simultaneously, to retain its human features, the head is then molded.

9.  The skin is then blackened with charcoal ash. It is believed, that coating the skin in ash, will help to keep the avenging soul (muisak) from leaking out.

10.  Some will decorate the head with beads and feathers.

*With tribal shrunken heads, the tribal leader often wears the head around their neck, attached by twine on top of the shrunken head.