How to Make Fake Wounds & Scabs

The art of creating special effects makeup in the form of prosthetic fake wounds and scabs is one of the most dramatic, disgusting and potentially horrifying areas of theatrical and movie makeup. It's also one of the easiest to create on your own with minimal cost, training or special supplies. Disturbingly realistic wounds and scabs require little more than the right application of some household ingredients mixed with a few of the most common makeup supplies found in costume stores.

Things You'll Need

• Lotion
• Petroleum jelly
• Toilet paper
• Liquid latex
• Foundation makeup
• Makeup sponges
• Kitchen sponges
• Thick stage blood
• Permanent wet-look makeup coat
• Flour
• Black food coloring

Instructions

1. Prepare your skin in the areas where you want to apply the fake wounds and scabs. Shave off any body hair and apply lotion to avoid itch. If you don't want to shave the hair, coat it with a layer of petroleum jelly.

2. Tear some toilet paper and twist it into cord-like shapes. Make these cords as long as you want the sides of your wounds to be. For smaller wounds, forgo the cords and just pull tiny pieces of toilet paper the size of the wound you want to make.

3. Soak the toilet paper thoroughly in liquid latex and apply to your skin. Use the cords to form the two ridged sides of the wound, creating a mouth-like shape. Press the ends of the toilet paper down against your skin. Position the strands close together for more shallow wounds and further apart for deeper wounds. Apply more latex generously around and inside this shape.

4. Let the latex dry. Use a hair dryer or fan to speed up the process. Drying time will vary depending on how thickly the liquid is applied; you'll know it's done because it will change to a darker and slightly less opaque color.

5. Color the latex wound with makeup. Use a makeup sponge to apply a coat of foundation to the latex. Blend the makeup around the outside of the wound into your skin.

6. Fill the wounds with stage blood. Use your finger to scoop out thick blood and smear it into the crevices of the wounds, including the large central part of the wound and the small crevices in the latex-coated toilet paper. Let dry.

7. Apply a coat of permanent wetting solution to the wounds that you want to make into fresh wounds.

8. Make a paste mixture of flour and water the consistency of toothpaste. Add black food coloring. Use a standard sponge to blot this mixture in a speckled pattern onto any wounds that you want to make into scabs. Let dry.

References

• "Costume Craftwork on a Budget: Clothing, 3-D Makeup, Wigs, Millinery & Accessories;" Huaixiang Tan; 2007