How to Make Scars for Halloween

Frightening scar makeup can help put the finishing touch on a costume.

Scars add a finishing touch to a wide variety of Halloween costumes. Whether you're putting stitches across the forehead of Frankenstein's monster or adding a simple scar to the cheek of a 1930s gangster, proper scar makeup is simple and effective, putting your costume a cut above the rest. In a pinch, you can simply draw a scar on with makeup, but three-dimensional scars are easy to make with items you can purchase at any costume or party supply store.

Things You'll Need

• Prosthetic wax (sometimes called "nose and scar wax")
• Spirit gum
• Foundation makeup

Instructions

1. Make sure that the skin where you want to apply the scar is clean, dry and free from hair.

2. Take a section of wax and roll it into a strip slightly larger than you want your scar to be. Flatten it out on the sides so that a flat base will be coming into contact with the skin.

3. Apply spirit gum to the underside of the wax and to the skin. Most spirit gum bottles contain a small brush for this purpose.

4. Press the scar gently against the skin and hold it in place until the spirit gum dries.

5. Apply makeup to the area around the scar to blend it in with the skin.

Tips & Warnings

• For an especially grisly scar, dig a shallow groove in the center of the scar. You can fill this groove with fake blood and apply more to the face once the scar is applied.

References

• Costume Super Center; You Can Make Fake Wounds and Scars; April 6, 2009