Tips & Tricks Scar Cover-up Creams?

Okay I've mostly been more of a Jedi costume person, but lately I've been reading up and looking at Padmé's various costumes, and naturally, fell in love with quite a few!

I absolutely love her Lake Gown and Family Dress in AOTC.

Problem for me, is that both outfits are totally barebacked, and I've a loooong red scar that runs down my spine, from under my neck to my waist. So that's no way I could wear any barebacked costumes unless I can somehow cover up the scar.

Does anyone know of anything (creams or whatnot) that will blend a scar with the surrounding skin tissue colour?

Thanks!

 

I am only an armature makeup artist, and I am certain that there are better ways than I know, but I have a solution. Its difficulty depends on the scar.

For a simple scar that is mostly just discolored, you can get cover-up cream makeup at any beauty store. Girls use it for covering all kinds of blemishes like pimples. Then put a good foundation over that, and a good powder over that (That matches your skin tone) and your set.

If the scar is more textured, and you are looking to smooth out the skin, then we get into a more difficult realm. (This is where I am sure you can find a better way than mine).

I would get Nose Wax or putty from the local theatrical makeup store. Use this to fill any areas you need. This stuff is sticky and hard to work with, but will give you a good finish. Next paint liquid latex (Again from your theatrical makeup store) over it, and feather out the latex to the skin so it forms a seal over the nose putty. After that dries (Up to an hour) wash it with Castor oil (Again from your theatrical makeup store). Use a slightly damp cotton swab. This seals the latex so that makeup will adhere to it better. After that dries, use the process described above with the cover-up cream, foundation, and powder to make it look like skin.

 

Im probably not the best person to give advice on this... but i figured i'd give my two cents...

I have run into the same problem with a scar on my back. Depending on how "new" the scar is(mine is about a year old), i havent found anything that can make it disapear completely. I've found with mine though, using makeup, like just your normal foundation and powder can tone down the redness and make it less visable...

I was just reading up on this a bit, and they say if you use waterproof makeup, it's heavier and intended for scars and tattoos... so that might be a better option than your normal makeup... although they say it is a bit tricky to apply...

hope that helps a bit

Edit.. yea listen to Minder lol

 

I've used Dermablend cosmetics to cover up tattoos and such, and I've known friends to use it to cover up scars as well. I think it depends on your scar's color and surface.... I know they used to sell Dermablend in Dillard's, and the saleslady will demonstrate it for you before you buy.
-Karen

 

Scars are hawt!

 

Leave it to an 18yr old male to say something like that.

Not all scars are hot. Many of us have surgical scars that we would rather not show to the public.

Even if I was in shape for it again, I would never wear a bikini again because of an ugly surgical scar I now have on my abdomen.

So, you won't be seeing me to the Slave Leia costume for more than one reason!

 

OK sorry, sheesh. Sometimes I forget people take comments more seriously outside of the YJCC...

 

Ooh thanks for the info guys!

Minder, Burnt, Karma, Thank you, I'll try it out. Mine's just a matter of colour, and not so much texture so it shouldn't be too hard.

Jedi_Reject_Jesse, Nah not all scars are hot. Mine certainly isn't!

 

On another note...

If you treat scars with a cocoa butter mix (you can find the mixture recipe via google), you can usually reduce the appearance of most scars. Alot of health food stores, or Natural remedy shops carry a "stick" of this.

You apply it daily, or a few times a day and more often than not the scar will gradually lessen (sometimes fade completely for very minor scars).

I went face first through a car windshield several years back and used this on multiple face lacerations (Use your seatbelts kids!), and virtually all of the scarring faded.

This isn't exactly the solution you're looking for, as it's not a quick fix (it takes a while to work). But if the scar has an emotional effect on you or whatnot, it may be a long term help.
It's only a few dollars for the "sticks" that Health Food/Remedy stores sell, so you're not out of alot should you be one of the cases where there is no improvement.

I did a search and came up with a Baby Bee Brand, and a Palmer Brand - I can't remember which I used, but will stop by the local shop where I live and bought the product a.s.a.p. and let you know for sure.
----

On "quick fixes" there are the tattoo cover-up makeup products that will likely be your best bet as they are fairly thick.

Other possible option:

Something like figure skaters wear in their costumes? Where it looks like skin but is a thin cloth (panty hose-ish?)

 

Quick, semi-related story:

I was playing with makeup effects once with my girlfriend at the time, and we decided to go to my work (a grocery store) with a cut under my eye and a split lip, with a bit of bruising around my eye. One of the managers asked what happened to me, so I told her it was fake, etc, etc. So we went and got Lucky Charms or something and went to one of the registers. The whole time, I'm getting weird looks. I kept imagining people thinking, "What the hell is he doing walking around in makeup?" So finally this one guy leans over and said something like, "Let me give you some advice..." So I'm thinking, "Uh oh, this guy's gonna bitch at me for walking around all gored up." But instead, he says, "If you rub some baby oil on that, it won't scar up as much." I wanted to laugh cuz it was fake, but before I said anything, he started telling us about how he hit himself in the face with a chainsaw and tore up his face, but he took care of it, so the scarring was minimal. Of course, my girlfriend was horrified and is ridiculously polite and kept saying stuff like, "Oh really? Oh my gosh. Well thanks alot." He leaves, and of course I start laughing cuz I didn't have the heart to tell him it was fake, after he just opened up to us like that.

I didn't know if that meant the makeup looked better than I thought, or if this guy was just really gullible or what.

The End.

 

My wife and I were doing some work for a friend who was making a movie here in Ottawa last year. One of the scenes called for 2 girls to get beaten up, so we did the makeup. We were all standing around waiting for the shot to get set up, and a couple of guys drove by. Their car stopped 30 feet up the road, and they backed up and yelled out the window at the girls. "Are you 2 all right?" They said yes, and waved. The 2 guys wouldn?t leave until we proved to them it was makeup!

I was kind of proud!

 

Im sorry.. but this made me laugh.. he hit himself in the face with a CHAINSAW!!!???! Thats something you dont hear every day!


And King_of_Skulls's 'body stocking; is a good idea... most dance stockings are THICK.. and by thick i mean.. you could like (not to be gross) not shave your legs for two weeks and the stockings would make your legs look flawless

 

Yeah, he said he was cutting wood and it snagged and kicked up into his face. Scary, huh?

 

that's BEYOND scary... that makes me want to keep FAAAAARRRR away from wood.. I like my face too much

 

Wood is less dangerous than Chainsaws!

 

Its the combination that gets ya!!!

 

More common than you would think.. The chainsaw incident I mean. I guess it depends on where you live. I live in the rural South, and alot of people get income by selling firewood, timber, etc. Not alot of that in cities and all


I've known a few people who've had a chainsaw get "kicked off" by a knot or such and into flesh. Thankfully, nothing fatal or as severe as a facial cut.. (mostly thighs I've heard of)..

---------


And back on topic...

I couldn't find the exact brand I've used in the past of Cocoa butter, but Palmer's seems to be well known so it may be worth a try if this is the route you decide to take. I wish you the best of luck whichever way

KoS

 

A few simple safety precautions

Kickback guard on the saw
Kevlar chaps
Steel toed boots
Chainsaw mask and hard hat

And when all else fails RTFM

Read The **** Manual

 

I didn't mean to hijack your thread, Jedi_Healer. lol

 

No worries, VillieGee. But Chainsaw?! Man that must have hurt like hell... And bleed like hell too.. Ouch!

King_of_Skulls, Hmm, Cocoa butter... I will try it, thank you.

 

Sure thing. If the scar is relatively new or is red you can also try some vitamin E cream/lotion to help as well.

 

Your story reminds me of the time my friends and I were shooting a project by my house late one foggy night. The script called for a guy to be found lying on the side of the road after being hit by a car. We figured since my house is in a more rural area, we'd have no problems with people getting in our way. So we get the scene all set up on the driveway with our actor laying in a pool of "blood" (extremely thick Jell-o) and we're all standing around waiting for them to start rolling when my neighbour comes marching up the road holding his cordless phone threatening to call the police on us! (Dark street, little old man, shaking a phone at us. Hilarious.) He refused to leave until our actor stood up (and messed up his makeup job) and proved that it was just Jell-o and he wasn't really dead! He must of thought we were some real sick-o's, taping a dead guy on the ground.

 

I know the Ben Nye used to sell tattoo and scar cover up make up. If the scar is older you could try to put some scar fading cream on it for a while before hand to get it to blend more. They sell it at Wal-Mart and there are tons of different brands. If not just get a concealer that is close to your color and put it on them your foundation on top of it, with powder to set. Physician Formal makes different color concealers for different color of scars/blimishes. I think it's green to reduce redness.

 

There's a cream, I believe it's made my neosporin, made for healing and improving the appearance of long-lasting scars. It seems to work pretty well. This would be a long-term solution. It's called Scar Zone.

 

Those work really great for small scars.. but for bigger ones it's not so good