How to Make a Fake Wound

If you want to make a fake scar or wound for Halloween, or even to just freak your friends out, you can do so with household products and makeup. You are also able to use stage makeup which is designed for such a purpose. Using the right supplies, you can easily make a fake wound to bring your costume to a whole new level.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making a Fake Wound Without Latex

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1
Assemble the items you need to create your fake wound. You'll need regular white glue, skin tone makeup, toilet paper, and a couple of small makeup brushes. ^{[1]XResearch source}
- Make sure that the glue you use is skin-friendly. You will be applying it directly to your skin.
- Use foundation that matches your skin tone. If you have regular everyday makeup you can use this as it’s probably already matched to your skin tone.
- You can also use a liquid foundation that’s a little off from your skin tone to enhance the effect of wounded flesh.
- Lay some newspaper down and make sure you aren’t wearing any clothes you don’t want to get ruined should you accidentally spill.
2
Tear your toilet paper. Grab some toilet paper and tear it so it’s a little larger than the area where you want to create the wound.
- If you’re making the wound on your hand you may only need half of one square of toilet paper.
- For large wounds you may need two or three squares.
- Tissue paper such as Kleenex also works. It's best to use tissue paper with no etching or markings.
- Once you have the toilet or tissue paper you need, tear another section to match this one. You want to have at least two identical strips of paper. You will be applying at least two layers of paper and glue to the area where you are making the wound.
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3
Paint the glue onto the area of skin where you want to make your wound. Pour a bit of glue onto some wax paper or into a cup and then using your brush, paint your skin.
- If you are making a zombie bite or cut on your hand you won’t need as much glue. But if you are making a gash on your arm you’ll need more.
- You need to use enough glue so that your toilet paper can stick firmly to the area.
4
Apply the tissue paper onto the painted area of the skin. Press down firmly to ensure that your toilet paper is attached to the area.
- Let the glue dry for a minute or so. When your paper is firmly attached, repeat the process.
- Use your brush to add another layer of glue on top of your toilet paper. Cover the entire surface and then lay down another layer of paper.
- Two layers will work but adding more layers will give your wound more depth. If you want to create a deeper cut or gash, add three to five layers.
5
Paint all the edges with glue to flatten your wound. Once both layers are on and dry you want to go over and paint down the edges so that your wound will look realistic.
- The texture from the glue will add a nice effect to the edges of your wound once you apply makeup.
- If the paper has a defined edge and isn’t painted down then your wound won’t look as realistic.
- Use a hairdryer, if you have one, to help the glue dry faster.
6
Apply liquid foundation to blend the paper to your skin tone. To make the wound look real, blend the paper into your skin by painting it with your foundation.
- Smooth out the areas where the wound joins the skin by applying some foundation to your actual skin. This will make it harder to tell where the tissue paper stops and your skin begins.
- You want to use a foundation that closely matches your skin tone. It doesn’t have to be exact as an off-color foundation can add a nice discoloration.
- A flat foundation brush works very well and will blend the area nicely.
7
Cut and tear the paper to create the opening of your wound. With your foundation applied, you now want to take a pair of scissors or tweezers and cut or tear the paper to create the opening.
- You can cut a straight line if you want more of a gash or a circle for something like a zombie bite.
- Be very careful while cutting as you are using scissors very close to your skin. It’s best to cut just a little slit to create an opening in the paper. Once you have an opening, tear and peel the rest of it.
- Don’t remove the torn tissue paper from the area. You want to give your wound a peeling look. This will add depth to your fake wound.
8
Apply your makeup. Get some red, purple, and gray or black eyeshadow and brush it onto your skin.
- Brush the eyeshadow directly onto your skin which you exposed by tearing away the tissue paper.
- You should also brush the areas of paper around your skin.
- The dark eyeshadow creates a nice bruising look.
9
Put fake blood in the wound. Once you are satisfied with your wound and the color, add fake blood.
- To make the wound look more realistic, apply the fake blood to your skin and the paper. Then take a brush and brush the blood to blend it in.
- After you have blended some fake blood, you can then pour more onto your wound to give it a bleeding effect.
- To make the blood drips look real, apply a few drops to an area and then let it run downward. For example, if you made a gash on your arm, apply the blood to the top of the wound and then let your arm hang naturally to allow the blood to trickle down. ^{[2]XResearch source}
- When you want to remove the fake wound, simply wash the area.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making a Fake Wound with Vaseline

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1
Gather everything you need. For this method, you need Vaseline, eyeshadow, lip gloss or lipstick, a makeup brush, and a toothpick.
- You want to get eyeshadow with colors that include dark blue, light blue, light brown, dark brown, red, dark pink/peach, and yellow.
- Dark red lip gloss or lipstick works well for the blood. Lip gloss will give your wound a shinier, more fluid look than lipstick. Lipstick will work perfectly as dried blood.
- You can also use fake blood at the end to add an extra touch.
2
Apply a layer of Vaseline to the area you want to use to create the wound. The thicker the layer, the more swollen the wound will look.
- Blend out the edges so that it looks less like a clot of Vaseline and more natural.
- This method with Vaseline is better for smaller wounds around your hands or arms.
3
Draw a line in the Vaseline to shape the open wound. Use your toothpick to trace your wound in the Vaseline.
- If you wish for your wound to look as if you were stabbed by something, make the line a little uneven but keep it relatively thin.
- If you’re going for a larger cut or gash, carve a larger area that’s a bit wider.
4
Apply the eyeshadow to the wound. Let the Vaseline dry a bit so that you don’t blend it too much with your eyeshadow. Then with an eyeshadow applicator or brush begin adding the eyeshadow.
- Use a darker shade of brown or gray in the center to add depth.
- At the edges, use a light pink/peach tone to blend the edges of the wound to your actual skin tone.
- Use the red eyeshadow between the pink/peach and the brown to make part of the wound look fresher.
- You can also use the blue and/or yellow eyeshadow around the wound to create a more beaten up look. Blues, yellows, greens, and purples will give your wound a bruised component.^{[3]XExpert SourceNini Efia Yang
  Makeup ArtistExpert Interview. 27 August 2019.}
- Make sure the eyeshadow is blended well, so there are no unnaturally straight edges.
5
Complete the look by applying the red lip gloss or lipstick, and fake blood. Apply the gloss or lipstick to the middle of the wound to give it a freshly cut look.
- Lipstick will give your wound more of a dried-up look than lip gloss.
- Drip the fake blood in the center of the wound and let it pool or run to complete your wound.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Fake Wound with Stage Makeup and Latex

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1
Gather your materials. Stage makeup and latex is designed to give you a realistic look that you could use on stage. But, you can also use it for a costume, party, or simply for fun. ^{[4]XResearch source} You will need:
- Liquid latex. Ben Nye makes a good liquid latex that is often used in the theatre.
- Brushes.
- Fake blood.
- Tissue paper. Try to use plain tissue paper without etching or designs.
- Dark eyeshadow.
- It’s also a good idea to lay some newspaper down as liquid latex and the fake blood can get messy.
2
Apply liquid latex. Shake the bottle of liquid latex before opening. Then begin brushing it onto your skin where you wish to create your wound.
- Liquid latex can be messy and kind of tricky to use. Try to paint it on evenly and don't rush. Though liquid latex dries fairly quickly, you want to make sure you apply it as smoothly as possible.
3
Add your tissue paper. Liquid latex dries pretty quickly so you want to work in smaller sections rather than one large area. Press the tissue paper down on the latex.
- The tissue paper will stick pretty well to the latex. You can then pull and tear away the edges of the tissue paper which aren’t attached.
4
Apply at least one more layer. Repeat the process by brushing more liquid latex over the tissue paper and then adding another layer of paper.
- Two layers of paper are usually sufficient, but if you want to create the look of a deeper wound you should add three to five layers.
5
Create an open wound. Once your layers are dry you can rip open a hole or cut the tissue and latex.^{[5]XResearch source}
- You can use a toothpick or tweezers to tear a hole or cut a line.
- The paper and latex will peel back giving the effect of an open wound with your skin peeling away.
6
Apply liquid foundation. With the fake wound opened up you now want to apply liquid foundation to the tissue and latex.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Make sure that you apply the foundation in a way so that it blends out from the latex and tissue onto your actual skin.
- Rub the surrounding area with your finger to further blend.
7
Apply powder, eyeshadow, and fake blood to create the bloody part of the wound. Using your eyeshadow and any red powders, you can use your brush to add these to your wound.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Paint around the wound and on your actual skin with darker colors in the center of your wound. Use lighter colors as you progress outward.
- Add a few drops of blood and mix. Then add a few more in and around the wound and let the blood drip.

Expert Q&A

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Question
What can you do to make a black eye using makeup?
Nini Efia Yang
Makeup Artist
Nini Efia Yang is the Owner of Nini's Epiphany, a San Francisco Bay Area makeup and hair studio. Specializing in bridal makeup with almost 10 years of experience, her work has been featured in Ceremony Magazine, They So Loved, and Wedding Window.
Nini Efia Yang
Makeup Artist
Expert Answer
Look at a Halloween store for special effects makeup. Pick up some yellowish, purplish colors, and maybe some green. Prime the area with liquid foundation and set it with powder to give it some grip. Then apply the color! I like to search for a photo of a black eye and copy it to get a realistic look.
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Are fake wounds useful for teaching first aid?
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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Yes. Many first aid instructors like to use fake wounds to make the learning experience more realistic. Students will have an easier time recognizing real injuries and treating them appropriately if they’ve worked with realistic fake wounds. It can also help reduce their discomfort with treating real injuries.
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Can you make a fake wound with flour?
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
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Yes, you can use flour and water to make a simple dough that mimics the texture of skin or scar tissue. Mix 1 cup (130 g) of flour with 1 cup (237 mL) of water with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon (15 ml) of oil. Stir these ingredients over heat until you achieve a doughy consistency. You can put this “skin” wherever you like on your body, and wet it slightly to make it smooth. Add makeup to create a realistic skintone. If you want to make a cut, carefully make a slit in the dough and pour on a little fake blood!
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Tips

Make your fake blood with red food colorant corn starch and water.
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Helpful11 Not Helpful1
Use darker colors if you want the wound looking more rotted, or if you just want to make it look more realistic.
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Helpful15 Not Helpful3
You can use red food coloring and corn syrup to make fake blood.
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Try experimenting with different makeup to see what looks most realistic for a fake cut! Different colors and brands might produce different results, depending on what you use.
In my experience, black is a good color to make the wound look even more realistic.

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Warnings

Make sure you are not allergic to any ingredients like latex before making your fake wound.
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Helpful42 Not Helpful2
If the pointy object you choose to use is a knife, needle, or other sharp things that might cause harm, be extremely cautious while using these things. If the wound is to be applied to a child or a person with tics, don't ever use objects that may cause harm.
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Red food coloring stains clothes permanently and temporarily stains the skin.
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