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Prosthetic for theatrical use

  • First of all, you need to have some prosthetic pieces, which then you will apply to your face using glue. These pieces are made by silicone, foam latex and gelatin. When you glue the appliances to your face, you will have to use makeup to make the result more realistic.

Apart from the prosthetic pieces, you will need some supplies. These are:

  • Spirit gum or medical adhesive
  • Castor sealerLiquid latex
  • Spirit gum remover
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Makeup supplies

Preparation of the face

 Whether you have an oily face or not, use a cotton pad with some rubbing alcohol on it to remove any oil your face has. This will allow the glue to stay strong and it will be more adhesive.

Preparation of the appliance

 Make sure the prosthetic appliance fits the face it sits on! Each face is different and has its unique features. One may be longer, while the other may be wider. So you need to adjust the appliance to your face by extending it. You can extend it at the bridge of the nose or around the mouth. If you want to apply a full face prosthetic, you may attach it in parts and not at once.

  • Any crevices formed by the extension of the appliance may be filled in with liquid latex later.

Now that the prosthetic fits your face, it’s time to attach it.

  • Apply the glue to your face and the appliance. The most common glue is spirit gum. Most theater productions use spirit gum. However, if you have an extremely oily face, you sweat a lot or you are about to wear the prosthetic for many hours, you may want to use medical adhesive, which is stronger.

Apply some castor sealer to the appliance. This will seal the prosthetic and it will prepare it to accept cream makeup. Let it dry, though, before applying the makeup