Cosmetic camouflage is the application of
make-up
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protec ...
cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
s and/or powders to conceal colour or contour irregularities or abnormalities of the face or body. It offers an answer to solve all related skin problems such as Congenital origin, Traumatic origin and Dermatological origin ( angiomas, couperose, redness, teleangectasy, vitiligo, skin dyschromia, sunspots, senile spots, acne, results of burns, stretch-mark, scars, bruises, blue stains, eye sockets, tattoos). Furthermore, cosmetic camouflage solves the psychological problems that a skin imperfection is sometimes able to provoke, it allows to rediscover its own beauty and to return with serenity to its own social life.
Cosmetic camouflage creams were first developed by
plastic surgeons
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
to cover the massive burns received by
fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained to engage in air-to-air combat, air-to-ground combat and sometimes electronic warfare while in the cockpit of a fighter aircraft. Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare an ...
s. Nowadays, men, women and children can use cosmetic camouflage.
Examples
*
Birthmark
A birthmark is a congenital, benign irregularity on the skin which is present at birth or appears shortly after birth—usually in the first month. They can occur anywhere on the skin. Birthmarks are caused by overgrowth of blood vessels, melanocy ...
s – A birthmark is a blemish on the skin formed after birth. Port wine stains are a type of birthmark characterized by large, splotchy, wine colored marks. They can be camouflaged to quite an extent with a green concealer.
*
Rosacea
Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that typically affects the face. It results in redness, pimples, swelling, and small and superficial dilated blood vessels. Often, the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin are most involved. A red, enlarg ...
– Rosacea is a skin condition that results in dilated facial blood vessels with redness sometimes combined with pustules. A green concealer should be applied to the affected areas to neutralize redness.
*
Vitiligo
*
Chloasma
Melasma (also known as chloasma faciei,James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005). ''Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology''. (10th ed.). Saunders. . or the mask of pregnancy when present in pregnant women) is a tan or dark ...
*
Cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation.
Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...
*
Jessner lymphocytic infiltrate
Cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia refers to a groups of benign cutaneous disorders characterized by collections of lymphocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells in the skin. Conditions included in this groups are:
* Cutaneous lymphoid hyperplasia w ...
*
Veins
Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated ...
*
Burns Burns may refer to:
* Burn, an injury (plural)
People:
* Burns (surname), includes list of people and characters
Business:
* Burns London, a British guitar maker
Places:
;In the United States
* Burns, Colorado, unincorporated community in Eagle C ...
– A burn is a type of injury to the skin caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction. It can be camouflaged using green concealer.
*
Scarring
A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natu ...
from
surgery,
trauma
Trauma most often refers to:
*Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source
* Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event
*Traumatic inj ...
,
acne
Acne, also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term skin condition that occurs when dead skin cells and oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include blackheads or whiteheads, pimples, oily skin, and ...
, etc. A scar results from the biologic process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. E.g. Blepharoplasty (Eye lift). Blepharoplasty gives a completely new look to the face by removing the crepey, laggy skin & tired looks of the eyes. Green concealer should be used sparingly in the area where there is redness. It is preferable not to use kohl or mascara for at least 3–4 weeks after surgery.
*
Tattoos
A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing ...
– A tattoo is a marking made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification.
* Many other
dermatological conditions.
Cosmetic camouflage is also called camouflage makeup, cover makeup, or corrective makeup.
Further reading
*
*
* {{cite book, title=Make-up Artistry, author=Julia Conway, chapter=Cosmetic camouflage, pages=189–204, publisher=Heinemann, year=2004, isbn=9780435453305
Cosmetics
Plastic surgery