UPDATE: 31OCT2011 - WEDDING PICS!!! ("HELP! MAKEUP TO COVER SCABS/SCARS?")

[TSIZ]

My li'l sis just emailed me asking help about make-up to cover scabs/scars - well, I'm only familiar w/beauty and high-fashion make-up, hardcore TV & Film make-up...not-so-much...I mean, she doesn't quite need Rick Baker's help (yet), but close! Following is my sister's woeful, yet entertaining, email:

Hi!

So I thought YOU might be the best person to ask this question!

I am a CLUTZ and, like an idiot, I recently ate sh*t going down the stairs at the BART station. Landed smack on my knees onto grating and twisted my ankle. My knees are pretty cut up and I know I will have scabbing for the next month or even longer. These are no tiny cuts. We're talking scraped knees. I'll have to deal with and care for it the best I know how (I'm having such anxiety over the impending scars), but in the meantime, I need a way to cover it up. Especially in the next two weeks - I'm going to a wedding in NY Oct. 1 and I'm a bridesmaid, my dress is above-the-knee, so I need to make sure my knees don't look hideous for photos. Oh, and I'm hoping my sprained ankle will heal by then so I can be able to wear those fancy heels.

On that note, can you recommend a good cake-on type foundation and coverup I can buy? I'll most likely purchase the product at Nordstrom or Bloomingdales since those department stores are nearby and I can test the different shades.

Let me know!
xoxo
Mx

By the way, she lives in SF, so if there are other sources besides dept stores for good MU (stage MU or whatever she'll be needing), speak-up NoCA/City-folks!

THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP / ADVICE!
...pic of my mom & li'l sis in her SF-office...yes, this is the same sis that let Nordstrom S.F. Centre trash 18 B2M e/s pots b/c they didn't have pans...

 

[TSIZ]

I posted this inquiry in another popular online MAC-comm and received many insightful & helpful comments/suggestions.

You know, I honestly thought there existed a make-up solution to any problem (and I'm sure there may be others out there like me?) I mean, I attended one of the -if not THE- leading make-up schools in the U.S., and one of the instructors -a prominent TV & Film MUA in L.A./Hollywood- relayed to my class a story about having to cover a huge herpes outbreak on a model's lips/face...so I thought, "Hey, if herpes can be covered, why not wounds?" Right?

Anyway, with that said, even at the risk of being Captain Obvious, I will summarize all comments/suggestions handed to me to share with you all:

MAIN POINTS:

1. DO NOT apply make-up on open wounds - DO NOT even practice covering wounds with make-up;
2. Make-up on uneven surfaces (such as scabs) DOES NOT look good; and
3. DO NOT rush healing process - wounds (probably) will not heal / form scabs in time for the wedding; Make-up on uneven surfaces such as scabs does NOT look good; ;;Healing DO NOT rush the healing process - it is unlikely that wounds will heal/form scabs quickly; therefore, it is the best to
4. FOCUS ON PROPER CARE & TREATMENT / THE HEALING PROCESS.

With these points in mind, if the bridesmaid w/the short bridesmaid-dress must bare her legs/knees at the wedding, ASAP ask if:

• the wedding photographer can airbrush / Photoshop her knee-injuries; or
• the hem of her bridesmaid-dress can be let out just enough to cover her knee injuries

If neither of these options are feasible, and she still must bare her legs/knees, knowing wounds will not be completely healed by the day of the wedding:

Apply on wounds the following products in layers, allowing each layer to dry completely before applying the next:

1. liquid bandage (completely cover wounds, go beyond edges of wounds)
2. foundation-concealer* (as many layers as needed)
3. set-powder

*Recommended brands: Dermablend, Cover F/X, Kat VonD

However, since healing cannot be rushed, and in this case it is indeed unlikely that the wounds will heal in time for the wedding (i.e., within next 2 weeks), almost all comments emphasized POINT 4:

PROPER CARE & TREATMENT / THE HEALING PROCESS
Following these steps will also help minimize scarring (BONUS):

• Regularly/Religiously/Thoroughly clean and bandage wounds

For treatment & protection of wounds, prior to placing bandages:

• Apply an antibiotic ointment

Neosporinwas the brand of choice, but any other brand (or generic) antibiotic ointment will serve the same purpose. There are also triple-antibiotic ointments (is three better than one?) and antibiotic ointments that also contain ingredients to ease pain (in this case, would probably be welcome);

OR
my personal choice for big boo-boo's

• Apply ZIM'S Wound Care with Advanced Collagen Gel

The product is housed in an aluminum(?) tube and has a consistency/color very similar to honey. Unfortunately, it DOES NOT smell like honey. It smells really funky. - I mean, it's mostly collagen (>50%!) - so, you can imagine...or not. Anyway, if you can stomach the smell, this product totally lives-up to its hype - as the box states - AND MORE: "Collagen Helps: Reduce Pain, Reduce Bleeding, Protect Wounds, Reduce Scarring" - AND HEALS YOUR $#!T REALLY FAST!!!

• Wear loose / non-restrictive clothing around wounds, preferably clothing that does not touch wounded areas (in this case, clothing that hits above-the-knee)

• Avoid exposing wounds to any and all sun exposure

• (Optional) To further minimize scarring and scar-pigmentation, once wounds have healed, apply scar treatments (silicone sheets and/or creams, e.g. Mederma)

Once in the habit of taking care of the wounds, instead of wanting to camouflage them with make-up, she may opt to cover any signs of trauma with "layering" of a different kind:

1. flesh-colored bandages (e.g. Band-Aid) + flesh-colored opaque-tights (e.g. Danskin) + sheer stockings; OR
2. flesh-colored Band-Aids + patterned stockings

AND FINALLY (not related to make-up), for overall comfort, trade-in the "fancy heels" for a pair of cute flats! I'll let you all know how everything turned-out for her, after the wedding 1 October 2011 (pics too)!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE reply to this post w/ANY comments, suggestion, amendments, corrections, constructive criticism, etc. Thanks for your valuable expertise, time and kind consideration!

Quote: Originally Posted by TSIZ
...My knees are pretty cut up and I know I will have scabbing for the next month or even longer. These are no tiny cuts. We're talking scraped knees. I'll have to deal with and care for it the best I know how (I'm having such anxiety over the impending scars), but in the meantime, I need a way to cover it up. Especially in the next two weeks - I'm going to a wedding in NY Oct. 1 and I'm a bridesmaid, my dress is above-the-knee, so I need to make sure my knees don't look hideous for photos. Oh, and I'm hoping my sprained ankle will heal by then so I can be able to wear those fancy heels.

On that note, can you recommend a good cake-on type foundation and coverup I can buy?...

 

[husker2011]

You could try Sally Hanson's Air Brushed Legs, it comes in four tones and you can get it at Walgreen's or any other drug store outlet and Walmart. It is a spray can and covers spider veins and scars and any other ugly spots on legs. It is beautiful on your legs and they look tan and you will love the look.

 

[TSIZ]

Hello husker2011!

Thanks so much for the tip! My li'l sis has the link to this thread and I told her to check up on it once in a while, so hopefully she saw this and considered it as an option. But she has made and purchased her choice - she texted me last night from San Francisco Centre:

Mx: "What is the brandname of the makeup that covers up scars and has the word 'derm' in it?"
Mx: "At Macy's no internet access"

Me: "Dermablend"

Mx: "Perfect! Thanks!"
Mx: "Dermabkend(sic) success!"

Me: "What shade #?"

Mx: "D ? 'toast'"

Me: "How appropriate"*
*I'm not sure what I meant by that, but for some reason I meant it to be snarky...and she was savvy enough to take it as such as the conversation ended at that...love love love my li'l sis, but right now I REALLY don't LIKE her; thus, the passive-aggressive/quasi-snark - I suck as a big sis

ANYWAY! I'll keep you all updated w/wedding make-up/pics and all the gooey-wedding-stuff!

You could try Sally Hanson's Air Brushed Legs, it comes in four tones and you can get it at Walgreen's or any other drug store outlet and Walmart. It is a spray can and covers spider veins and scars and any other ugly spots on legs. It is beautiful on your legs and they look tan and you will love the look.

 

[TSIZ]

email from Mx to me 30 October 2011 @2157:​

"Subject: Photos from the wedding‏​

​

I ended up going with the less popular dress, but I think it was a pretty good choice afterall! For the blog to follow up. [refer to post here] You can't even see the scars (and I didn't even use the makeup)! [see above: Post #4] And I managed to rock high heels despite the sprained ankle. ​

​

Thanks for your help and support.​

​

xoxo​

Mx"​

PICS:
My li'l sis as a bridesmaid

New York
(Upstate? Long Island? can't tell from the pics...
...some country club - somewhere, NOT in the city)

01 October 2011

Mx, Esquire and Dr. John (her awesome BF)

"WeLovePhotobooths"

...next to the bride (on the right)...

...in the middle...

...and 2nd from the left.

Everybody, at once now:

"...awww..."

P.S. Sorry, she didn't include make-up details

I asked her to take note of what the MUA used on her,
but can't blame her if she forgot...