Tips for Liquid Latex and Prosthetics

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again. Liquid latex and prosthetics are magical things. Using them, you can transform yourself into just about anyone or anything! I’ve used liquid latex to make my Final Lair Phantom of the Opera cosplay makeup before – the grotesque face deformity that the Phantom hides behind a mask. Here are my top tips for liquid latex and prosthetics if you would like to give it a try:

Liquid latex usually comes in a bottle like this.

· The most important tip that I cannot stress enough: Test the liquid latex on a patch of skin on your arm first. This is to check for an allergic reaction. Do not proceed to use the liquid latex if you react to it.

· Before applying makeup to the latex, make sure it’s dry. You then need to give the prosthetics a good covering of powder so the makeup will stick to it. I usually use talcum powder, but you can use setting powder too.

· Be wary of body hair. When you peel the latex/prosthetic off, it could pull out your hair…and that’s very painful! Make sure to shave the area of skin first.

· Always work with it in a well-ventilated area, and leave the lid off the bottle for a little while before you use liquid latex. It includes ammonia which has a very strong scent and isn’t very nice when applying it to your skin.

· Always let the latex dry fully between coats.

· You can use cotton padding or toilet/tissue paper to build up your prosthetics. Make sure to separate the toilet paper square layers so they are very thin.

My Final Lair Phantom prosthetics were made with liquid latex, cotton padding, and toilet paper.

· When removing liquid latex, peel off slowly and carefully. Use a warm washcloth underneath it as you go. It is not a painless process, but it is sometimes similar to peeling PVA glue off your hands like you used to at school!

· Latex prosthetics do keep for a little while, so you can make your prosthetics and peel them off and reuse them at a later date.

· If you wish to stick the prosthetics back on, use either spirit gum or Pros-Aide. Pros-Aide will last longer as an adhesive. Blend the edges of the prosthetic into your skin with liquid latex. When removing, ensure you have either spirit gum or Pros-Aide remover. The glues are very strong and extremely painful to try to pull off from your skin without the remover product.

I use Mehron's spirit gum and remover.

Liquid latex and prosthetics are used for all sorts of costume makeup, such as gore and torn skin for zombies, alien skin, and much more. Get creative with it!