Skin Camouflage

To find the best products to reduce the appearance of scarring it is best to see a professional skin camouflage practitioner. The practitioner will apply various creams to the skin and mix them together until a match to the skin is found. This mix of creams aims to match the colour of the surrounding skin, so that the scar blends in better. The cream is then applied to the area and set with a fixing powder. The fixing powder stops the creams moving around, smudging, being wiped off and transferring to clothing.  Once applied the creams last between 8-12 hours and are waterproof. After the fixing powder a fixing spray can also be used to make the creams even more stable and to increase the wearing time. A fixing spray is a clear liquid which is sprayed as a fine mist over the powdered skin camouflage cream. The length of time that the creams can last depends on where the scar is; areas that are touched more frequently during the day e.g., the face may need more frequent applications than areas like the leg.

The practitioner will then teach you how to apply the creams to your scars. Skin camouflage creams work best on scars which are a different colour from the surrounding unaffected skin. The creams cannot change the texture of a scar so the scar may remain partly visible, but the general appearance of the scar can be reduced.

• A temporary reduction in the appearance of the scarring
• An increase in confidence as the eyes of other people are less drawn to the scar
• An affordable way to reduce the appearance of scarring either during or after other treatments

• The approved skin camouflage creams are medical grade (they have passed rigorous testing) and so they have no adverse effects; they do not cause a reaction or irritation, even to sensitive skin (unlike some make-up/foundations). Skin camouflage creams do not contain ingredients which are often used in cosmetics such as fragrances.
• In some areas of the United Kingdom, it is still possible to get approved camouflage creams on an NHS prescription, but unfortunately in the majority of the country this is no longer possible.

• The creams need to be applied and removed daily; remove with cleansing wipes or soap and water. Do not leave the creams on for days as they will transfer to clothing and bed sheets.

• To get the best result in minimising the appearance have an assessment and colour match with a camouflage expert experienced with scars. Simply finding a good skin match with the area surrounding the scar is not always the best solution. Sometimes other colours are needed to neutralise certain shades in the scar. For example, if the scar has blue or purple shades to it, an orange or yellow colour may help to balance these shades making the scar less visible. To the untrained eye, a scar may appear darker than the surrounding skin and therefore more difficult to cover than a lighter scar. However, it is often not as simple as the scar being darker, it can be that the scar is a blueish grey shade and may need a complimentary colour to counteract this.
• A camouflage expert can also advise you on which brand of skin camouflage cream is best for your scar. Different brands are better for certain features/scars e.g. depending on the size and colour of scar and how much coverage is required (heavier or lighter).
• Once applied and fixed camouflage creams are waterproof; they can be worn in the shower and when swimming. However, the creams do come off if they are rubbed with soap / with a towel.
• Ideally you would see a skin camouflage practitioner who works with other scar experts such as doctors / surgeons / physiotherapists so that all the symptoms of your scar can be treated not just those that benefit from camouflage.