Introduction: 3rd Degree Burn Makeup
This instructable outlines how to make a 3rd degree burn for your arm or other appendage. I have used this for some costumes and it works for training people to treat burns.
Step 1: Materials Needed
-Elmer's Glue
-Black Aerosol Hair Coloring
-Fake Blood
-Tissue Paper
-Sharpie
Optional:
-Black Skin Makeup
You can find the Hair Coloring at most costume shops.
The fake blood can be substituted with red food coloring/red paint.
Step 2: Put Down the Base
(If you have the black makeup, smear that on your body part as the base)
Smear the glue on your arm (or other body part), make sure the edges are well defined and where
you want them. A thin layer will dry faster.
Take the tissue paper, rip it into an irregular shape roughly the shape of your intended burn and push it firmly on top of the glue. It should not be flat, make sure it bubbles up a bit. Doing two layers of thin tissue helps the bubbling effect. Depending on how much time you have, I suggest you build up a layer of two or three tissues.
Allow it to dry completely, then add another layer.
Step 3: Coloring
Take the black hair spray and paint the burn.
It helps to shield the parts of your arm that are not part of the burn to avoid over spray.
Clean off the overspray with a slightly damp towel or tissue. It will smear, just do your best to get rid of most of it.
Step 4: Final Touches
Add the fake blood, allow it to run and smear it around, especially the edges of the burn. It will make the wound look oozy, as well as cover up the edges and any spots you missed with the spray can.
Step 5: Conclusion
As you wear it, the fake blood will dry giving it a scabbed/crystallized look. Add more blood to keep it looking wet, but it still looks good without it.
When you're ready to take it off, run the body part under warm water and wait for the glue to soften. It will come off much easier than trying to rip it off. My arm was a little red for maybe 3 minutes afterward. But that is because i'm impatient.
I had a doctor comment that it "look as real as what i've seen".
Please leave comments, This is my first instructable, so it is very likely i've left off some vital information or made this very hard to understand.
21 Comments
5 years ago
BEST. PRANK. EVER.
10 years ago
That's not what a 3rd degree burn looks like
13 years ago on Step 5
Very nice and looks real. and very easy to follow. keep up the good work.
14 years ago on Step 5
Great i used this at a Boy Scout training day and there was a iran war vet who was shooken by this so called simulation thx
14 years ago on Introduction
Burns arent really funny, I got burnt then It got infected then well hell got looose
14 years ago on Introduction
hmm... it looks pretty good, except that the tissue paper is a little too dry still. try "glazing" it again with glue, and maybe a oatmeal to the mix. You can put some oatmeal into a bit of the fake blood and let it soak it up, and then set it into the glue on your arm, to create a congealed, scabby look. Scabs always have a texture to it, and bubbles just aren't enough.
15 years ago on Introduction
just looking at the picture made my stomach churn. so.... good job!
15 years ago on Introduction
i think the main problem is it ends to abruptly burns don't do that you should try to fade the burn into your skin tone heat obeys the laws of diffusion start the epicenter with the 3rd degree but gradually fade it out to second(blisters) and then 1st(cracked redness) but this is very good for isolated burn costumes and a good instructible
15 years ago on Introduction
That looks more like black tissuepaper.
15 years ago on Introduction
Maybe your "burns" are from a different cause but my third degree burns looked nothing like that. And were they ever painful. Still looks good though!
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
do you have pictures of it? I'd like to try to see if I can tweak this method to be more realistic.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Like temp said, about second degree burns: Yes, this is partially second degree burn, but also third as well. The top two pictures were taken the day it happened. The bottom two were the second day. I messed with the contrast in the bottom two since the flash really washed them out and the pictures don't do them justice. Good luck!
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Did the picture not upload??
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
No. I don't see any pictures.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
i think this is more of a you spilt burning napalm on your arm for 10 minutes then left it there. you might be thinking of a second degreeburn which just mainly looks like really pale blistered skin.
15 years ago on Introduction
Almost, I think Third degree burns have several blisters on the edges though...... 5*
15 years ago on Introduction
Maybe it's my monitor, but it looks a bit "blue" to me... Good technique though, even if the coloring needs a bit of tweaking for the specific need.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Its not really blue when you look at it. The flash really brings it out. I think the blue is where the blood mixed with the hair paint, then dried onto the white tissue.
15 years ago on Introduction
Dang, looks like some one took a blow torch to your skin....
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
4 1/2 stars!