Bald Cap and Prosthetic Application

 Bald Cap Application

As my design includes a bald cap, it was important that I practiced this application before the final project. 

To apply a bald cap, you will need the following:

• An Acetone Bald Cap
• Acetone
• Cotton buds/brushes
• Pros-aide 
• Scissors
• Wig cap
• Hair grips
• Pax paints 
• Alcohol Palette

The first step is to put the hair up under a wig cap and optionally, you can gel back the edges depending on the model's hair length. As my model had very short hair I had to gel the edges back to ensure that they weren't getting in the way of the adhesive or that they would ruin the look of the bald cap. 

To apply the wig cap, simply put the hair up in a ponytail and then place toupee clips around the edges of the hair, then cut a hole in the back of the wig cap (if your model's hair is long). Then you use hair grips to secure the cap in place, being careful to ensure that none of them are poking up, otherwise they will be visible beneath the bald cap. Once the wig cap has been secured, you can then push the ponytail into the hole created and pin the remaining cap material over the top so everything is covered. 

Before applying, you can use a hairdryer to flatten out any creases in the bald cap. 

Once you have prepared everything, you are then ready to apply the bald cap. Get your model to use their two index fingers to grip the front of the bald cap and then place it over the model's entire head. Once this is done, you can use pros-aide to start gluing down the edges. It is best to start from the back and work your way forward to prevent any creasing. It is important to apply pros-aide to the cap itself and to the skin as this creates a bond. When it comes to the ears, my preferred method is to cover them entirely in the bald cap and then when you are ready to glue down around them, cut a small circle into the cap plastic and pull the ear through, gluing down the edges around the ear once you have the desired shape and coverage. 

You can then using either a brush or a cotton bud, gently blend the edges using acetone. This will melt the plastic of the bald cap and create a seamless blend into the model's skin. Once you have done this, you can then stipple pros-aide around the edges in thin layers to disguise the edges if there are any visible. 

Once you have done this, you can then begin to paint using the pax paints. Pax paints are a blend of skin-safe acrylic paints and pros-aide, this will allow the pigment to adhere to the cap plastic. You use the pax paints as a base and then depending on the finish desired, use alcohol paints in small layers by flicking the colour to match the model's skin tone. It's important to use small layers and emulate the pinks, reds, greens and blues of natural skin if that is the desired look. 

Practicing Prosthetic Application

Once your prosthetics have set and are ready for use, you can then remove them from your mould using a brush and some baby powder/loose powder. This stops the prosthetics from sticking together. When removing, ensure to be very gentle as to not break the cap plastic that is holding the prosthetic piece and flashing together. 

Once you are ready to apply, simply at adhesive (I used pros-aide) to the back of the prosthetic and plastic and to the application site. Once the glue has partially dried and is tacky/clear, you can then place the prosthetic gently onto the site and press into place. 

When you are happy that the prosthetic has adhered to the skin, you can then go ahead the same as before and use IPA or Acetone (depending on material used when making the prosthetic, I used IPA) to blend around the edges of the prosthetic so it melts into the skin. I also used some pros-aide cream to further blend the edges to ensure that none were visible. I then used alcohol paints to paint the prosthetic in thin layers starting with colours that matched the model's natural skin tones. Once I was happy with the base colour, I added details using alcohol paints and added Vaseline to create a 'puss' like texture within the wound itself.