BEYOND THE HORIZON-

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HOLLYWOOD
PROSTHETICS
 CONTENTS

◂ INTRODUCTION
◂ TYPES
◂ MATERIALS USED
◂ TECHNIQUES
◂ ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
◂ CONCLUSION
◂ REFERENCES

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INTRODUCTION
◂ The multibillion dollar film industry,
worldwide depends on imaginative and
accurate use of prosthetic materials.
◂ You may wonder how makeup artists
turn actors into animals, monsters and
aliens - using prosthetic makeup, a
person can be turned into virtually.
anything. 3
◂ With the growth in entertainment industry, a new path of
exploration has opened up for budding prosthodontics with a
knack for the art of maxillofacial prosthetics.

◂ Employment rate of maxillofacial prosthetists is expected to rise

in the near future as further development proceeds in
entertainment industry.

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◂ Prosthetic makeup (also called Special make-up
effects and FX prosthesis) is the process of using prosthetic
sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create
advanced cosmetic effects.
◂ Prosthetic makeup was revolutionized by John Chambers in
film such as Planet of the Apes.

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◂ The most basic of applications can be
used to simply hide effects mechanisms,
like blood tubes and incoming bullet
hits.
◂ The most complex will render the actor
completely unrecognizable as a human.
◂ The viewer will understand the
character by simply looking at them.

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 TYPES

There are two types of appliances.

◂ Premade
◂ Custom fit appliance

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MATERIALS USED
◂ A basic understanding of materials and concepts is all that’s
needed to get started in making your own imagined
creatures come to life.

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LIQUID LATEX
◂ Clear or tan colored liquid that can be applied in
layers, built up and formed into skin-like textures. 

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FOAM LATEX 
◂ This mixture expands as it dries to form a tight
sponge-like substance , yet be flexible enough to allow
movement. 

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SILICONE 
◂ Similar to liquid latex,
only with more of a shiny
texture and less tackiness
when dry.
This substance can set
quite fast and be tricky to
manipulate accurately

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BALD CAP 
◂ Thin skin-like shower cap
that is glued to the head
over the hair to conceal it or
protect it.

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SPIRIT GUM (PROS-AIDE)
◂ Specially formulated glue that is applied to
the skin and holds down appliances. This
substance is also used to coat prosthetics or
to provide a proper surface on which
makeup can be applied.

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MODELING CLAY 
◂ An oil-based plasticine clay that can be sculpted into the shapes
of prosthetics. From these negative molds are made, which can
then be filled with Latex, silicone to make your final prosthetics. 

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ALGINATE
◂ Can be used to safely take impressions of body parts or objects.
◂ Casting gel is a product that is similar to alginate 

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GYPSUM CEMENT
◂ This substance is too heavy to form an appliance itself
and is never used directly on the skin. Rather it is used
to form a hard shell for mold inside which prosthetics
can be shaped. The most popular type in the film
industry is Ultracal 30. 

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PLASTER BANDAGES 
◂ A burlap-like fabric soaked in plaster powder. When wet
and applied in conjunction with the gypsum cement, they
will dry and harden to form an outer shell around the cast.

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SEPARATING AGENT –
◂ A slippery sealant (like oil or Vaseline) used to coat the
inside of a mold before the latex or silicone is added. If
no separating agent is used, the prosthetic will likely
fuse to the mold as it hardens, making removal all but
impossible. 18
MAKEUP REMOVAL
COMPOUND 
◂ Makes removal and
cleanup easier and less
painful and helps
remove prosthetics
while minimizing
damage.

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 ●
Lifecasting, the process of taking a mold
of a body part (often the face) to use as
STEP 1 a base for sculpting the prosthesis.
(alginate or from skin-safe silicone rubber)

●
A hard mother mold, typically made of
plaster or fiberglass bandages is created
STEP 2 overtop the initial mold to provide
support

●
Once a negative mold has been created,
it is promptly filled
STEP 3 with gypsum cement, to
make a "positive" mold.
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 • The form of the prosthetic is sculpted in clay
STEP 4
on top of the positive. The edges of the clay
should be made as thin as possible.

• Once sculpting is completed, a second mold is made. This gives two or

more pieces of a mold - a positive of the face, and one or more negative
mold pieces of the face with prosthetic sculpted in. All clay is carefully
removed and the prosthetic material is cast into the mold cavity.
STEP 5

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ADVANTAGES
◂ Save huge chunk of money by doing effects that are within its sphere of
possibility.

DISADVANTAGES
◂ Allergy.
◂ Stain and be hard to remove.
◂ Time consuming.

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 CONCLUSION
•Wrinkles, scars, veins, skin discolouration and a variety of effects are
created using prosthetic makeup.

•Special effects makeup isn't only used in films. A branch of SFX

called moulage is the process in which makeup is used to simulate
different wounds and trauma in order to prepare medical, emergency,
and military personnel for what they could experience in the field and
lessen psychological trauma.

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 REFERENCES
•Padmaja S. An insight into the future beckons of maxillofacial prosthodontics.
J Dent Res Rev 2015;2(2):91-96

• Reddy R, Kumar M, Ahila S, Rajendiran S. Materials in maxillo-facial

prosthesis, J Indian Acad Dent Spec Res 2015;2:1-4.

ONLINE SOURCES:
•Peter Zunitch. An introduction to basic concepts of prosthetic makeup. 2014.
URL: https://www.videomaker.com/article/f12/17132

•Alessandro Pirolini. Materials used in movie prosthetics. 2104. URL:

https://www.azom.com/article.aspx

•Neil Gorton. A guide to prosthetics in film. 2018. URL:

https://www.iveracademy.co.uk/blog/2018

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