One of the more unusual careers that is generally an unknown one is the profession of camouflage cosmeticians. While the word 'cosmetician' hints at the cosmetics industry, the camouflage aspect relates to far more than simply covering up dark circles under the eyes.
What Does Skin Camouflage Involve?
Skin camouflage entails a great deal more than just adding colour to the face or masking a minor imperfection. In a career as a camouflage cosmetician, you would work to bring back balance and a balanced hue to a person's appearance – typically focusing on the face – to bring their appearance back to its 'normal' look.
Camouflage cosmeticians use a variety of techniques to help people who suffer from disfigurements, primarily affecting the skin and facial appearance. They often work to balance out the skin complexion for people who suffer from skin conditions or similar issues.
In a typical day, a camouflage cosmetician might be using specific skin correcting cream formulations or powders to cover major disfigurements. There are a number of corrective products that are targeted to address a variety of skin disorders. They tend to need only a sheer application and are an important tool in helping a person restore their appearance to its former self.

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The range of conditions affecting the skin is enormous but it can be an overlooked area of health care. However, restoring a person's appearance can have incredible effects in similarly restoring their self-confidence, mood and overall well-being. A person might have a congenital disorder, which they have experienced since birth.
For some people, they may be used to their skin disfigurement and having it corrected can be quite a change. For others, their skin condition may become more noticeable with time, which means that your work as a camouflage cosmetician would involve bringing their skin back to its previous appearance – perhaps even more so!
In particular, adolescents or young adults who suffer from severe cystic acne can really benefit from the help of a camouflage cosmetician. Also, people who suffer from significant scars as a result of burns or surgery can benefit from a camouflage cosmetician.
Whether a person's skin loses colour – hypopigmentation – or suffers from increased pigment – hyperpigmentation – bringing back an even skin tone can make a huge difference in the patient's confidence. Some people also suffer from flushing or excessive redness, making their skin appear inflamed and irritated. Here, a camouflage cosmetician can help to tone down the redness and make the skin look more natural and healthy.
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A Career for Emotional Health
For far too long, health care seems to have focused only on the physiological aspects of disease, ignoring the emotional impact that conditions can have when a person's skin is affected. However, your work as a camouflage cosmetician can make people feel wonderful about themselves, which improves their mental health and makes them feel more optimistic and happy about their life and future.
You may work for the NHS or you might work in private practice. Alternately, you could work in the research sector, providing advice and expertise to researchers who develop camouflage products for patients.
In many ways, your work in this career can encourage people to participate and socialise as well. People who suffer from problems with their skin sometimes want to 'hide' from the world and they may withdraw from friends and family.
Choosing a Camouflage Cosmetician Career
Perhaps in a perfect world, people would not feel rejected because their skin has a noticeable disfigurement. Yet, until that time, people with skin problems will want to look their best – as most of us do – and your career as a camouflage cosmetician can make a huge difference to these patients.
Thank you
I was born with a port wine stain birthmark on my face and self taught myself to cover it and make up is a huge passion of mine, I have a beauty blog and YouTube channel on how I cover, I would love to get into this as a career but not sure how to get there x
Many thanks
I'm really interested in becoming a Skin Camoflauge Cosmetician. I've worked in the cosmetic industry for over 10years and feel that I would like to do more than just paint faces for a Saturday night or for a wedding. I want have greater impact on someone's self confidence, it's what drives me most. Ive looked into training courses and will hopefully be booking on soon. However, although I feel this career this could be the perfect one for me on a personal level, I also want to ensure that is a financially viable option, before investing/committing to training. It appears to be a very niche market and I've struggled to find information on various aspects of the career
despite trawling the web. I wondered what the average salary of the this type of career is both on the NHS and in private practice. I hoping you maybe able to help guide me.
Thank you.
I have vitilligo myself i developed it when i was 4 years old, i once had to go through consultation for skin camouflage cream and was given a demonatration on how to use it. I did feel very alone and uncomfortable around people but now i embrace my difference and I feel I can relate to clients in this area.
I have been searching for a career in the sector for a while now and can only find volunteering at changIng faces, however I would like a paid position in the sector. can you please help me?
Thank you
hayley
I'm interested in doing something worth while that will help people with my qualifications. I can't seem to find much information on camouflage make up for disfigurements.
I recently graduated from college and i studied level 2 and 3 Beauty Therapy and i'd like to start a cosmetician career doing camourflage make- up. I've always had an interest in skin and make-up is my hobby so being a cosmetician would be the perfect job for me! i suffered with skin problems and i know people with permanent scarring and i know how much it can affect their self esteem and i'd like to be the person that can give them the confidence they need.
I'm just wondering if you could point me in the right direction as how to go about finding a career in this sector?
Thanks :)
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