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.
Who Needs Skin Camouflage?
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.
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.
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Hi I am a qualified makeup artist , and I’m looking for an opportunity to work as a makeup artist for those who need it. Cosmeticcamouflage is something I really want to do but I don’t know where or how I should apply for. Your help will be appreciated.??
Ndrina - 5-Aug-21 @ 10:46 PM
Hi I I a 30 year old mother of 2 children I I currently doing special effects makeup at university I am going into my last year before I graduate I have my level 2 beauty therapy qualification and my level 3 makeup qualification where i passed with distinctions that qualification in particular covers camouflage makeup which I I very interested in becoming a camouflage cosmetician as my chosen career however I am wondering where I start of in order to achieve this goal where do I need to apply? Thankyou
Mel - 24-Jun-21 @ 8:57 AM
Hi I’m 17 and I would really like to do camouflage makeup but I don’t know where I could go to do the training.
Georgia Holmes - 17-Jun-20 @ 5:31 PM
Im currently looking for what qualifications I need to become a camouflage makeup artist in a hospital I have recently finished a level 2 beauty therapist course and will be going on to doing my level 3 beauty therapy next year and level 3 theatrical makeup the year after. Camouflage makeup is included within the theatrical makeup course but will I need a separate qualification. Also is there any other qualifications that I may need?
Chloe - 5-Jun-19 @ 9:14 PM
Rosie - Your Question:
Hi, I am 19 years old and interested in training in makeup artistry leading into this field. I wondered what qualifications were needed for this career and the likelihood of employment. Many thanks, Rosie
Our Response:
You can see more via the gov.uk link here. We cannot say what the likelihood of employment is as much depends upon where you live in the country and whether there is a demand in your locality. As with any job, if you are prepared to apply for jobs outside your locality (if there is not much demand in your region) there is always a better chance of securing the job you want. Best of luck.
AHealthCareer - 22-Feb-18 @ 10:21 AM
Hi, I am 19 years old and interested in training in makeup artistry leading into this field. I wondered what qualifications were needed for this career and the likelihood of employment. Many thanks, Rosie
Rosie - 21-Feb-18 @ 4:28 PM
Hi. I have discos lupus for 21 years now. And camouflage make Up has helped me return my confidence. Self esteem. And would love the opportunity to help others with returning their confidence.
Kar - 10-Feb-18 @ 11:36 PM
Hello, can you please send me info on how to get certified. I'm starting make up artistry for beauty program tomorrow to learn colors, eye shapes, and how to apply. Obviously camouflage make up is more intense.. but I needed to start somewhere. Please send me some info on how I can get into this field.
Thank you
Tina - 24-Sep-17 @ 7:02 PM
Hi there,
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
Amy - 16-May-17 @ 10:07 PM
HI I am currently looking for information on where I could train as a camouflage cosmetician in Northern Ireland and what previous qualifications I need to do so.
Many thanks
Chrissie - 28-Feb-17 @ 9:05 PM
Hello,
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.
Siobhan - 17-Feb-17 @ 5:31 PM
Hi there iv covered my facial disfigurement from the age of 12 I am 50 now I have no qualification in beauty. only life experience .Iwould love to help others cover up there birthmarks as not many people know I have at port wine birthmark on my face because my coverage is excellent I think I would be great at this job .
carr - 29-Dec-16 @ 5:00 PM
Hello there I'm looking to get more experience and working for a charity to help with Remedial Skin Camouflage make-up. I am currently a lecturer teaching media makeup artistry and doing a BA honours as well. Let me know how I can help or how I can get more experience. Thank you Lalaine Forgham
Lalaine - 28-Sep-16 @ 7:12 PM
Hi there, I have a NVQ level 3 in beauty therapy which included make up and a Foundation degree in Advanced Practise in beauty therapy, which covered areas of Clinical therapies. In which skin camouflage was covered, One of the areas that really intrigued me. I am currently working as a Face designer for Giorgio Armani beauty with 4 years experience of make up application. Since I graduated with my Foundation degree, I have struggled finding work within this sector. This career move is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks
MissK - 7-Jul-15 @ 7:23 PM
@Hck - it sounds great what you have been doing and of course you want to share your experiences of overcoming your own issues relating to vitilligo. However, it is a very niche area and while you may want a paid position, if you volunteer first then it could lead to other things and possibly a paid position in the long term, along with giving you a boost to your CV. If you have the volunteer experience already under your belt then this can only add to your chances of getting the job in this specialised area that you really want.
AHealthCareer - 6-Mar-15 @ 12:28 PM
Hi i Have finished a level 3 nvq beauty therapy course, a level 3 media makeup course and i foundation degree in special effects makeup and Hair design at york university, all of which covered camouflage makeup application. I currently have 5 years experIence In all makeup sectors with a multitude of work experiences. I currently work for beauty world as a beauty consultant and makeup artist, i also work part time in photography studio as a hair and makeup artist.
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
hck - 5-Mar-15 @ 12:27 PM
I have completed my level 2 in beauty therapy, body art and media make up and I'm currently studying level 3 spa therapy.
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.
Ck - 4-Feb-15 @ 6:39 PM
Hi ive just completed level 2 beauty therapy and im looking into a progressing on to becoming a camouflage therapist however im struggling to find information on how to do this, could you please give me some information , anything would be appreciated , Thank You
Jen - 4-Mar-13 @ 9:56 PM
Hello there,
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 :)
Megs - 8-Jan-13 @ 4:38 PM
Hi there both - I am currently completing an NVQ level II in beauty therapy & am considering continuing through to Media Make up (Level 3). However, I am having great difficulty in finding information on careers related to 'camouflage makeup' therapists (ideally, my chosen career) & am now wondering if this is going to be possible - have either of you had any luck ? If so,do you have any tips that you can pass on ?
Bubbles - 25-Jan-12 @ 10:22 AM
Hiya Sarah, I'm doing the same course and looking into the same thing as career wise I was wondering if you have been successful in finding any work. :)
Jesstp - 8-Oct-11 @ 11:06 PM
Hello there. I am currently looking for work as a Camouflage Therapist. I have completed a Level 3 Make-up Artistry course which involved camouflage make up applications. I am now a fully qualified Make-up Artist. I Like to help people and work around the public and I think this job would be suitable for me.