ET II Cosmetics Considerations and Application

Define complexion

Term applying to the color and texture of the skin.

Complexion colors vary as a result of the differences in pigment _____ and _____ the two primary layers of skin – the dermis and epidermis.

within, under

What does Depigmented skin (Albinism) look like?

Off-white, straw colored.

What does Vitaligo look like?

White spots or skin discolorations, “localized”.

What does Carotene look like?

Yellowish pigment of the skin.

What does Melanin look like?

Brownish pigment of the skin.

What does Hemoglobin look like?

Reddish pigment of the skin.

Variations occur within each ethnic and racial classification such as:

• Yellowish skin tone

• Brownish skin tone

• Reddish skin tone

Variations within each ethnic and racial group will be classified as:

• Light

• Medium

• Dark

• Darker

What factor affect normal complexion?

• Age

• Climate

• Health

• Genetics

What factors affect abnormal complexion?

• Blood discolorations

• Pigmentary discolorations

• Moisture changes

Describe the age factor affecting normal complexion

Skin dulls, grays and becomes courser as texture changes occur during aging.

Describe the Climate factor affecting normal complexion

An abundance or lack of sunshine affects melanin concentrations within the skin.

Describe the Health factor affecting normal complexion

The degree of redness is affected by the quantity of blood in the superficial capillaries (physical condition).

Describe the Genetics factor affecting normal complexion

Ethnic and racial conditions affect or skins coloring.

Describe the blood discolorations factor affecting abnormal complexion

The escape of blood into the intercellular spaces due to trauma or hypostasis.

Describe the Pigmentary Discolorations factor affecting abnormal complexion

• Jaundice – Yellowish to greenish

• Addison’s Disease - Bronze

• Decomposition – Green (various)

• Formaldehyde Gray - Grayish

• Fluid Burn - Pink

• Postmortem stain, contusions, bruising – Purplish to reddish

Describe the Moisture Changes factor affecting abnormal complexion

• Emaciation – Sallow (yellowish or light brown) appearance

• Dehydration – Light to medium browns (yellowing/browning of tissue)

• Desiccation – darker browns

How are photographs useful in RA?

They can be crucial for showing changes that occurred from illness, trauma, moisture and color changes

• Dated pictures are of little value

• Recent photos in various angles are invaluable for the simplest feature setting to the most major of restorations.

• Professional portraits aren’t reliable.

What are the cosmetic considerations pre-embalming?

1. Shaving, Shave everyone!

   1. Use disposable razors, one time only.

   2. Use shave cream followed by massage cream or lanolin spray

   3. Dodge’s alternative to shave cream

   4. ½ Metaflow, ½ Restorative, allow to soak.

2. Hair

   1. Trim Hair

   2. Clean up the hairline if necessary.

   3. Trim nose, ears, sideburns, mustaches and beards.

   4. Groom the eyebrows!

3. Infected Pores

   1. Reduce carefully with a tissue

   2. Do NOT use gloved hands

4. Feature Setting:

   1. Mouth

      1. Weather line

      2. Dentures, mouth former, filler materials

   2. Eyes

      1. Line of closure indicated by 2/3 superior palpebrae and 1/3 inferior palpebrae

      2. Abut lids

      3. Don’t overlap!

5. Severe or Deep Discolorations of Face and Hands

   1. Put massage cream around the affected area to prevent bleaching in undesired places.

   2. Hypodermically inject phenol into bruises and/or black eyes.

   3. injection should be with a very small diameter hypodermic needle.  Injections should be very superficial.

   4. Injections are most effective when done prior to embalming.

What are the cosmetic considerations during embalming?

1. Face

   1. Consideration must be given, and embalming techniques and fluid mixtures employed, that will clear the face of discoloration.

2. Hands

   1. Lower than table level

   2. Manipulate around each digit

   3. Manipulate the nailbeds

   4. Remember to position correctly post-embalming

What are the cosmetic considerations post embalming?

Timeline of application:

1. . Camouflage (opaque) cosmetics

2. Foundation cosmetics

3. Powder

4. Blush

   1. Warm color areas = Red hues

   2. Highlight areas = White or at least two shades lighter than natural skin tone

   3. Shadow areas = Brown or at least two shades darker than natural skin tone

5. Lip Color

   1. Liner color first

   2. Filler color second

   3. Shades of brown to “correct”

6. Eye Color

   1. Shadow first

   2. Liner second

   3. Mascara last

7. Brows

Communicate with the family – ask for photo’s and cosmetics for women.

Describe mortuary cosmetics

• Often more expensive

• Ordered and shipped via vendors (Timely)

• Typically contains a red pigment base

  • Critical when attempting to correct jaundice discolorations of yellow and/or green.

• More for cold temps

Describe over-the-counter cosmetics

• Often less expensive

• Easy to obtain

• Typically contains a yellow pigment base

  • NEVER to be used on a jaundice case.

• Made more for hot temps

How should camouflage be applied?

• Apply before foundation with fingers, stipple brush, or sponge.

  • Blend and feather the edges to keep camouflage “invisible.”

• Covers discolorations on the hands and face:

  • Most discoloration can be easily corrected by using yellow and/or flesh tone opaque cosmetic.

• The color of certain discolorations can be important:

  • Blue/purple bruising = Green camouflage

  • Yellow/greenish bruising = Purple camouflage

  • jaundice discoloration = “Counterstain” with red based pigments

What type of foundation is the best choice on a “normal” case?

good liquid foundation with moisturizers

Why are cream foundations not that great?

They can look thick and waxy and therefore less natural.

____________ becomes the base that will blend with and carry your highlights, shadows and rouges.

Foundation

How should foundation be applied?

Begin applying at the center of the face and work towards the hairline and neck.

• Apply cosmetic to the neck as well to avoid a line of demarcation.

• Be sure to eliminate a line of demarcation at the hairline by blending into the hair. Clean cosmetic from the hair itself or “camouflage” with a mascara brush that matches the hair color.

How can translucent powders be used?

To “set” foundation and/or camouflage cosmetics.

What do powders do?

They “matte” or remove sheen by absorbing any oils or moisture (also can dehydrate).

How should powders be applied?

Do not apply heavily, a simple dusting with an atomizer and/or large powder brush is all you need.

• Clean powder from lashes, brows and hairline and don’t get it on clothing or casket interior.

What blushes are easier to control and apply than creams?

Powder blushes

What are the advantages of using cream blush?

They can have a more natural look

What pigments are implemented for recreating warm color, highlight and shadow areas?

Red, white and brown pigments

Remember to follow age-appropriate application guidelines when applying blush, list those guidelines:

• Young child = Front plane of cheek below center of eye

• Older child = Halfway between center of eye and lateral canthus

• Young or middle-aged adult = Below the lateral canthus

• Elderly adult = Inferior to older child and barely visible

define highlight

A surface lying at a right angle to the source of illumination which reflect the maximum amount of light (lightest, brightest).

Define shadow

Surfaces which do not lie at right angles to the source of illumination, or they are obscured by other surfaces and reflect little or no light (darkest, dullest).

What are the purposes of highlight and shadow?

1. Replaces normal contrasts erased by funeral lighting and/or opaque cosmetics.

2. Offers corrective shaping of the face.

3. Offers emphasis and de-emphasis of features.

List the highlight areas of the face

• Frontal Eminences

• Glabella

• Superciliary Arch

• Zygomatic Arch

• Zygoma

• Dorsum of Nose

• Nasolabial Fold

• Upper Lip – Central Plane/Medial Lobe

• Angulus Oris Eminence

• Lower Mucous Membrane

• Mental Eminence

List the shadow areas of the face

• Between the Frontal Eminences

• Root of the Nose

• Temple

• Eyelid and Upper Eye Socket

• Lower Lid and Oblique Palpebral Sulcus

• Side of Nose

• Lateral Cheek

• Nasal Sulcus

• Upper Mucous Membrane

• Angulus Oris Sulcus

• Central Plane of Lower Integumentary Lip

• Submandibular Area

List the warm color areas of the face by level of intensity for ornamental makeup

1. Lips

2. Cheeks

3. Ears

4. Chin

5. Nose

6. Forehead (males)

List the warm color areas of the face by level of intensity for natural makeup

1. Lips

2. Ears/nose

3. Nose/ears

4. Cheeks

5. Chin

6. Forehead (males)

List the warm color areas of the hands by level of intensity

1. Knuckles

2. fingernails

3. cuticles

How should lip color be applied

The best application will be from a mixture of colors, being sure to implement brown, rather than using a single color.

• If the color looks “off” add a bit of brown.

• Apply with a lip brush and apply in strokes to accentuate the vertical lines of the lips.

  • Men should have a matte finish

  • Ladies should have a gloss finish

• Liner is only used for “corrective” or “designer” cosmetic application.

What type of cosmetic is eye color typically?

A “designer” cosmetic typically used on women and should be discussed with the family before application.

What shades of eyeshadow can be used for highlighting and shadowing because there is a large variety of eye shadows available for purchase?

Neutral and earth tones

__________ is a great tool to use on brows and hairlines to add color and/or remove powders and other cosmetics.

Mascara

When should children be cosmetized?

In cases of trauma

Is it usually necessary or desirable to apply heavy cosmetics to children?

No

How should children be cosmetized?

• Light blush to the cheeks and warm color areas.

• A “stain” rather than a lip stick for the mouth

• Children, especially infants, have the potential to be moved and held and heavy cosmetic would be wiped off anyway and would look un-natural.

• A liquid tint could be used if color is needed without coverage.

How should men be cosmetized?

A liquid tint is the best choice for men, when the body condition allows it.

• Tints contain alcohol and can be dehydrating

• Avoid additional powder as some tints already contain powder, which can dehydrate further.

• Blush on warm color areas shouldn’t be forgotten along with a little lip color.

  • A great tint for men is “Brunette”

  • It is more “brown” based than red.

What is the “key” to cosmetic application?

The “art” of successful cosmetic application is making a person look as though they are not wearing cosmetics.

• A natural appearance is desirable in most instances unless, of course, you are practicing “designer/ornamental” or “corrective” cosmetic techniques.

What are corrective cosmetics used for?

To redefine the shape of the face and its features

In what form are corrective cosmetics often applied?

In the form of highlight and/or shadow application.

• When an area of the face is highlighted (lightened) it appears to be brought forward or emphasized.

• When an area of the face is shadowed (darkened) it appears to recede or become de-emphasized.

What kind of corrective techniques are there?

1. Lips can be made to appear thinner or thicker.

2. The nose length and width can be altered.

3. The eyes can be made to appear closer together or farther apart.

4. The chin can be made more or less prominent.

5. The forehead, cheeks and head shape can be altered as well.

What are some cosmetic considerations for African Americans?

Potential Problem Areas

• 1. Nares

• 2. Nose and Buccal Cheeks

• 3. Hands

• 4. Integumentary Lip

The problem of discoloration/bleaching during embalming becomes an issue that requires “coverage” to establish an even skin tone.

What are some cosmetic details to consider?

• Highlight and Shadow

  • This should be practiced on everyone for the most natural appearance to be achieved.

• Hair

  • If you don’t know how to do hair have the family either do it or help you or hire a professional!

• Freckles

  • Translucent cosmetics are preferred.

  • If opaque cosmetics are used, you need to recreate freckles, birthmarks, etc…with cosmetics.

• Hands

  • Tissue build emaciated hands just as you would the face.

  • Groom the hands and nails and cosmetize just as you would the face.

What is the value of restorative art?

• Although typically considered just a minor restoration, cosmetic application is a restorative art technique.

• Allow families to have private time to view the deceased.

  • Most funeral homes do this by having the immediate family come in 30-60 minutes prior to the visitation.

  • What other options can we offer?

• Psychological Value:

  • Offers a feeling of control in an “uncontrollable” situation.