How To Make A Fake Beard For Cosplay

Are you looking to attend a Halloween party or a cosplay event dressing up as a Viking or a pirate perhaps? Why not try and make your own fake mustache? As daunting as it may sound, making fake facial hair can be a really entertaining project.

Creating your own facial hair to go with your Halloween costume or for cosplay is often better than buying a generic, low-quality one. You can design a custom fake mustache that matches the features of your cheeks and the shape of your face or you can go adventurous and try out a combination of styles.

What Do I Need To Make A Fake Beard?

There are different items you can use to design your facial hair. You can choose to make a beard using simple steps requiring very simple materials or you can design a fancier reusable fake beard that goes perfectly with your costume. Whatever your desired look, you can find several ideas that will inspire you to make your ideal costume play look.

Beards and mustaches are available in various types and styles. Before embarking on the task of creating your fake facial hair, you have to first determine what style of beard you want to wear. This will help in finding the most appropriate materials for your fake but realistic beard.

Among the many familiar styles of facial hair are: soul patch, Balboo, chin curtain, chin strap, chin strap and moustache, goatee, extended goatee, goatee and moustache, mutton chops, and the full beard. When it comes to creating a synthetic beard, the sky’s the limit. So, you can experiment with something unique or you can just stick with the beard style associated with your costume.

Alternative Materials for Fake Beards

Fake beards can be crafted from various materials. Human hair is great for a realistic look, though it’s costly. Yarn offers colorful and textured options for those seeking a unique style.

Felt is also user-friendly and can be cut into different shapes. Each material comes with its own benefits and trade-offs regarding cost, realism, and ease of handling. Choose based on your priorities for your cosplay event.

How Do I Make A Simple Fake Beard Using Crepe Wool?

In this section, we will discuss a simple technique on how to produce facial hair using crepe wool. Sometimes referred to as crepe hair, crepe wool is used for beard and mustache prosthetics. It is available in braided lengths in varied shades and can be glued to the skin using spirit gum or liquid latex.

When using crepe hair, make sure you choose the shade that matches your desired color and look. You can combine different colors if you want to get a more genuine look. Here are easy steps in using crepe hair to make a simulated beard.

What You Need

• Crepe wool
• Spirit gum or liquid latex
• Scissors
• Steam iron
• Ironing board
• Spirit gum remover

How To Do It

Preparing The Beard

1. Cut the crepe wool several inches longer than your desired beard length. This is because you may need to trim it when you finally apply it.
2. Pull off the wool and cut the strings on which the wool was braided on. Discard the twine that comes out of it.
3. Choose the color that matches your hair and include a highlight.
4. Straighten the crepe wool and loosen the waves using a steam iron set on high heat.
5. Create a uniform shade for the crepe hair by holding the wool, pulling them apart, putting them back together, and pulling them apart again.
6. Pull a small amount of wool from the clump and cut it in half, making sure the edges are neatly trimmed.

Putting The Beard On

1. Using a brush, apply spirit gum under your chin.
2. Apply a thin layer of spirit gum and let it become tacky before pressing the hair onto it. This wait ensures a secure bond. Use short dabs rather than brushing the glue, which helps control the application.
3. Be cautious around the edges of your beard line to allow for easy adjustments. Always test a small patch of skin to check for allergies before full application.
4. Brush more late higher up your chin and gently press the next tuft of wool on it.
5. Do this until the wool reaches your lips.
6. Apply the latex and crepe wool carefully up the sides of your cheeks towards your sideburns.
7. Brush latex on your upper lip and create a mustache.
8. Trim the imitation beard according to how your cosplay character wears it.

Tips:

• For excellent results, use moderately thin strands. Separate them completely before ironing them.
• Use spirit gum remover to remove the crepe wool beard. Always wash your face after to remove spirit gum residue.
• When applying crepe wool moustache, do it in layers. Do not put on an entire wad of crepe hair in one go.
• If there is excess spirit gum, brush translucent setting powder over it to dry it out.
• Use beard oil to moisturize and soften your beard and to keep it looking tamer and fuller.

Maintenance and Storage of Crepe Wool Beards

Store your crepe wool beard on a flat surface in a cool, dry place to avoid tangles. Clean it with a mild fabric cleaner to extend its life. If it’s reusable, keep it on a wig stand or mannequin head to maintain its shape. Regular maintenance will keep it looking fresh.

Occasionally steam the wool to remove wrinkles and restore its texture and volume.

For long-term storage, use desiccant packets to keep moisture away and prevent mildew. If possible, place it in a breathable garment bag to shield it from dust. A small brush or comb can help detangle and style when needed.

How Do I Make A Fake Mustache Using Makeup ?

Do you know that you can create an elaborate beard and sideburns just using simple makeup? If you want to achieve the five o’clock shadow look than a full beard, this option will deliver that effect. Below are the easy steps to creating faux beard using makeup.

What You Need

• Eyebrow pencil
• Facial moisturizer

How To Do It

1. Measure a little amount of facial moisturizer and apply it on your upper lip.
2. Choose an eyebrow pencil that goes well with the color of your eyebrows. Sharpen the pencil so you can make fine strokes that look like actual hair.
3. Trace an outline of your desired beard, with the upper outline of the mustache not touching the nose.
4. Using quick downward strokes that slant outward, sketch the facial hair line by line starting from the top of the outline down to just above the upper lip.
5. Continue to draw the facial hair lines until you obtain your desired look.

Tips:

• Give a more realistic look to your beard by touching it up using an eyebrow pencil that’s one shade lighter than the one you used to design your facial hair.
• Create an effect of the hair’s natural color variations by drawing more lines above the base layer.
• An alternative to using the eyebrow pencil is to put on liquid eyeliner using a fine-point brush.

Pros and Cons of Makeup vs. Fake Hair Beards

Makeup provides flexibility and speed, perfect for last-minute changes. It offers a subtle look, like a five o’clock shadow, but may not fare well in warm weather. In contrast, fake hair beards offer realistic texture and require more prep time. They stay put longer, especially with proper adhesive use. Makeup applications are ideal for short wear or subtle effects and are generally less expensive. However, they can smudge or fade with touch or water. Fake hair beards, stable once applied, require practice to master. They offer a broad range of styles for different characters, making them versatile for cosplay.

How Can I Make Facial Hair Using Fake Fur?

You can use fake fur but it does not give the most real-looking fake beard. But, it is easy to procure and you can easily transform it into the kind of beard you want. It’s available in different lengths and can be curly to really long.

What You Need

• Fake fur
• Scissors
• Elastic cord
• Glue

How To Do It

1. Cut a piece of faux fur, making sure it’s larger than you want the intended size to be.
2. Trim the bottom to make a neat curve.
3. Create an outline of the size and shape of your jaw. Draw the sides of the beard bigger than you need to allow for final cuts.
4. Cut the beard outline from the back of the fabric, making sure that you don’t cut the fibers. Cut the hole for the mouth, too.
5. Glue an elastic cord to each end of the sideburns so it is worn like a mask.

Tips:

• To make it a bit more genuine, attach a one-inch wide piece of faux fur piece just below the lower lip part.
• Use the remaining fake fur to make matching fake mustaches or eyebrows.

What Other Ways Can I Make Realistic Fake Facial Hair?

These below are additional tips that make your fake facial hair look more real:

• Clean your face before applying the facial hair to make the beard stick better. Your natural hair can make it hard for the beard to stay in place longer.
• If you’ll be putting on makeup on your face, do it after you applied the beard so that it will not get in the way of the sticky material.
• If you’ll be wearing the life-like fake beard outdoors or in a very hot venue, use a medical adhesive that can survive the heat and will hold longer.

Does Spirit Gum Or Liquid Latex Cause Skin Allergies?

If you’re prone to skin allergies, you need to be extra careful about the type of adhesive you use on your skin. Spirit gum is a skin adhesive containing substances that can be toxic, so it should be applied away from the eyes and the mouth. Most people will not develop allergies to spirit gum but to be sure, test it out before you apply it on your face.

When using adhesives, start with a patch test on a less sensitive area like the wrist. If redness or irritation occurs, consider silicone-based adhesives as they are gentler on skin.

Clean the application area both before and after use. This ensures a clean bond and minimizes residue. If any irritation occurs after applying, wash the area and apply a soothing cream or gel right away.

Liquid latex is another type of substance used in attaching latex prosthetics, body painting, and special effects. It is also commonly used in making a simulated beard. Liquid latex is non-toxic, but it is also a good idea to take the skin test before you use it on your face.

Between the spirit gum and the liquid latex, the latter may be a better option for you; just remember to perform the skin test. Clean your face thoroughly before you put on the fake facial hair and after you’re finished using the crepe hair. Wash your face with a mild cleanser and apply facial moisturizer to keep it from drying and also to remove the residue on your face.

Conclusion

That was simple, wasn’t it? Just a bunch of basic materials, a straightforward process, and a few tips to get the job done right and you can pull off the look you want. With that, you can strut around in your fake but realistic looking beard that highlights your overall look.

When you create a costume, it is important that your faux beard looks realistic. The reason is it can spell the difference between an okay costume and a great outfit. So, put your DIY skills to use today and make your fake beard for cosplay.

Related Questions:

How do you make a fake beard stick?

To make it stick, you need to use spirit gum. It is the usual glue used to attach fake facial hair because it is reliable. When using it, you need to be careful because it can be quite messy and painful if you don’t use a spirit gum remover.

What makeup do you use for fake beards?

You can create fake beards using different makeup items. These include foundation, eyebrow pencil, liquid eyeliner, or face paint. In the same manner, you can use makeup sealing powder to keep your beard in place.

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