I'm Not Going To Spend My Life Being A Color
July 25, 2011 7:15 AM   Subscribe

I have had a mild case of Vitiligo manifest on my face for many years now. I know nothing about make-up. Give me your professional advice on what I need to buy/do to cover up my spottiness with maximum effectiveness.

For reference as to my skin tone, here is a sample. There are more spots on the other side.

[Pic, Zoomed in ewwww]

(Ignore the insect bite >_>)

I've been consulting dermatologists for years to no avail. The spots are only on my face and foot, and not big enough to cause me much concern. However, I've entered into the phase of my life that requires socializing and job hunting, hence the query.
posted by Seiten Taisei to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)
 
Cover-up silly. I'm thinking you're either...dark or dark beige from smart cover. http://www.smartcover.com/smart-cover-up-kit.html or www.smartcover.com. On the first website it says specifically that it can cover vitiation. Also, there is permanent spray tan. I would suggest that only if your skin tone stays pretty steady throughout the seasons.

Good luck. [:
posted by MissRebekahAbyss at 7:36 AM on July 25, 2011


Yeah make up would fix that in a second and with a bit of practice it would blend right in. Depending on how you feel about it you could even go to a department store and get one of the make up consultants there to show you how to do it. They'd even match the skin tone for you and suggest products(the part I find hardest I always get someone else to pick it for me or I end up looking like an oompa loompa).

If you aren't up for putting makeup on in public, you can always try some of the drugstore or supermarket brands. Throw one in your trolley with your shopping and no one will look twice, and then just experiment away, there is lots of online info on hiding all sorts of marks. Just remember put on a little and build it up it will blend in better that way.

The red cross in some places offers classes/info on hiding birthmarks etc so they might be able to help to.

OH and dermablend is a great product for hiding marks, though it can be a little hard to match skin tones.
posted by wwax at 7:51 AM on July 25, 2011


While you could probably learn how to apply make up at your local Bloomingdales/make up shop, I want to throw a vote into not doing anything to it.

I kind of like when people have imperfections like that. For one, it's you. The marks aren't going away, so you are only covering them up. Eventually, people will find out about them. Additionally, it's pretty small and could be a conversation starter.

Perfection is overrated.
posted by darkgroove at 7:58 AM on July 25, 2011


Cover FX is a Canadian company, but the website allows you to shop from the U.S. (and the U.K.). The history of the company is that it evolved out of a clinical setting:

Since 1985, Lee Graff, A Corrective Makeup Specialist at the Cosmedic Clinic at a leading Canadian hospital has worked with thousands of patients with various skin conditions. Together with Chemical engineer Jenny Frankel, and leading dermatologist Dr. Neil Shear, Lee began to development of COVER FX.

"As a camouflage specialist for over 25 years, I’ve taught patients to use makeup to effectively cover rosacea, acne, scars, and many other imperfections. I encourage you to take control of your appearance to enhance your self esteem and confidence to face the world. My dream was to help men & women with skin conditions face the world with confidence by offering them makeup products with therapeutic benefits that would perfectly match their skin tone, be affordable, well tolerated by even the most sensitive skins and achieve a perfectly natural, flawless effect." – Lee Graff


Yes, that's marketing spiel, but even putting that aside, I like the quality of the company's make-up -- especially its foundations and cover-up products. It's about the only company out there that produces a foundation that's a match for my skin-tone.

I just have regular old breakout-prone skin, and nothing more serious that I have to cover-up, but the company's website addresses vitiligo specifically.

BTW I think the original hospital setting was Sunnybrook, which is a name well-known in Toronto and Ontario.

As to whether you, a guy, is going to be be comfortable wearing make-up in public, that's something only you can answer, and as a gal, nothing I can give you any advice about.
posted by sardonyx at 9:09 AM on July 25, 2011


There are staining products made specifically for this. DY-O-Derm is one, and Chromelin is another. They are stains, not makeup. You apply layers of it until you get the right shade, and then you only have to reapply every few days.
posted by MexicanYenta at 11:04 AM on July 25, 2011


« Older Sick of feeling like a rat in a maze   |   How can I stream or watch the Tour de France in... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.