General principles of cosmetic camouflage

Cosmetic camouflage is the application of a make-up like product to even out pigmentation and texture differences in scars. The aim of using cosmetic camouflage is to make the scar appear less noticeable. Cosmetic camouflage has been reported in burns literature to have a positive impact on a child’s quality of life, particularly socialisation in relation to peer relationships, social functioning and improvements in the child’s perception of their physical appearance [1][2]. Some cosmetic camouflage products are more commercially available and affordable than others.

Indicators for cosmetic camouflage:

• child expressing concerns re: visible scarring
• scarring impacting on social participation; clothing choice
• child asking about options to improve scarring appearance.