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Prosthetic masks are a popular choice for costumes, with latex being the most common material. Silicone masks are more durable and detailed, but also more expensive. Full-closure masks are less comfortable than prosthetic appliances, which require makeup and adhesive for application. Prosthetic masks are versatile and affordable, and have been a staple in Hollywood since the Golden Age.
Prosthetic masks are one of the easiest ways to build the foundation for a good costume. Whether the costume is intended for personal or professional use, the prosthetic mask has streamlined what could otherwise be hours of makeup application since the inception of the latex mask in the 1930s. Choosing the best mask depends on the comfort, ease of application and detailing of the mask in question and, of course, the intended use of the prosthetic mask.
The comfort of a goggle depends a lot on what makes it up. Prostheses can be made from a variety of materials, including latex, plastic, and silicone. Latex masks are by far the most common, having been a staple of cinema since their heavy use in The Wizard of Oz. Latex has been so popular because of the material’s relative ease of processing and its resemblance to leather.
The film industry has moved on to silicone-based masks and this progression has also moved into the private field. Silicone is more durable, heat resistant, waterproof, and capable of taking on more detailed shapes. However, it is substantially more expensive to make silicone masks, so latex remains the primary option for most people.
Construction and material play an important role in the comfort of a prosthetic mask. A number of latex masks are one-size-fits-all, full-closure masks intended to be sufficient for most consumers. While these certainly serve a few purposes, they’re really not the most comfortable.
More often than not, vision and ventilation are major issues, because these masks rarely fit well enough to allow for a natural range of vision, and are thick or heavy enough for hot air to collect inside. Foam latex is still rubber, after all, and rubber gets very muggy if it’s much thicker than a few layers of leather. That said, they still serve a few purposes. They require no application and are often quite durable, allowing for multiple uses over the years.
A more serious choice for the prosthetic mask is the prosthetic appliance. These pieces of molded latex, silicone, or glycerin gel are typically only as thick as a few layers of skin. They are applied directly to the face with an adhesive such as spirit rubber and allow for a natural field of vision, a more or less personalized fit and better breathability than full closure masks. Prosthetic appliances, however, typically require some degree of use of makeup and an additional application of liquid latex to fuse the appliance into the skin and facial structure of the user. This takes time and a degree of skill, but there’s nothing a step-by-step tutorial can’t guide a layman through the making.
The prosthetic mask is a versatile, influential, and typically affordable tool for fleshing out and refining a costume. It’s been the gold standard in visual effects since Hollywood’s Golden Age, and it’s not likely to go anywhere any time soon. The variety of mask types available might make choosing the right mask for the occasion a little daunting, but a little understanding of these options makes the job substantially easier.
