Bald Caps Technical - Technical Folder

In our session with Sue, we looked at the application of bald caps. I have never done this before, so I was really excited and bought in my own bald cap to allow me to practice alongside her. I bought the Pre-Impression Bald Cap by Charles Fox, which is one of the most realistic. I was apprehensive about how it would turn out, as it was only my first attempt.

Heath and Safety:
-Cover client with a cape or towel, as you will be spraying the hair with water and using extensive amounts of gel.
-Make sure the work surface is clean and organised.
-Complete a client consultation.
-Check client for allergies and infections.

Products:
Pre-Impression Bald Cap
Water Spray
Strong Hold Hair Gel
Pin Tail Comb
Paddle Brush
Spirit Gum
Spirit Gum Remover
Scissors
Acetone
SupraColours
UltraFoundation
Translucent Powder

Method:

1. Prep the model's face. Do not moisturise, or leave any makeup on the face, as this will affect the bald cap sticking to the skin, so finish with toner.
2. Using a water spray, cover the hair in water to make it sleek. Brush through the hair with a paddle Brush.
3. Using the Strong Hair Gel, flatten the hair to the head. Section the back vertically into half.
4. With one half, fold it underneath the other half, and wrap around the head, behind the ear onto the top of the scalp.
5. With the other half, fold it around the other side of the head. You want the hair to become as round and as close to the scalp as possible, to keep the natural shape of the head.
6. Do not use pins or grips, as these will stick out, and can even puncture the bald cap. The hair has to be held with gel, or soap.
7. Baby hairs can be stuck back with a soap mixture.
8. Once the hair is stuck onto the head, ask your model to hold the front of the bald cap at the front of their head. At the back, lift and pull over the head, making sure that you do not pull the hair down.

9. Once the bald cap is in the right position on the head, begin to cut the cap to shape. Start by the ears, but do not pull the cap away from the face as this will distort the shape that you cut.

10. Cut around the ears, along the forehead and any excess from the back of the cap. Be careful when cutting, as it is better to have more cap than less.
11. Peel back the cap along the forehead, and apply the Spirit Gum to the cap and the head. Once tacky, gently roll the cap back down.
12. Press the cap down with a damp cloth, to make sure there are no ridges.

13. Once the cap is firmly stuck, use acetone to blend the edges. The acetone melts the cap away, blending it into the skin. Straight edges are more obvious to the camera than rounded uneven edges.
14. You can now begin to colour. Using the supra colours, mix white and red to create a baby pink. Using a sponge, dab this across the whole head. This will cancel out the hair colour underneath the cap.
15. Using the ultra foundation palette, use a sponge once again and dab all over the head.
16. With a large makeup pad, apply translucent powder to the head. The bad cap is now complete!

You can now use various methods to decorate the head, such as flicking the alcohol palette colours onto the head to create freckles, or making veins using the supra colours.

I am really pleased with the outcome of my first ever bald cap. I was surprised at how much it can change someone's facial features, in Becky's case, it makes her eyes much more prominent and blue. The use of a black towel to hold up behind the head made the shape of the bald cap clearer, and I could really see the shape of the head. There are many things I would change. I would like to have blended the front, in the centre of the forehead, a little more, as this kept catching on the light, making a small shadow which draws the eye to it. I found the sides difficult, as there was a ridge on both sides, but most difficult for me was the back, as it looked very saggy. This was the smallest size bald cap, but it was still big on the back, especially at the bottom of the neck. I focused on the front of the bald cap when colouring, as it was using up a lot of my product, but also because I could work on making it look more realistic. I think I matched the colour well and managed to cover up the hair colour underneath too. I am pleased with the outcome as I did find this task difficult, but I now know that if I am going to use a bald cap in my final images, I will only be taking images from the front and sides of the head, and maybe using a prop or costume to cover the back of the head.