How to Cover a Really Red Scar

By: Melissa King

Christopher Robbins/Photodisc/Getty Images

If you have a bad bout of acne or a slip-up with a kitchen knife, your skin will eventually heal -- but there's always the chance that a scar will form in the wound's place. Fresh scars tend to have a red tone before fading to a more subtle white. Until then, you don't want your red scar to stick out like a sore thumb. Celebrity makeup artists rely on concealer to cover up scars, and you can get similar results at home.

Step 1

Wash the scarred area carefully with lukewarm water and mild soap.

Step 2

Smooth a dab of moisturizer into the scar and surrounding skin to help makeup cling to the skin more easily.

Step 3

Pat the scar with a few drops of green color corrector, which you can buy at drugstores or department makeup counters. Apply the green color to counteract redness; you won't be able to see green once you've covered it with concealer.

Step 4

Select a shade of concealer that's slightly lighter than your skin tone, if you're covering an indented scar. If it's a raised or protruding scar, use a concealer that's just a bit darker than your skin tone.

Step 5

Dip your finger or a thin-tipped brush into the concealer. Apply a fine line of the concealer around the inside part of the scar.

Step 6

Cover the outside part of the scar with a slightly different shade of concealer. For protruding scars, use a lighter shade than your skin tone. For indented ones, use a darker shade. Dab the concealer on lightly to blend it in.