How fake facial hair is made for movies & TV

Sometimes, an actor can't grow a piece of facial hair they need for a role. Other times, it is better for continuity to be clean shaven. In cases like this, makeup and hair artists will create fake facial hair for performers, from sideburns to mustaches to eyebrows and beards. Makeup artist John Blake of John Blake's Wigs made a fake beard for some scenes for Kurt Russell in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." Pieces like that can be made on a very durable piece of lace, where the artist must painstakingly punch individual hairs into every hole of the piece. These pieces are great for action scenes because they stay tight on the face, but they're also uncomfortable. Another method is instead hand laying clumps of hair directly on an actor's face. Blake did this for John C. Reilly for several scenes in "Walk Hard." While less durable, hand-laid facial hair allows actors more freedom to move their face around. Meanwhile, this method is also great if you need to add more hairs to an actor's already existing facial hair, which is what Richard Redlefsen did for actor Martin Starr when he needed to give his character a longer and older-looking beard in HBO's "Silicon Valley." Then, special effects makeup artist Kenneth Calhoun showed us how to float off a beard, which is when you build a beard on a fake head and then take it off as one piece using a brush. They are great for background characters and performers who will only be on set for a short amount of time. In addition, Calhoun also has to put hairs on fake bodies and prosthetic pieces. When punching eyelashes into a fake head, he has to make sure the lashes both fan out and curl. No matter what the facial hair piece looks like or how it's made, there are a few things they must follow to look real: they must be a blend of multiple colors, use the correct type of hair for just the right texture, and be styled like any real piece of hair would be.

Thank you to all the makeup artists who provided us with footage and photos. Check out more of their work:

Kenneth Calhoun: https://www.instagram.com/superkenfx/
John Blake's Wigs and Facial Hair: https://johnblakeswigs.com/
https://www.instagram.com/johnblakeswigs/
https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnBlakesWigs
Richard Redlefsen: https://www.instagram.com/richardredlefsen/
Kristy Staky: https://www.instagram.com/kstaky/
https://www.instagram.com/topknotwigs/