Special effects makeup artists create artificial and special appearance characteristics, such as baldness, beards, artificial nose prosthetics and pimples, on characters in the theater, movies, commercials and other places where such changes in appearance are needed.
Most special effects makeup artists work as contractors in the film industry, usually in collaboration with other professionals such as costume designers, directors, lighting technicians, sound technicians, actors and makeup artists. In some cases, wig production is part of the job, mainly within theaters.