It can be frustrating to get your eyes to look red and irritated when you want them to be, if you have to fake crying for a play, a costume, or a prank.Making your eyes red can be difficult, even if you use the same method, because it is an imperfect science.It's possible to get good results even if they're not always predictable by using smart, safe strategies to irritate your eyes, tricking yourself into crying, or using practical effects like makeup.
Step 1: Rub a small onion under your eye.
What cheap item can make someone's eyes teary and red in a matter of minutes?It's not a card from a company.Peeling or chopping an onion can cause your eyes to water, but you may need longer exposure to make them water enough to turn red.Try keeping the center portion of the peel and running it under your eyes a few times when you need to look red.Try to avoid using onions that are called "sweet" as they don't produce as much irritation and tearing.It is best to use a white or yellow onion.Put a few pieces of the onion into a tissue or handkerchief and rub it under your eyes for a more gentle approach.The barrier will protect your eye from coming into direct contact with the onions, but the irritant should still have an effect as long as the material in the tissue is not too thick.If you want to make yourself look like you're crying, try rubbing a little inside the bottom of your nose.
Step 2: Try the oil.
There is a method that is almost identical to the menthol method.To get the same effect as the fumes from the oil irritate the eyes, rub a small amount below each eye.If you get the oil into your eyes, it can cause stinging and long-term pain.Most high-end grocery stores, specialty food retailers, and health food stores carry the oil.If you don't already have any, it may be more cost-effective to use an onion or menthol.
Step 3: Resist the urge to blink.
You can get red eyes without any special materials at all.Hold your eyes open for as long as you can, fighting the urge to blink until it's too painful to not do so.Without frequent blinking, the eyeballs will begin to dry out.The eyes should become puffy, red, and watery when this happens.This can feel unpleasant.Try to look at a light while holding your eyes open.A very bright light or the sun can cause long term eye damage and even blindness.
Step 4: Rub the area under your eyes.
One method for inducing red eyes that's frequently used on TV and in movies is balling the hands into fists and rubbing the area around the eyes.Similar symptoms to onions and other chemical irritants can be caused by this mild form of physical irritation.It's important to use gentle pressure if you're attempting this method.If you want to make your eyes red, don't damage the delicate parts of the eye like the iris and cornea.To avoid touching the eye directly, be sure to keep your eyes closed.If you do this, you can transfer germs from your hands to your eye, which could lead to a painful infection.
Step 5: You can spend time at the pool.
Chlorine is a great pool-sanitizer, but it is also thought to be an eye irritant.Going for a dip in a chlorinate pool without goggles can cause your eyes to puffy and inflammation, though the damage is not normally serious or long- lasting.If you hold your eyes open underwater for a long time, the effect will be increased.goggles will shield your eyes and prevent the pool from having an effect, so make sure you don't wear goggles.Salt water pools work well for this purpose.Some eye health resources claim that saltwater is less annoying than chlorine.
Step 6: You should get less sleep.
Though this isn't an ideal solution for many, especially people who need to be fully "sharp" and focused for any reason the following day, skipping sleep will usually turn your eyes red and bloodshot in the morning.If you don't make a habit of it, missing one full night's sleep will not have a big impact on your health.It's not something you want to do, as missing out on sleep repeatedly can have serious consequences for your health, including: reduced cognitive ability, decreased sex drive, depression, and increased risk for serious ailments like stroke and heart disease.It's never a good idea to drive when you're tired or sleepy.Sleep deprivation can make you a danger on the road because it can dull your reflexes and impair your split-second decision-making ability.A study in Australia found that people who have been awake for 24 hours have the same level of impairment as someone with a blood alcohol concentration of.10
Step 7: You should put yourself in a sad or depressed mindset.
Professional actors often struggle with learning how to make their eyes red and teary for the purpose of faking crying.There's no "right" way to do this, but certain psychological tricks can help.One useful strategy is to focus on memories and ideas that make you sad, like a close relative who has passed away, a humiliating event you experienced, or a major worry or fear in your life.Dark and depressing thoughts can help you get into a crying mindset as unpleasant as it may feel.A few more examples of things you might want to think about are: recent arguments, troubles at work, people that have drifted out of your life, and times when you've been very fearful for yourself.It's possible to convince yourself that all the people you know have their lives together except for you.Think to yourself, "This is it, I'll never be successful and happy."You need to fake being sad after you wallow in this mindset.The last thing you want to do is make yourself depressed.
Step 8: Personal pain should be the focus.
In the words of a New York University acting teacher, an actor trying to fake cry should "particularize the moment or text with something specific and personal to the performer so that it becomes less about what is demanded of them and more about an inner secret, desire, fear."If you can convince yourself that the task you need to fake cry for is all about being judged as a person even if it isn't, you'll be good to go.You should be prepared to confront your personal demons.One critically acclaimed actor, Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad fame, has revealed in interviews how his most intense inner fears have helped him give a convincing performance of someone in a tortured mindset."My real daughter's face took her place, so it just hits me, she could be my daughter," he said.
Step 9: Make yourself angry.
Sometimes red, teary eyes are not the result of sadness.When they're caused by someone close to you, these symptoms are brought about by intense feelings of rage or frustration.If you're having a hard time crying from sad thoughts, try mixing in a healthy dose of anger to get results.For instance, you may want to think about a current difficulty in your life that's very frustrating to you, like a relative with self-destructive behavior who won't listen to your advice.When you've been passed over for an award or promotion, when your enemies have succeeded over you, and when you have been treated unfairly by someone with power, are a few examples of things you may want to think about.
Step 10: You can use moving media to help.
Sometimes, using outside sources can be a huge help in getting the motivation to tear up.In order to get in the proper mindset for an emotional scene and to help assume the appearance of someone who's experiencing these intense emotions, actors often use this strategy.Below are a few ideas to get you started, but there are many more.Books: The Kite Runner, Wuthering Heights, The Idiot, any of the later Harry Potter installments.Neil Young's song The Needle and the Damage Done is one of the most well-known Elliott Smith songs.
Step 11: Your expectations should be kept in check.
Even if you're someone who cries when sad, the strategies in this section may be harder to get to work on.It is difficult to make yourself feel sad enough to cry.If these psychological strategies don't work for you, be ready and willing to use another method, even if it means you have to cry.
Step 12: Consider using makeup.
If you can't make it, fake it.It's possible to use aesthetic tricks to make your eyes look red and puffy if you've just been crying.These tricks are more comfortable than some of the methods listed above, because they don't irritate your eyes.If you want to give yourself red eyes, apply small dots of red eyeliner around the outline of your eye.If you want to use a red eye shadow or red lip liner, make sure it's mild enough to be used near your eyes.The dots should be placed along the bottom lid.You can apply the dots along the upper lid for a stronger red effect.Smudge the liner over your skin with a cotton swab or makeup smudge stick.To make your eyes look red, you will need to cast a red shadow around their lids.Continue to smudge until you can no longer see the original dots.This will take a few minutes.
Step 13: Use colored contacts.
One way to give your eyes a "reddened" look is to wear contacts with veins on them.The iris is usually blue, green, or brown, so it's important to choose a contact that makes the whites of your eye red.If you have red irises, you will look like a vampire or demon.If you're looking for a high-quality product, you may want to shop here, because some theatrical supply companies make custom-crafted contact lens for movies and stage productions.These aren't likely to be cheap, as professional-quality lens can cost over $100.
Step 14: The "tear stick" can be used to enhance the effect.
If you're faking your red eyes for a stage or film production, it can be a good idea to accompany the tricks above with some actual tears to make the effect look more realistic.In this case, you may want to consider buying a "tear stick," which is a tool used by some actors that is similar to a stick of semisolid gel or wax.The tear stick comes in a tube that resembles a lipstick and is rubbed under the eyes to produce tears.Since the active ingredient in a tear stick is menthol, this method works exactly like the suggestion in the section above.
Step 15: Don't use strong irritant like pepper.
It's never a good idea to put your eyes at risk in order to get convincing redness.Pepper spray and hot pepper products are likely to cause serious irritation, so never put them in your eyes.In sufficient quantities, these substances can cause permanent damage.
Step 16: Don't put something in the eyeball.
Don't touch the naked eyeball if you're using a method that involves rubbing the skin around the eyes.Even if you don't hurt it, the risk of transferringbacteria from your hands to the eyeball can lead to infections, as noted in the section above.If you've just touched something with a lot ofbacteria on it, the risk is increased.Since your eyeballs are so delicate, touching them directly can cause physical injuries.Even the smallest scratches can be quite uncomfortable if they're on your eye, and more serious injuries can require medical attention.
Step 17: Don't use marijuana for red eyes.
Marijuana use causes red eyes.It's not a good idea to smoke or eat marijuana products in order to get your eyes red.The cognitive impairment that can result from a marijuana high can make it difficult to give an appropriate, convincing performance if you're creating the red eye effect for acting purposes.Marijuana intoxication is a criminal offense with punishments ranging from minor to severe depending on the local jurisdiction.