Is There a Doctor in the (Haunted) House?

Now, we're not talking about the saucy variety of nurse's costumes here. For the truly macabre (and mature) audience, however, a convincing costume must live up to certain standards of expectation. For instance, the reality is that doctors and nurses deal with blood on a daily basis. What could be more gruesome? To achieve realism, using ketchup as blood just will not suffice. Some will go as far as to buy fake blood used on movie sets that, while it can certainly be more difficult to clean, gives a uniquely authentic appearance.

For additional authenticity, accessorizing with the right equipment - stethoscope, otoscope - can further enhance a genuine appearance. But don't go out of your way to get the genuine articles as these are expensive, highly specialized tools. The caveat is if you can get someone to give you broken or outdated equipment. There are plenty of costume accessory kits available at a fraction of the cost. There are also some great recipes online for making fake body parts and guts using gelatin and old pantyhose.

If you're opting to turn a pair of old scrubs or an old lab coat into a Halloween costume with requisite stains, be sure that the garment you're using is not a modern lab coat or scrubs. The nicer medical apparel you can get these days tends to be very effective at repelling stains, so instead, you'll want to use a pair of cheap scrubs or lab coat that will absorb stains very easily (ask anyone you know in the medical field and they'd be happy to lend you an old set that already has stains).

Following these few simple ideas will ensure that your Halloween costume turns out exactly as you had envisioned, whether you want to go dressed as Dr. Jekyll or Dr. McDreamy.

Author Kimberly Green loves dressing up her old lab coats for Halloween!