How to Look Sick

Co-authored by Lesly Kahn, MFA

Last Updated: December 2, 2024 Fact Checked

If you're trying to take a day off of school , get out of work, avoid the in-laws, or have to play the role of a sick person in a play, faking an illness is easier than you think. If you don't look the part, you will have a hard time convincing anybody of your fake illness. By changing your appearance, modifying your attitude and voice, and knowing what symptoms to imitate for different illnesses, you can look convincingly sick to others and take some time for yourself without having to suffer. Keep in mind that making yourself look sick to get out of work or school isn't a great idea, especially if there's a public health crisis happening like the COVID-19 pandemic. You could scare or upset other people.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Changing your Attitude and Actions

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1
Choose a single illness to fake and stick to it. People most commonly imitate a heavy cold or a fever as you have likely had these illnesses before and can easily mock your symptoms. Faking a migraine, diarrhea, or a stomach ache are also great options because you don't have to go too in-depth into your symptoms — nobody wants to hear too much detail about your BMs, after all.
- The most important thing is not to get symptoms mixed up. If you want to fake having a migraine, don't complain about your stomach, and if you are faking having diarrhea, don't start sneezing. ^{[1]
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2
Think back on how you look when you are sick, and imitate your expressions. Think back to a time when you were sick with some illness, like a cold or the flu. Try to remember the physical sensations and symptoms and how you acted. Did you move more slowly, groan and moan, shiver, etc.? Repeat these actions as best you can. ^{[2]
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Expert Source

Lesly Kahn, MFA
Acting Teacher & Coach

Expert Interview. 12 May 2020.}
- Ponder how you felt and acted the last time you really were sick to make your act more believable.
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3
Use concealer makeup or white flour to make your skin more pale. A little bit of green concealer makeup can make your skin look a little more sickly, whereas a sprinkle of white flower can make you look pale and nauseous.
- Concealer makeup is more effective, but a little white flour can do the job in place of makeup if you have none available.
4
Wear baggy clothes or wrap yourself up in blankets. No matter the illness, sick people like to stay warm and surrounded by many layers. Wrap yourself up in blankets or warm clothes both the night before and the day of the fake illness. ^{[3]
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- You can shiver or shake slightly to imitate symptoms of being cold, even under the blankets, as sick people often feel both hot and cold at the same time.
Just about every illness comes with some reduction in coordination. Whether you are pretending to have a migraine or a bad cold, react slower to things and act unaware of your surroundings. ^{[4]
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To fully sell the act, you should act as sick as you can. If you want to pretend to have a cold or the flu, sniffle and cough every few minutes at the least, whereas for other issues be sure to complain about your fake symptoms and rub your belly or forehead, depending on what illness you want to imitate. ^{[5]
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Expert Source

Lesly Kahn, MFA
Acting Teacher & Coach

Expert Interview. 12 May 2020.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Faking Specific Symptoms and Injuries

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1
Imitate a fever or the flu by faking a cough, congestion, and exhaustion. Breathe only through your mouth, which can indicate stuffy sinuses, and talk and react to things slower. ^{[6]
X
Research source} You can fake a slight cough and sharp sniffs to appear more convincing.
- It is hard to fake your nose running, but you can make your eyes look like they are watering by consciously not blinking for longer than usual, which will naturally make your eyes water slightly. Do this just before talking to people for maximum effect.
2
Fake a migraine by avoiding lights, sounds, and people. Migraines have no symptoms that can be seen, so others will have to rely on your story to understand your symptoms. Pretend that you are sensitive to light and sound and go to a dark, quiet room if possible. ^{[7]
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- Common symptoms of a migraine are dizziness, harsh reactions to light and sound, loss of balance, and massive head pain, especially in the temples and back of the head.
3
Imitate stomach issues by acting nauseous and going to the restroom frequently. Rub your stomach a few times the night before and complain about feeling "off" before you go to bed a little early without fully finishing your food. Fake having diarrhea by spending lots of time in the bathroom and imitating cramps. ^{[8]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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- You can pretend to throw up making choking and guttural sounds, then pour a glass of water into the toilet. Flush it, take a few seconds to clean up, and leave the bathroom. Then, lay on the couch and avoid eating food.
- Throughout the night, continue to go to the bathroom quite often, but be sure to turn a fan on so people don't get suspicious when they hear no sounds coming out of the bathroom.
- Use lots of air freshener to cover the "smell", and keep running to the bathroom suddenly the next day. ^{[9]
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  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source}
4
Don't raise suspicion by overacting your symptoms. Sick people generally understate their symptoms, only coughing when they need to and acting nauseous when waves of nausea hit. Practice your fake symptoms in the mirror and convince yourself first before you try to convince others of your illness. ^{[10]
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- It is extremely easy to tell whether a sneeze is real or fake. Avoid faking a sneeze, but if you feel it would make you look more convincing, tickle the underside of your nose with a feather or something similar to trigger a sneezing reflex.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preparing Ahead of Time

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1
Talk about your "symptoms" the day before you want to take off sick. The night before, start slowly exhibiting signs of illness. Talk about how you are feeling lightheaded, don't eat all of your dinner, and consider going to bed earlier than you usually do - although you don't have to go to sleep.
- Your goal is to implant the idea that you don't feel well into others' heads rather than outright say, "I feel sick." This helps to make your symptoms seem more convincing to others as you haven't brought up the fact that you might be ill yourself.
- Reader Poll: We asked 234 wikiHow readers if they’d ever taken a fake sick day, and 75% of them said yes. [Take Poll] So, you're definitely not alone.
Nobody suddenly becomes sick, the symptoms slowly build until they become overwhelming to the afflicted person. Start off slow, with some light coughing or sniffling if you want to imitate a cold or the flu, or act more sluggish and react slower to things if you want to imitate nausea.
3
Stay up late to give yourself bags under your eyes, as if you couldn't sleep. Most people who are badly sick have trouble sleeping (unless they've had a lot of drowsy medication). Stay up a few hours later than you usually would to give yourself noticeable bags under your eyes. ^{[11]
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- This can be a physical indicator that you had trouble sleeping to others, when in fact you stayed up having a jolly old time to yourself.
- You can also use a small amount of eyeshadow to complete the effect, but be careful not to go overboard because if someone notices that you are wearing eyeshadow and aren't actually tired, your act will be shattered.
4
Avoid making plans and being social as if you were sick. The number one things that get people caught faking an illness is getting caught doing something fun and exciting instead of staying home to recover. ^{[12]
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- Take a day away from social media, cancel any plans you made with your friends, and stay at home the whole day. You don't want anybody finding out the truth about your ruse.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I act sick?

Lesly Kahn, MFA
Acting Teacher & Coach
Lesly Kahn is an acting teacher and coach based in Los Angeles, California. She is the founder and owner of Lesly Kahn & Company, Actor Training, which focuses on preparing actors for employment in film, television and theatre. With well over 30 years of experience, Ms. Kahn has coached hundreds of actors who have become household names. She also ran the BFA Program in Acting at Marymount Manhattan College, and worked in television as well as New York and regional theatre. Lesly holds a BFA from New York University and an MFA from The Yale School of Drama.

Lesly Kahn, MFA

Acting Teacher & Coach

Expert Answer

Imagine how you felt during a time when you were sick, and then try your best to show those actions and symptoms.

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Question

Can I use red eyeliner if I am trying to fake a cold?

Community Answer

Yes, but don't use too much. Also, be sure to smudge it to make it look believable.

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What if I’m actually sick and my parents don’t believe me?

Community Answer

Tell them all of your symptoms, and be specific. Suggest that they make an appointment with your doctor. If you were faking, you definitely wouldn't ask that. If they're trying to make you go to school, just go, and then go to the nurse's office when you get there.

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Tips

Try not to use too many sick days when you aren't actually sick. In the chance that you actually do get very ill and you have already used your sick days, it will take a lot more than just a call to your boss to take the day off.

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Warnings

Forcing yourself to throw up can damage your gums and the enamel on your teeth. If you do decide to try to trigger your gag reflex, don't overdo it or you may find yourself throwing up for real and could cause long-term damage to your mouth.

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Faking an illness isn't a great idea, especially if there's a public health crisis happening like the COVID-19 pandemic. You might scare or worry the people around you.

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Taking too much time off of work can make your co-workers resent you if they have to pick up your slack. Be sure to call your boss early in the morning to give them plenty of time to reassign tasks, or offer to make up the work at a later time.

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Lesly Kahn, MFA
Acting Teacher & Coach

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How to Look Sick

Steps

Changing your Attitude and Actions

Faking Specific Symptoms and Injuries

Preparing Ahead of Time

Expert Q&A

Video

Tips

Warnings

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