Change Your Appearance In Skyrim

One of the great things about Skyrim is the game’s character creation system. As far as RPGs go, Skyrim‘s system truly is robust. When I played the game for the first time, I spent hours fine tuning my character’s appearance. Right from the start, I was given full control over my character’s physical traits via a slew of menu choices. Looking back, it was lots of fun playing around with the character creation controls and adjusting everything from nose type, eye shape, skin tone and more.

In the end, I really liked how my character turned out. He had a chiseled build and a wicked looking scar across his face that made him look fierce.  After investing hundreds of hours into the game though, I have to admit that I was starting to get a little bored with my character’s appearance. What had been cosmetically fresh and exciting was now tiresome. If only there was some way to change things up…

change your appearance in skyrim

Plastic Surgery Disasters: Argonian Edition

There are two ways to change up how your character looks in Skyrim. One of these ways requires you to play on PC, and allows you to change your race name and every cosmetic attribute of your character’s face. It also involves using a cheat code. The second way requires you to have the Dawnguard DLC, or any Skyrim version that includes it. This only allows you to mess about with Skyrim‘s Sims-style sliders that to change the following features:

  • Weight
  • Eye color
  • Skin color
  • Hair color and hair style, or feathers/horns if you’re an Argonian.
  • Tattoos and war paint
  • Scars
  • Facial hair
  • Dirt

If you decide to cheat and you’re on PC all you need to do is press “~” to open up the console commands and type showracemenu. This brings up the exact same menu you used to create your character in the first place, and allows you to do everything you could back in Helgen.

change your appearance in skyrim galathil

Galathil really doesn’t want to be dealing with you ina thief infested sewer.

If you want to change things up the other way and you have Dawnguard all you need to do is head down to the Ragged Flagon tavern in Riften’s sewers. You won’t miss it, and you will probably have heard every guard direct you there as part of idle chatter. They’re you’ll find the Riften Face-Sculptor, Galathil. Galathil is a Wood Elf on the run, and will perform some plastic surgery on you at the cost of 1,000 gold. The Face-Sculptor’s services don’t have any mechanical effect in the game, but it can be a nice change of pace if you want to see your character for the first time since you made them, or your character got a scar or whatever as part of your roleplay.

So how about it? Does it make more sense for you to change your character’s appearance with cheats or with the npc in Riften? Share you thoughts in the Speak Your Mind section below. Also, be sure to read about the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online character creation system. At first blush, the system seems very much like Skyrim‘s, but with some enhancements. Until next time!

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Shane Scarbrough
Shane Scarbrough

Shane Scarbrough is the founder of the Skyrim Fansite. He's a business owner, video game journalist, and role playing game aficionado. When he's not working he enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games. He's currently on his third playthrough of Skyrim, and is playing as a Templar in The Elder Scrolls Online. You can find Shane on Google+ and FaceBook.

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Courtney
Courtney
7 years ago

Love this idea but just as a heads up – she won’t perform “surgery” on you if your character is a vampire 🙁

iloveskyrim1976
iloveskyrim1976
10 years ago

It is definitely worth 1000 gold to change your appearance. Thanks for the info. I never knew this! I am blown away by how good it is.

Shane Scarbrough
Shane Scarbrough
Reply to  iloveskyrim1976
10 years ago

Thanks for the comment! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that you could change your appearance. Changing appearance was a staple in the Fallout games, and it was a nice addon to Skyrim. True, you don’t get to see your character’s face all that much, but change is good from time to time.

Nyx Larninarny
Nyx Larninarny
4 years ago

Will this change anything about my identity? Like my lover won’t recognize me, etc.

Brennan
Brennan
10 years ago

PC version it’s free lol. Just use the console code showracemenu and you are done. Must suck for console players and I know how you feel cuz I have the console version as well as the PC one.

Sanil Jadhav
Sanil Jadhav
Reply to  Brennan
7 years ago

Lol ! PC Gamers Rock ! ! !

Nyx Larninarny
Nyx Larninarny
Reply to  Brennan
4 years ago

I have ps4 version TwT

Aubrielis
Aubrielis
5 years ago

When I went to the Ragged Flaggen there was nobody by that name, is there any other way to change your appearance?

destiny
destiny
7 years ago

why change your appearance tho? whats the point? I thought with changing my appearance the guards wouldn’t recognize me when I’m wanted??