Chemical peels that burn layers of skin from your face. Appetite suppressants that come with a risk of heart failure. Cosmetic surgeries that change the appearance of a woman’s most intimate parts. There are plenty of modern cosmetic practices that run the gamut from physically painful to medically risky. But most don’t hold a candle to the hazardous cosmetic techniques of yore. Check out these historic beauty practices that are even scarier than modern ones.
#1 Crocodile dung baths
Many different animal products and byproducts have been claimed to work wonders on the skin, but this one might be the weirdest beauty ritual — and the grossest. In ancient times, the Greeks and Romans used a special ingredient in their body-toning mud baths: crocodile excrement. Full-body bathtubs were filled with a mixture of earth and freshly harvested crocodile feces, which was also used to make anti-aging face masks.
#2 Dimple machines
High-tech inventions to improve your appearance have been around forever, but one of the weirdest is Isabelle Gilbert’s dimple machine. Hitting the market in 1936, the machine consisted of spring-loaded knobs that pushed into the cheeks. Unfortunately for the inventor, the dimple fad didn’t last too long, and wearing the contraption was incredibly uncomfortable.
#3 In Japan, people used iron-based black dye to darken their teeth.
Up until the late 1800s, people in Japan considered black teeth incredibly trendy. The practice, called ohaguro, helped indicate wealth and sexual maturity, especially for women.
#4 People in Europe rubbed lead on their faces to look paler, and they eventually gave themselves lead poisoning.
Many people from historical civilizations used lead to make their skin look paler. In ancient Greece, for example, men and women slathered their faces with lotions made of white lead. The mixture allegedly cleared blemishes and improved the color and texture of their skin. Ancient Romans also used white lead to lighten their skin color.
#5 Made wigs out of lard.
It was in vogue in the 18th century for women to sport enormous decorative wigs that were secured with lard, and lots of it. They’d wear these hair-draped wooden frames that were glued on with beef lard for extended periods of time even though they’d often become infested with lice and wait for it, rats!
#6 Plucking Eyelashes And Eyebrows
The middle ages were the golden era for big foreheads. Women removed their eyebrows and eyelashes and plucked their hairlines all the way back to achieve a high forehead. The idea behind it was to resemble the head of a baby which made the women appear pure and innocent.
#7 Bloodletting
Many women from the Renaissance era wanted to look as pale as possible. At the time, wealthier people didn’t work outdoors and acquire tans, so anyone with paler skin was presumed to be privileged. Accordingly, women found leeches in the forest and let the insects suck their blood. The blood loss made them paler, so they endured the pain.
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