Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

Categories: History

Women have always known that beauty requires sacrifices, and were ready to make them. At best, these victims turned out to be feet tired of walking on incredible heels. But many decided on more dangerous adventures that led to health problems, and some even threatened to deprive the coquette of life.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

Radioactive cosmetics

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

In 1932, a line of women's cosmetics called Tho-Radia began to be produced in France. The powder and face cream contained radium, which was then attributed miraculous properties.

According to the developers, Tho-Radia cosmetics made the skin clean and healthy. Thorium chloride and radium bromide contained in these products were supposed to activate the processes in the cells, smooth the skin from wrinkles and get rid of minor defects. Instead, the women received a mild form of radiation sickness at a price of 15 francs for 155 grams.

Despite the fact that radium was recognized as dangerous, sales of Tho-Radia cosmetics continued until the 1960s.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

Foot binding is a Chinese tradition with a thousand—year history. Female feet less than ten centimeters long were called "lotus feet" and were considered a sign of femininity. To form such a "flower", women had to endure terrible pain throughout their lives.

When the girl turned seven years old, all her toes (except the big ones) were broken and pulled as tightly as possible to the heel so that the foot looked like a curved bow. The bandaged leg needed constant care: the compression of the vessels worsened blood circulation, and necrosis and abscesses could begin due to ingrown nails.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

Men believed that "lotus feet" make a woman extremely sexy, but at the same time it was indecent to see women's legs without shoes and bandages. This is not surprising, given the appearance they had. We will not attach photos, this is not a sight for the faint of heart.

The Communists who came to power eradicated this custom by introducing a ban on bandaging. It is still in effect. The last factory for the production of lotus shoes closed in 1999, the remains of the goods were transferred to the ethnographic museum.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

At the end of the XIX century in Europe and the USA arsenic was reputed to be a miraculous cosmetic. It was believed that it gives a healthy shine to the eyes, and a noble pallor to the face.

It was necessary to take arsenic little by little, gradually increasing the portion. Accumulating in the body, it caused thyroid diseases and often fatal outcomes. Therefore, particularly cunning cosmetologists offered women an alternative — arsenic-based face masks. They were considered safer than ingesting poison. But in fact there is no difference.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

An advertisement for arsenic waffles in a New York newspaper.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

In Europe of the XVIII century, the "wasp" waist and corsets became fashionable, and it was fashionable not only among women, but also among men. For the sake of perfect posture, they began to teach to wear a corset from childhood.

The corset supported and lifted the chest, tightened the waist, forced to keep the back straight, but at the same time squeezed the ribs no worse than a vice. The woman could not once again move and bend over, because the ribs of the corset, made of wood, steel or whalebone, dug into the skin, mercilessly squeezing, and sometimes breaking the ribs. Fainting due to lack of oxygen was common.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

In order for the waist to become 35-40 centimeters in circumference, the efforts of at least two people were required, and the beauty had to hold on to something with her hands.

Constant wearing of the corset caused deformity of the ribs and many chronic diseases of the heart and lungs. Women's mammary glands atrophied, back problems began.

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

In ancient Greece and Rome, poisons were prepared from belladonna. In the Middle Ages, an ointment made from this plant was used during witch trials — it caused the strongest hallucinations. And in the XVIII—XIX centuries in Europe, the juice of belladonna began to be instilled in the eyes.

The fashion for drops was introduced by Italian aristocrats. A couple of drops of the beauty dilated the pupils, gave the eyes shine, made them more expressive. At the same time, vision rapidly deteriorated and, with prolonged use, led to complete blindness. Nevertheless, the fashion for this "drug" passed only at the beginning of the XX century.

Tapeworms

Beauty at the risk of life: how fashionistas of the past ruined their health

In the XX century, the fashion for thinness reached its peak. Many women were willing to do anything for a quick and noticeable result, even if it meant voluntarily settling a parasite in their body.

Capsules with the larva of bovine tapeworm had to be taken inside. Once in the body, the parasite began to absorb nutrients. The lady was losing weight, and the worm, on the contrary, grew, sometimes reaching 50 centimeters. When the desired effect was achieved, the worm was removed with the help of special drugs or by surgical intervention.

Such a "diet" had a significant disadvantage — the probability of a fatal outcome. The bovine tapeworm did not just feed together with its carrier, it also actively multiplied. So there was no guarantee that by getting rid of an adult, a person would get rid of his offspring.

Keywords: Girls | Women | Health | Corset | Cosmetics | Beauty | Risks

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