Every nation, era and generation brings up certain concepts of beauty. Venus, Virgin Mary, queens and countesses - all other women had to be equal to someone. However, sometimes in the race for fashion and status, “beauties” had to make unprecedented sacrifices.
These facts will make you happy that you were born at the right time and in the right place - no more mercury blush and worn-out teeth! So diets, shugaring and beauty injections will seem like a fairy tale after a story about beauty treatments from the past.
Pregnancy
In the Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary became the main role model for women. This also gave rise to a fashion for pregnant women: a large belly and breasts were either obtained naturally, or they used artificial linings on the abdomen, which, by their weight, injured the back. And frequent pregnancies did not affect the health of women in the best way.
Mercury blush
Cinnabar is an ore from which mercury is then made. The substance is similar in color to blood, so it is not surprising that it began to be used to make powder and blush. Some even took risks and dyed their hair with such a composition. For the first time, cinnabar was used as a cosmetic product back in the days of Ancient Japan and China. Only then, few people knew that like any other mercury compound, cinnabar is extremely toxic and leads to dire consequences.
Cyanide and Mercury Cream
Fighting skin pigmentation was much more difficult. Instead of gentle creams and ointments, women of fashion had to use potassium cyanide, mercury and its subspecies - mercuric chloride. The effect was noticeable, only the toxic substances accumulated in the body over time and eventually killed the girl. At best, along with velvet and snow-white skin, they received serious damage to the central nervous system.
Harmful hair dye
In the 19th century, industrial versions of hair dye became available. Not only was it impossible to predict the result of staining, and often instead of coal-black girls were left with green hair, the composition of these colors could lead to anything. The fact is that the dyes were made on the basis of lead and other toxic substances. So any experiment in appearance could be the last.
Slimming parasites
But in the past it was much easier to get rid of the hated extra pounds. For this, it was necessary simply to take pills containing tapeworm eggs. Alas, dramatic weight loss was usually accompanied by anemia, nausea, headaches and other problems.
Grinded teeth
Indonesian women were considered beautiful only when they had sharp teeth, somewhat reminiscent of a shark. For this they had to grind down the enamel of their own teeth. Only this procedure was extremely painful and very dangerous: the deformed enamel of the tooth easily passes dangerous infections.
Biker dresses
Linen fabric was available even to the lowest strata of the population, so all shirts, shirts and dresses of a woman were mainly sewn either from it or from a much more expensive flannel fabric. However, the bike was highly flammable and would often catch fire from a candle.
Deformation of the skull
Previously, in some countries, the shape of the skull, resembling an egg, was considered beautiful. During excavations, researchers found such remains both in America and in the Middle East. For the sake of beauty, they bandaged their heads or pulled them together with special boards. Of course, this did not bring good things: the brain could not develop normally and many “victims of beauty” simply died.
Bandaging the chest
According to strict Christian views, female breasts, and in general, noticeable forms were prohibited. A small, thin woman with a flat chest and narrow hips was considered the true ideal. For the sake of approaching such parameters, girls from an early age began to tightly bandage their breasts in order to stop the growth and development of the mammary glands.
And what modern procedures also seem not very humane?
