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LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY

5 Self-Sacrifices Women Used To Make For The Sake Of Beauty

Date May 13, 2019

Author By Gwyneth Ingram

A modern woman spends a lot of money and time on her appearance. Even those beauty procedures that are performed at home are difficult to count. With this in mind, you can imagine how much some of them spend on the services of cosmetologists, hairdressers, massage therapists, and other masters! Microblading, injections of Botox and hyaluronic acid, sugaring – many of us know these procedures in practice. 

However, making sacrifices for the sake of beauty is no modern phenomenon – it has been popular for quite a long time. Today, we will tell you about the most dangerous and desperate things our ancestors did to keep up with fashion.

5 sacrificial things women in the past did for the sake of beauty

1. Arsenic poisoning

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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In Victorian Britain, this poison was used everywhere – in the manufacture of candles, curtains, wallpaper. Actually, arsenic allowed to achieve a fashionable emerald color. Women liked to dress up in bright green. Little did they know how poisonous their dresses, gloves, and shoes were. However, those who suffered most at the hands of arsenic were tailors.

2. Teeth filing

 

In Indonesia, all teenagers must go through a mandatory ritual – filing down their canine teeth. Residents of Bali believe that sharp teeth help scare evil spirits away. In addition, this ritual symbolizes the transition to adulthood. Indonesians adhere to this painful procedure to this day.

3. Poisonous cosmetics

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Creams and lotions for skin whitening and freckle removal used to contain a large amount of mercury and cyanide. The accumulation of these toxic substances in the body significantly reduced women’s lives.

4. Breast binding

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Beauty standards were very different at different times. While now owners of lush breasts are considered attractive, medieval women were to hide their roundness. Flat chest, slim thighs, thin lips – that’s what was considered an attractive appearance. To meet the standards of beauty, girls bound their breasts from childhood. This prevented the mammary glands from further developing.

5. Toxic hair dye

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The dyes used by women of the 19th century included lead or silver nitrate, which affected their hair, skin, and lungs. However, the result could turn out to be the most unpredictable. For example, instead of black hair, a woman could get green.

Nowadays, women are also ready to go far in pursuit of the desired appearance. However, this can hardly be compared to the beauty procedures from the past, don't you think?