In today's world, we humans put an astounding amount of importance on physical beauty. Sure, we say that beauty is only skin deep, that it's in the eye of the beholder — but can that really be true if the beauty industry is currently worth billions of dollars?
From coloring our fingernails to dying our hair — even bleaching our teeth! — we humans do some very strange things to achieve our personal standards of beauty.
But going to incredible lengths to achieve physical perfection is certainly not a modern trend. Since the first time humans spotted their own reflections in a pool of water, we've been obsessed with our looks — and we've been willing to do whatever it takes to improve them.
However, I had no idea how strange some of these historical beauty routines actually were! From lead-based face wash to dyed black teeth, our beauty regimens seem like nothing in comparison!
What do you think of these crazy-sounding routines? Let us know in the comments below — and please SHARE if you think beauty is only skin deep!
Red hair was all the rage, so women were willing to go to great lengths to achieve the look. Often, their toxic methods caused headaches, nausea, and nosebleeds — but at least their hair was the same bright red as their beloved queen!
Though not many physicians practiced this procedure, some did perform breast implants on women. Typically, their aim was to correct asymmetry after removing tumors. Who knows how symmetrical glass balls were though!
While young, unmarried girls sported pearly whites, married women dyed their teeth with dissolved iron. This gave their smile a deep black shine, camouflaging any yellow stains. This beauty regimen also helped to prevent tooth decay, much like our modern sealants!
Clearly, people in the 1800s did not believe that freckles are kisses from angels! They used harsh chemicals to scrub their skin — the same that are found in powerful cleaning products today!
Upperclass women and courtesans often wore very thick, creamy, white makeup — which was no easy task to remove. Thus, women would gather the poop of nightingales, which they would then use to help clean off their faces.
Pale skin in Tudor England was considered a mark of refinement and grace, so everyone was dying to lighten their skin — literally! Upperclass people would often use deadly lead on their skin to achieve that pale, ghostly look. Sometimes, they would even drain their blood!
According to Medieval Venice, if you want to attain hair the color of sunshine, just find a lion and collect some of its urine! Lather, rinse, repeat, and you'll be a bouncing blonde in no time!
Just like today, men in Ancient Greece were willing to do anything to regain their luscious locks — including rubbing their scalps with animal fat, poop, and blood! After all, women don't care if you smell like a walking farm; they only want a nice head of hair!
Please SHARE if you love weird history like this!
