30+ Crazy Things Women Did In The Past For In The Name Of Beauty

1. The 10th Century Tradition Of Foot Binding Was Very Much A Real Thing

imagesource/boredpandaFootbinding was viewed as a rite to passage for young girls in China and it was believed to be a preparation for puberty, menstruation and childbirth symbolising a woman's willingness to obey. It kept women subordinate to men and limited the mobility and power of females further increasing the differences between the sexes.

2. Faceless Beauty Contests In Cliftonville - 1936

imagesource/boredpandaYou've probably heard of the saying "putting a bag over their head" when referring to someone who's face doesn't please you as much as their body does. Well, this was literally that in real life. Women had paper bags with holes over their eyes on their heads, whilst judges voted. Urgh.

3. Ironing Hair To Get The Perfectly Sleek Look - 1964

imagesource/boredpandaKim Kardashian might be sporting that sleek, straight hair at the minute, but I can't imagine her hair stylist had her bent over the side of an ironing board to achieve the look. But back in the day, this was very much a thing that many women did before they headed out to meet their friends on the weekend.

4. French Breast Washer - 1930s

imagesource/boredpandaMen obsession with women's breasts date back to the beginning of time. Women have always been subjected to ridiculous inventions and fashions to make them look better for men and this is the perfect example of that. A breast massager which makes them cleaner and firmer, more intact after giving birth.

5. The Tape Worm Diet - 1900s

imagesource/boredpandaThe tapeworm diet involved swallowing a pill that had a tapeworm egg inside. The egg hatched and the tapeworm grew inside the body, eating everything the person was eating. The idea behind this was to lose weight because the tapeworm eat the extra calories.

6. This Procedure Involved An Apparatus Which Was Used For Freckle Removal - 1930s

imagesource/boredpandaFor a long while, people have hated their freckles, why? I don't know, but this apparatus actually 'removed' freckles. Eyes were covered with a special, air tight piece and the nostrils filled in. Breathing was done through a special tube and sensitive parts of the face were treated separately.

7. A German Perm - 1929

imagesource/boredpandaImagine going to a beauty salon now and being told you're being connected to one of these bonnets. Hairdryers in the 1920s were very difficult to use and prone to overheating and electrocuting people from time to time, so I can't imagine how often these things would malfunction.

8. Full Faced Swimming Masks To Protect Women's Skin From The Sun - 1920s

imagesource/boredpandaThis mask looks like something straight out of a horror movie. Now, before sunscreen was invented, women would protect their skin by wearing these god awful masks whilst swimming. Men didn't have to or feel the need to because they were not judged on their beauty like women were and still are.

9. Policemen Would Judge Ankles In Competitions In London - 1930

imagesource/boredpandaThe Pretty Ankle contests started in the early 1900s as special shows within women's beauty competitions. Women would stand behind a big curtain concealing the rest of their bodies, whilst their legs were in thick stockings and shoe were on their feet.

10. Max Factor's 1931 Ice Mask

imagesource/boredpandaMax Factor's Ice Mask looked like the perfect hangover cure to be honest. It was first tried and tested in Hollywood (of course) with the intention that it would help cool and refresh actresses faces between scenes on hot audio sets.

11. Suntan Vending Machines Were Around In The 40s

imagesource/boredpandaFirst of all, why the hell are these things not around any more? And two, if you think this is a strange contraption, you clearly haven't flicked through an infomercial channel because the things we have around these days just get weirder and weirder.

12. Miss Lovely Eyes Beauty Pageant In Florida - 1930

imagesource/boredpandaContestants in the Miss Lovely Eyes beauty pageant in Florida were made to wear masks, covering their entire faces bar their eyes. Male judges would walk up and down the pageant aisle staring at each 'model' before then making their decision...

13. Customers Had Their Legs Painted In A Store In London - 1941

imagesource/boredpandaThis photo shows a bunch of ladies having their legs painted in a store in Croydon, London during the war. At this time, nylon had just been invented, both silk and nylon were needed to make parachutes so it was impossible to get or it was impossibly expensive.

14. Black Teeth Was A Traditional Japanese Sign Of Beauty During The 17th - 19th Century

imagesource/boredpandaTeeth blackening was practiced in Japan prior to the Meiji era and was usually done before puberty to preserve the teeth into old age. It was also done to prevent tooth decaying, seen as a sign of maturity, beauty and civilization. This is still practiced in places around Southeastern Asia and among Austronesian peoples.

15. Having Seams Painted Onto Legs To Appear That Women Were Wearing Stockings - 1926

imagesource/boredpandaDrawing seams on women's legs happened a lot as stockings with seams were perceived as more premium and more expensive so people who couldn't afford those ones would either buy the cheaper ones and draw the seams on or just draw them straight onto their legs.

16. Corsets Caused Serve Damage To Women's Torso's - 1908

imagesource/boredpandaCompression and liver deformation was often caused by wearing a corset, although men sometimes wore corsets, it was mainly women who bore the brunt of them, commonly used to support or change womens bodies into that 'perfect' hourglass shape.

17. Hairdryer's Were Quite A Lot Bigger In The 1920s

imagesource/boredpandaThe first hairdryer was created by Alexander F. Godefroy in his salon in France and the first handheld, household hair dryer appeared in 1920. Blow dryers are still used in salons to this day, but they look very different to how they did all those years ago.

18. Rubber Beauty Masks Got Rid Of Wrinkles Apparently - 1920s

imagesource/boredpandaVulcanised rubber masks were commonly used in the early 1900s and were considered quite effective in deep cleansing and purification of the skin. They were thought to prevent blackheads, wrinkles and congestion if combined with a massage and spray.

19. The Bra That Caused 'Breast Strengthening' - 1971

imagesource/boredpandaThis bra apparently claimed to develop and strengthen the bust, I mean, why anyone would need a stronger bust is beyond me, but who knows! The bra was designed to vibrate while the person wearing it was at work - another completely bizarre and crazy idea!

20. The Nose Fixer - Early 1900s

imagesource/boredpandaThe history of the 'nose job' dated back to a lot early than you would have thought. The shape of a person's nose is imbued with assumptions about someone's character and place in society, well, it definitely was 100 years ago. There were many stigma's associated with a big or crooked nose including disease and infection.

21. Dimple Machines Were Popular - 1936

imagesource/boredpandaDesigned to create adorable dimples, these devices appeared in the 1920s that involved two pointed knobs fitted to a spring bow that pushed them into the wearer's cheek. Later versions included a fitting for a chin dimple and screws to tighten the pressure for a more pronounced effect.

22. Facial Warming Masks - 1940

imagesource/boredpandaJoan Crawford was known for her absolutely flawless beauty and back in the day, she would have been one of the many Hollywood stars who tried these weird contraptions out. This face warming would help warn actresses faces in between shots.

23. Improving Blood Circulation Was A Dangerous Task - 1938

imagesource/boredpandaIn this image, you see a young woman holding her arms and legs in four water bathes with electric current running through. This was thought to improve blood circulation, however, doctors back then didn't actually realise just how dangerous this procedure was...until it became fatal.

24. Head Measurers Looked Like Torture Devices - 1933

imagesource/boredpandaNow, I'm not sure why anybody would need to know the exact measurements of their heads, but women in the 30s would have their head and face put into this contraption that looked a lot like a medieval instrument of torture. Women back then were obsessed with having the perfect mathematical beauty...

25. Backscratching Monitoring Visor - 1940s

imagesource/boredpandaNow, this backscratching device actually looks like quite a clever contraption, there's nothing more annoying than trying to scratch that scratch that you can't reach. Now this back scratcher allowed you to watch where you were scratching making it easily to reach exactly where you need.

26. Weight Loss Fads Have Always Been A Thing - 1940s

imagesource/boredpandaThis machine may look ridiculous and thats because it was but if you think about it, not much has actually changed. People are still doing ridiculous things like going to salons and having that 'fat jiggled away'. Why not just exercise and diet?

27. The 19th Century Corset That Would Separate Breasts

imagesource/bon+bergMetal boned corsets were used in the early 1900s restricting comfort and freedom for a lot of women but as times changed so did corsets. These particular ones separated women's breasts so their boobs appeared bigger.

28. Portable Hair Dryer - 1940s

imagesource/boredpandaBefore the invention of hair dryers, women and men would often attach hoses to the exhaust ends of vacuum cleaners to blow out their hair. The first hair dryer was made from aluminum and cos between $12 to $22 in the 1920s.

29. Freckleproof Capes To Protect Swimmers From The Sun - Mid 1940s

imagesource/boredpandaBefore the invention of sunscreen, bathers wore garments like this 'freckleproof' cape to protect themselves from the sun and some even came with built-in sunglasses. I mean, you wouldn't catch most people dead in one of these nowadays - they're pretty terrifying looking - but life before sunscreen was a bizarre time.

30. Portable Bathhouses For The Beach Were Actually Quite Handy When You Think About It - 1938

imagesource/boredpandaRita Perchetti and Gloria Rossi are both seen in this image trying out their new portable bathhouse so they could change their clothes after sunbathing on Coney Island beach in 1938. This will have been back when women wore actually swim clothes and everything was much more conservative.

31. Wooden Swimsuits Were A Thing In 1929

Image Source / BoredpandaWomen were seriously not allowed to just wear a normal swimsuit, huh? And no, we agree, it definitely doesn't sound practical, does it? But when have women's beauty standards ever been practical? Apparently the logic behind this was that they were cheap to make but still looked 'fashionable'.

32. A Fruit Mask Worn In The 1930s

Image Source / BoredpandaThe logic behind this isn't too far away from today's beauty standards, as there are sure to be plenty of products that use fruit in them, or benefits of citrus. What's more bizarre about this mask is the way it's applied to the face!

33. And Ad From The 1940 For Women Allowed To Smoke After Just Giving Birth

Image Source / BoredpandaWow, an old ad that actually lets women do something for a change! Oh wait.. it's actually damaging to the health. Okay nevermind. It's strange to see this ad now when you think of all the smoking prohibitions these days.

34. A Head-Shaped Hair Dryer, 1935

Image Source / BoredpandaLooks almost like some sort of battle armour, doesn't it? Although a lot of women might say, by beauty standards, makeup and beauty efforts are war paint and armour. This hairdryer just continues the trend of ridiculous big hair contraptions from this time.

35. Cupping Therapy In A Sauna, Finland, 1935

Image Source / BoredpandaThis type of alternative therapy actually still exists today, though it's come a long way since this picture, with more advanced forms of 'cups' to be used. Though you can understand how bizarre this must have seemed back then based on how it looks!

36. A Shower Hood To Stop Hair From Getting Wet, 1970

Image Source / BoredpandaOf course, we have shower caps these days and it makes sense to have something to stop your hair getting wet in the shower. The problem here is how absolutely massive this is - and surely must not be as comfortable as she's making it out to be!

37. A Machine To Create Hair Waves, 1939

Image Source / BoredpandaThese days, most people would complain about the effort it takes to curl all your hair at home properly, but look at the size of this thing! And with the pressures to have flawless hair, this must have been a popular hair item to use.

38. Kemolite Mud Treatment At A Beauty Parlour, 1922

Image Source / BoredpandaWhile things like mud and seaweed wraps are all the rage these days, this must have seemed like a pretty absurd thing to rub on your skin back in 1922! It must have been a successful treatment over the years, though, seeing as it's still going today.

39. Crocodile Dung - An Ancient Roman Makeup Technique

Image Source / BoredpandaYep, that's right. If you thought mud was a little weird, how about crocodile poop? Women have been taught over so many centuries to rub weird things on their faces for the sake of beauty, and apparently that also extends to the faeces of wild animals.

40. Dangerous Chemicals Would Be Used On Hair For The Sake Of Beauty - Italy, 1700s

Image Source / BoredpandaThere's no doubt that is actually an iconically weird hairstyle, and the colours are fascinating, but this look was achieved in a rather dangerous fashion. In the 1700s, Italians would use things like sulfur powder of lye to get that golden hue for their hair.

41. Toilet Mask, A.K.A The Face Glove

Image Source / BoredpandaAnother amazingly helpful mask for women to stick on their faces, how about the toilet mask? Advised to wear a few times a week (while on the toilet maybe? No idea) it's purpose is - drum roll - to make women prettier, of course.

42. Skinny Girls Don't Have Oomph!

Image Source / BoredpandaThis advert from this time period is strange for two reasons: one, it's promoting a more curvy figure on a woman and saying that skinny isn't the goal, and two: it's actually bringing down men instead of just women for a change!

43. Beauty Micrometer Finds Flaws For Makeup, 1935

Image Source / BoredpandaHow handy to have an official tool to point out all the things that are wrong with your face! This tool's purpose was to let makeup artists know which flaws definitely needed to be sorted out through the power of makeup.

44. Crushed Insects To Make Red Cosmetics

Image Source / Bright SideFrom many different periods of history (and including modern day), red cosmetics - and in particular, red lipstick - have been see as beauty must-haves for women. Well, to achieve this particular beauty standards, red cosmetics would be made from crushed beetles. Yum.

45. Nightingale Faeces To Improve The Skin

Image Source / Bright SideBack onto the subject of animal poop being used to help women look better, Japanese women actually discovered that the faeces of the nightingale bird could be used to improve their skin. This has been done since the 17th century, and is actually still used today! But don't worry, these days the faeces will be sterilized and be 100% free of microorganisms.

46. Bad Teeth Were A Sign Of Status During Elizabeth I's Reign

Image Source / Bright SideIt would be great to say it's refreshing to have a less-than-desirable feature actually be an accepted beauty standard for women, but this one's a bit weird. In England in the 16th century, bad teeth, white lead makeup and even shaved eyebrows were all positive beauty symbols of status.

47. These High, High Heels From The European Renaissance

Image Source / Bright SideNext time you get your heels out of your closet and wonder whether they're a bit too high, remember what these things look like. These very, very high heels were worn by European Renaissance noblewomen to distinguish them from others. These extremely high shoes were called chopines.

48. Wigs Fixed With Lard In The 18th Century

Image Source / Bright SideInterestingly, this is actually where the term hair 'like a rat's nest' comes from. During the 18th century, in the French court, wigs had to be absolutely massive and secured using animal lard. Because the wigs were worn so often, the lard would actually end up attracting rats!

49. Fashion Items And Other Things Dyed With Pigments Containing Poison

Image Source / Bright SideFashion to die for, ay? Well, in the 19th century in Europe, there was a particular shade of green called 'Paris green' that was made using arsenic - which, as we know, is poison. It was popular in the dying of fabrics, hats, ribbons and even wallpaper.

50. White Paste Made Of Zinc To Achieve 'Porcelain Skin'

Image Source / Bright SideThese days, it's a common term to say someone looks like they have porcelain skin if it's pale and flawless like a doll's. But back in the 19th and 20th centuries, Princess Alexandra of Denmark apparently liked a technique called enamelling, where a white paste made of zinc or lead (which is toxic by the way) was applied to the skin.