From modern chemical peels that burn through layers of facial skin to extreme appetite suppressants with heart risks, beauty has often come at a steep cost. In the past—as today—people have risked their health and lives in the name of youth, perfection, and social acceptance. Let’s take a look at some of history’s most shocking beauty rituals that reveal just how far people have gone to meet society’s standards of attractiveness.

Corsets: The Fashion That Crushed Organs

In the 1800s, metal fasteners allowed corsets to be pulled tighter than ever, creating tiny waists that were celebrated in fashion magazines—some claiming 14 inches (about 36 cm) as the ideal. But these tightly-laced garments did more than just shape the body. Prolonged use could lead to shortness of breath, muscle atrophy, deformed rib cages, and misaligned spines.

And corsets weren’t just for women. In the early 2000s, archaeologists discovered a 19th-century English male skeleton with deformed ribs, possibly the result of wearing an orthopedic or fashionable corset. Beauty—or status—clearly came with a high price.

 

Arsenic: The Glowing Poison

In 19th-century Austria and Slovenia, especially in the region of Styria, some people regularly consumed tiny doses of arsenic to enhance their complexion and give their eyes a sparkling shine. A popular 1857 journal claimed that it gave users a “healthy bloom.” But this beauty hack came with strict “safety” rules: the dose had to be no bigger than a millet seed and taken only during a full moon. Any more, and it could be fatal.

Stopping arsenic use abruptly triggered painful withdrawal—vomiting, spasms, and more. It also interfered with iodine absorption, leading to thyroid problems and, ironically, an enlarged and bulging neck known as a goiter. Hardly the glowing look people hoped for.

Foot Binding: A Painful Path to Beauty

Originating in China around the 10th century, foot binding transformed young girls’ feet into 7-centimeter “golden lotuses”—a painful and crippling symbol of beauty and status. The process began when girls were as young as 3 or 4 and continued into adulthood.

Tiny feet were considered attractive and essential for a good marriage. The practice broke bones, stunted growth, and caused lifelong disabilities. Although officially banned in 1949 following China’s Communist Revolution, some elderly women alive today still bear the physical scars of this tradition.

 

Radioactive Face Creams: A Glowing Mistake

In the early 20th century—before the dangers of radiation were fully understood—radioactive products were a booming trend. One French brand, Tho-Radia, launched in the 1930s by physician Alfred Curie (no relation to Marie Curie), claimed that its face creams, infused with thorium chloride and radium bromide, could rejuvenate the skin.

Advertisements promised to tighten pores, cure acne, reduce wrinkles, even stop aging. But the real result? Radiation burns, skin damage, and long-term health issues. Once the side effects became clear, these creams were swiftly banned.

 

Radioactive Face Creams: A Glowing Mistake

In the early 20th century—before the dangers of radiation were fully understood—radioactive products were a booming trend. One French brand, Tho-Radia, launched in the 1930s by physician Alfred Curie (no relation to Marie Curie), claimed that its face creams, infused with thorium chloride and radium bromide, could rejuvenate the skin.

Advertisements promised to tighten pores, cure acne, reduce wrinkles, even stop aging. But the real result? Radiation burns, skin damage, and long-term health issues. Once the side effects became clear, these creams were swiftly banned.

 

Lead-Based Face Powder: A Deadly Cover-Up

During the late 18th century, smallpox left many people with deep facial scars. To cover them, both men and women turned to lead-based face powders, which created a smooth, pale complexion that was highly fashionable.

Lead was cheap, easy to apply, and produced the desired porcelain look. But its toxicity was devastating. Users suffered from inflamed eyes, tooth decay, hair loss, and eventually skin darkening—ironically requiring more powder to hide the damage. Many continued using it, even as it led to severe illness or death.

 

Bonus: Swallowing Tapeworms (Maybe)

In the early 1900s, rumors spread that women were taking pills containing tapeworm eggs to lose weight. The idea? Let the parasite grow in your intestines, eat your food from the inside, and help you slim down effortlessly.

It’s unclear how widespread—or real—this trend was. By 1912, The Washington Post published an article dismissing the idea as a myth. But considering the extreme lengths people have gone for beauty throughout history, it’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Beauty at Any Cost?

From binding bones to swallowing poison, history shows that the pursuit of beauty has often walked hand in hand with risk and pain. While we may shake our heads at the extremes of the past, today’s beauty standards are not without their own dangers. Perhaps the real lesson is this: when beauty becomes more important than health, the consequences can be deadly.