To What Length Do They Go for Beauty

Hey, it’s Sunday. I was supposed to post this yesterday—better late than never. Bizarre stories just never end. This one is about the Victorian era’s beauty trends. The deeper I go, the crazier history gets.

During the reign of Queen Victoria, alongside the greater achievements of the British Empire—wealth, and colonial ambitions—these absurd things were also happening. Especially with women! While the Brontë sisters were writing masterpieces like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, other women were getting trapped in weird beauty trends.

Parasite Weight Loss Plan

The Victorian era had the most disgusting diet method in history! To meet beauty standards, women injected tapeworm eggs into their bodies. The worms would grow up to 30 feet long. To survive, the worms would absorb nutrients from the host body, reducing calorie intake. Silly them! They thought it was a diet to lose weight. The worms often cause malnutrition, blockages in the intestines, organ damage, and infections. However, they only cared about beauty. So when the weight loss goal was achieved, the tapeworm would be removed by surgery. Considering the medical situation at that time, the consequences were often tragic. Instead of becoming beautiful, they ended up dead.

The White Plague

Tuberculosis (TB) was a cultural phenomenon in the Victorian era. The symptoms of TB were mild and often not noticeable until they became serious. Because of mild fever, the face looked pale with flushed rosy cheeks. Since TB caused anemia, the lack of oxygen created a whiter, translucent complexion—which was the desired beauty standard for women of that time. The disease became a trend among women, even praised in art and literature. Those who suffered from TB were depicted as tragic beauties, with their deaths seen as prestigious. The absurdity was obvious when researching literature from that time. Mimi in La Bohème is a literary representation of how they romanticized illness. She was referred to as a “consumptive beauty” whose tuberculosis magnified her attractiveness.

Arsenic Baths for Whitening

At that time, arsenic was used to achieve a vibrant green color. Matilda Scheurer was a 19-year-old factory worker whose task was to dust artificial flowers with green dye. Massive exposure through inhalation and skin contact caused arsenic poisoning—leading to vomiting, convulsions, bleeding from the nose and mouth, and ultimately, death. This is just one case that received media attention at the time, but there were countless victims.

When arsenic was absorbed through the skin, it gradually whitened the complexion. The obsession with pale skin led women to take arsenic baths since not everyone could contract tuberculosis on their own. But along with whitening, they also suffered from skin rashes, hyperpigmentation, liver and kidney damage, cancer, and ultimately, death.

Fun fact: Arsenic was referred to as “fashionable poison.”

Get the Hourglass Figure

All of us know about metal corsets made from steel, iron, or brass. One of the crazes in the Victorian era was achieving a narrow waist with a pale complexion. Corsets weren’t just for fashion; they were also used as orthopedic devices to correct posture or treat spinal problems. For conditions like scoliosis, kyphosis, or lordosis, doctors would prescribe corsets.

Physical discomfort was the least concern here. Extreme compression led to horrific cases of rib and internal organ damage, such as the case of Ethel Granger.

Dilated Effect of Eyes

Belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, is a toxic plant. This plant contains atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, which cause hallucinations, paralysis, and even death in high doses. However, when belladonna was used in the eyes, it caused pupil dilation. Bigger, dilated pupils were considered alluring and attractive during the Victorian era.

When attending parties or dates, women would use Belladonna's eye drops to achieve this look. The result? Permanent eye damage.

It’s always fun sharing these stories with you.
Let’s chat another day!

Thanks,
Jessie.