Throughout history, cosmetics made from mercury and lead disfigured faces and sometimes poisoned people to death.Hair dying, fashionable in ancient times, often resulted in total hair loss.When small feet were considered aristocratic and feminine, women squeezed their feet into the smallest possible shoes, causing the bones of their feet to become twisted and deformed.Tightly laced corsets made breathing and movement difficult.Hoop skirts made getting through a door difficult, getting into a carriage almost impossible, and, if the wearer sat down too fast, the hoop could fly up and break her nose.Layers of crinolines or hoops made falling down easy but getting up almost impossible.Wearing high heels has immobilized women and resulted in bunions, corns, twisted ankles, spinal deformities, and shortened calf muscles.The bustle of the 1900s, a rolled fabric attached to a woman’s behind, made sitting down difficult.The hobble skirt of 1915 was so narrow below the knees that it made it difficult for women to walk.
