If looks could kill, these fashion trends saw their followers pay the ultimate price
Staying on trend with the latest fashion is not just a modern concern – we have been trying to look our best and beat the rest almost since time began. This obsession with the cutting edge of style, however, has often come at a cost. From broken bones and fainting to disfigurement and ultimately death, these fatal fashion fads demonstrate how far some of our ancestors would go in search of style.
RADIOACTIVE COSMETICS
Once radium was discovered in 1898, various uses for it were suggested including cosmetics. The likes of perfumes, toothpaste, lipsticks and creams containing radium and thorium chloride became especially popular in France.
Before the dangers of being exposed to radiation were fully understood, many believed it contained energy that could be anti-ageing or give a glowing complexion to the skin. The craze of radioactivity even led to some products claiming to be radioactive when they weren’t – just to join in with the hype.
Rather than rejuvenate the skin, these harmful potions would lead to vomiting, internal bleeding and eventually cancer. Thankfully, the majority of people who used radioactive cosmetics didn’t consume them to toxic levels, but American socialite and amateur golfer Eben Byers wasn’t so lucky. After suffering an arm injury, a doctor prescribed him Radithor – a tonic made of radium dissolved in water. Initially he thought the drinks made him feel energised but after consuming around 1,400 doses his teeth began to fall out and eventually his jaw came away. He died in 1932 due to multiple cancers.
MERCURY IN HATS
It wasn’t just those who partook in the latest fashion trends that could be at risk. Sometimes those who made the clothing could fall victim too. During the manufacturing of felt and fur hats – popular in the 18th and 19th centuries – mercury was an unfortunate ingredient. It was discovered that mercury made the hairs more pliable and easier to join together. Prolonged exposure could lead to poisoning and the so-called mad hatter disease – hence the term ‘mad as a hatter’. Nasty symptoms included tremors, headaches, personality changes and diminished brain function. This horrible condition is thought to have been the inspiration for the character of the Mad Hatter in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland.
