Whom among us could resist the allure of Old Hollywood? Glossy red lips, fluffy pink powder puffs, and glittering gold compacts created a glamorous aura that most of us can only dream of. However, even the most beautiful flowers can be poisonous, and while vintage Hollywood may seem like a dazzling oasis in a desert of the mundane, it was not without its problems.
If you’re familiar with the history of beauty, you’ll find it filled with bizarre trends, questionable practices, and dubious advice. When you combine this with Hollywood’s stringent beauty standards, you can encounter some truly cringe-worthy situations.
From simple DIY techniques to more extreme methods, we’re exploring the hidden beauty secrets from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Hairline Electrolysis: Margarita Carmen Cansino was a professionally trained dancer whose career was struggling to gain recognition. However, her Hollywood career finally took off when she adopted the persona of the iconic flame-haired Rita Hayworth.
At the suggestion of a Hollywood studio executive, Rita Hayworth underwent a transformative makeover that not only changed her natural brown hair to a vibrant red, but also altered her hairline through electrolysis. Studio executives believed that Hayworth’s naturally low hairline and dark features looked “too Spanish,” which left her enduring two years of painful electrolysis to burn her hair follicles one by one, pushing her hairline back a full inch to broaden her forehead.
Tooth Extraction: To achieve the appearance of higher cheekbones and a more defined jawline, some actors had their back teeth removed. Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford are both rumored to have undergone this procedure, which could be considered a precursor to buccal fat removal, a popular (albeit regrettably so) cosmetic procedure many of today’s young Hollywood stars are pursuing.
Toxic Hair Dye: To achieve her iconic platinum-blonde hair, Jean Harlow, Hollywood’s original “blonde bombshell,” routinely used a concoction of hydrogen peroxide, bleach, ammonia, and Lux detergent. Unfortunately, this combination of chemicals was highly toxic, as the mixture of bleach and ammonia produces a potent poisonous gas. Ultimately, Harlow’s weekly hair bleaching is thought to have contributed to her early death from kidney failure at the age of 26.
Extreme Eye Treatments: There’s a saying that the eyes are the window to the soul, and many of Hollywood’s biggest stars understood this well. Being able to express emotion through their eyes was crucial for actors, especially during the silent film era. As a result, many stars meticulously cared for their eyes as part of their daily beauty routines. For instance, Joan Crawford used a mixture of boric acid and sterilized water to “clean” her eyes, believing it helped them “sparkle” on camera. Similarly, the famously doe-eyed Audrey Hepburn was diligent in applying mascara, painstakingly separating every lash with a safety pin.
Face Shaving: Dermaplaning may not seem all that unusual today, but in the Golden Age of Hollywood, it was a fairly uncommon practice. Regardless, Elizabeth Taylor famously shaved her face as a core part of her beauty routine. Her personal cosmetic dermatologist confirmed that both she and Marilyn Monroe used this technique regularly. Removing the hair and dead skin allowed for heavy studio makeup to glide on smoothly and lay completely flat without looking cakey on camera.
Makeup Tricks and More: Because full, luscious lips never seem to go out of style, some Hollywood stars used unconventional methods to achieve what was considered a perfect pout. For instance, Marilyn Monroe would have her makeup artist apply five different shades of lipstick and gloss to give her lips more fullness and dimension. Darker reds went on the outer corners while lighter hues were brushed on the middle of the lips.
Similarly, actor Gloria Grahame was self-conscious of her upper lip, which she felt was too thin. To compensate, she would stuff cotton or wads of tissue between her lip and teeth for a plumper look.
Final Thoughts
Although the methods used to meet Hollywood’s conventions may have become more advanced, it’s striking how many similarities persist.
While it’s unlikely we'll see many celebrities undergo tooth extractions solely to enhance their cheekbones, there’s certainly no shortage of extreme measures some individuals take in pursuit of the latest beauty standards.