Vintage Beauty Gadgets from the 1920s to 1940s That Seem Unreal Today

Long before modern skincare routines and high-tech beauty tools, women in the early 20th century endured procedures that now seem closer to science fiction—or even torture devices—than self-care.

From the 1920s to the 1940s, beauty standards were no less demanding than today, but the tools used to meet them were often bulky, bizarre, and uncomfortable.

The following photos offer a rare glimpse into the lengths women went to in the pursuit of glamour during an era when beauty was often synonymous with endurance.

Procedure of removing freckles with carbon dioxide, 1930s.

One of the most striking examples is the permanent hair wave machine, popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

Women would sit for hours beneath a heavy, wired apparatus that curled hair using heat and chemicals—an exhausting process that carried the risk of burns and hair damage.

Permanent hair procedure. Germany, 1929.

Facial treatments were equally intense. Vacuum massages promised smoother skin and a healthy complexion, while rubber beauty masks were worn in hopes of erasing wrinkles and blemishes.

In some salons, fruit masks were applied directly to the skin, while others used warming masks that claimed to stimulate circulation.

There was even a special low-pressure mask designed to mimic the effects of mountain air, supposedly giving the wearer a natural rosy glow without leaving the house.

Blow-drying, 1920s.

Freckle removal procedures involved the use of carbon dioxide, which sounds as harsh as it likely felt.

For women hoping to shape their features without surgery, inventors created gadgets like the dimple maker—a device worn at night to press indentations into the cheeks.

Another odd invention from Max Factor was a makeup application aid that helped women achieve the perfect look by mechanically guiding their cosmetics.

Warming mask for the face and head skin, 1940.

Sunscreen, as we know it, hadn’t been developed yet, so women often used protective treatments and masks to shield their skin from sunburns.

Looking back, many of these inventions seem excessive, even unsettling, but they reflect an era where beauty was seen as something to be engineered, no matter the discomfort.

Thankfully, beauty standards have evolved—and so have the tools.