With today’s emphasis on beauty and youth, is it any surprise that some strange beauty practices have emerged? I suppose “strange” is relative—in some cultures, these beauty trends are perfectly normal. Many beauty trends are deeply rooted in cultural beliefs and the healing powers of organic materials.

My first encounter with a so-called “weird” beauty practice was in eighth grade. A Filipina girlfriend confessed that she recently got her period. Her mother told her that in order to have a clear complexion a girl should rub her first “blood” onto her face. My friend reluctantly complied. She never had a pimple; her sister who did not follow this practice was not so lucky.