The painful Chinese practice of foot-binding
In ancient China, there were strange practices that aimed to conform women to socially acceptable beauty standards. Quite often, these practices were immensely painful, inhumane, and scary. Back in the day, crescent-moon-like feet were considered attractive to Chinese women. As a result, girls were subjected to immense pain and brutality from a very young age as their feet were bandaged very tightly.
These bandages were tied so tightly that they broke bones, twisting them to resemble a crescent somehow. Causing intense pain and non-reversible physical disabilities, these practices were legally banned around 1928.