Over the past year or two, you may have noticed people wearing little stickers on their faces, often in the shape of a star or circle, sometimes yellow, sometimes blue, sometimes clear. These are pimple patches: you stick them over any spots or blemishes on the skin. They contain hydrocolloid (a gel that helps heal wounds), absorb any fluid from the area, prevent one from picking at or popping the pimple, and – unlike similar gels or creams – turn an unsightly zit into a cute and fun accentuated feature.
But what if I told you that making blemishes into deliberate features was not a new concept? What if I told you that it goes back thousands of years? Allow me to introduce you to pox patches.
Most notably popular in French high society, ‘mouches’ (which means ‘fly’, called such because people thought they resembled the insect on peoples’ faces), or ‘pox patches’, had their heyday during the Rococo period in the 18th century. That said, the first contemporary mention of skin patching is from 1653, and other sources date their origin back to the late Roman Empire. Blemishes, such a smallpox scars, acne or other marks on women’s complexions were seen as unattractive during this period and were thus stylistically covered up. The patches were small pieces of black silk taffeta, satin or velvet, often sold with a resin-based adhesive on one side for easy application. Most patches were simple round spots, but they could also be cut into more whimsical shapes such as crescent moons, diamonds, hearts, or stars. At this time (in contrast to our own understanding of inclusivity and perception of beauty these days), it was considered attractive to have very pale skin, and black patches helped enhance the radiance of one’s skin, bringing out its whiteness. Though they were also used by men to hide blemishes, pox patches were most popular with women. People even had special little boxes to carry their patches around in, called ‘boites à mouches’ or ‘fly boxes’, which were ornately decorated and contained a mirror and small brush to help with application.
Pox patches were so popular that they became a fashion in and of themselves; people would wear them in specific places to communicate messages or affiliations. Women who wanted to flirt applied them to their cheeks, those in love put patches beside their eyes, impishness was communicated by a patch near the corner of the mouth, a patch on the chin signified playfulness and one on the nose was for cheekiness. In England, the patches became a shorthand for one’s political affiliation: Whigs wore them on the right side of the face, Tories on the left.
Though pox patches were initially worn by the aristocracy to conform to contemporary beauty standards, they gradually became a symbol of sexual promiscuity. Sex workers with syphilis or other sexually transmitted diseases wore them to cover up signs of infection on the face or body, as notably depicted in the works of William Hogarth, an English 18th century artist. In his series of paintings, A Harlot’s Progress (1731-2), his subject Moll Hackabout, a young sex worker, becomes increasingly covered in the black patches as she sinks deeper and deeper into the world of prostitution. Indeed, this connection between ‘beauty marks’ and sexuality seems to have prevailed in the centuries since. When beauty spots had a resurgence in the Golden Age of Hollywood, ‘sex symbol’ actresses were often characterised by moles or beauty marks – sometimes drawn or stuck on for the cameras. Clara Bow, Marylin Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Virna Linsi, Edie Sedgewick and many other Hollywood Starlets were all known for their iconic moles – whether real or fake. These associations carry into the present day, and though beauty standards have changed from the 18th century – and again from the mid 20th century – beauty marks seem to have endured.
So, next time you cover up an angry-looking spot with a fun little yellow star, spare a moment of thought for the centuries of those before you who have done the same, and hey, maybe we can even bring back the patch-placement code and start sending messages to each other during our breakouts.
