Somewhere along the way I heard that smallpox scars were once (I'm unsure of the time period this supposedly was) a mark of beauty in China. Presumably, the scars would serve as proof of their bearer's immunity to smallpox in the future, indicating they'd be a spouse who wouldn't die of smallpox a month after the wedding.
Is this remotely true, for China or anywhere else? I don't remember where I heard this, but I can't find anything about it online.
In Plague, Fear, and Politics in San Francisco's Chinatown, Risse provides the following in reference to practices and attitudes in China at the time:
Most villagers, however still practiced the instillation of a powder made from dried smallpox scabs. Instead of conferring immunity, this strategy often triggered full0blown cases of smallpox. Chinese called the disfiguring facial scars "flowers of heaven" and considered them a mark of strength and seasoning. Although local [San Francisco] residents found pockmarked Chinese repellent and dangerous, the immunity proved advantageous in California…"
While perhaps not desirable per se, that's still a slightly more positive view on the scars. That may be what you recall having read, though perhaps elsewhere.
Hope that helps.