The impacts of smallpox on survivors were profound and lifelong, spanning both physical and social dimensions. Physically, the most common legacy was extensive scarring, particularly on the face, caused by the destruction of sebaceous glands during the pustular stage. For many, this was accompanied by more severe complications like blindness resulting from corneal scarring, as well as limb deformities due to arthritis and deep skin damage. Socially, these visible marks served as a permanent public stamp of their illness, leading to intense stigma and discrimination. Survivors, especially women, often faced diminished marriage prospects, social isolation, and were sometimes barred from certain professions or public roles. The scarring could be mistaken for leprosy or other feared conditions, fueling superstition and rejection. This combination of lasting disability and social exclusion pushed many survivors into poverty, creating a cycle of hardship that extended far beyond the initial disease.