At all times, man has tried to change his body. Different cultures have resorted to different methods, sparing neither body nor face. Sharpening teeth, stretching necks, lengthening skulls: the wildest ways to "become more beautiful" were used. Oddly enough, some of these dangerous and frightening body modifications are still practiced today.
Neck stretching | Padaung
Neck ring, The practice of stretching the neck begins for Padaung girls at a very young age. From four thin rings to twenty-five voluminous jewelry: the longer the neck, the more beautiful the bride is.
Sharp teeth | Mentawai
The Indonesian Mentawai tribe consider pointed teeth to be the
standard of beauty. The sharper and thinner, the more desirable a woman.
The ritual is not at all mandatory in the culture, but many girls go
through it in adolescence of their own free will in order to attract the
opposite $ex.
Scarification | Sepik tribe
For the Sepik tribe of New Guinea, the practice of scarification is
sacred. The patterns on the girls' faces are made for beauty, the
laconic lines on the boy's cheeks demonstrate strength and courage. The
initiation of an adult hunter also goes through scarification: the
elders decorate the backs of future warriors with the likeness of
crocodile scales.
Lip plate | Mursi tribe
At thirteen, the girl first pierces her lip and inserts a thin stick
there. Over the next year, she will be adding clay rings to the hole.
Each time the plate gets bigger and heavier, stretching the lip lower
and lower.
Stretching the nose | Apatani
Men considered their women so attractive that they inserted a
stretching plug into the wings of their nose: in this way they tried to
prevent the attack of envious people from other tribes.
Small foot | China
For nearly a thousand years, little girls in China have been
subjected to horrific foot bandages. The growth of the foot stopped, the
toes curled and dried, creating the illusion of smaller and more
attractive legs.
Victorian figure | Europe
The most famous way of body modification is the women's corset from
the Victorian era. Women pulled their torso as much as possible,
squeezing their waists to the shape of an hourglass. This practice
changed the shape of the chest and often led to displacement of the
liver and heart.
Long skull | Peru
This ritual was common 45,000 years ago in ancient Peruvian
cultures. From infancy, the skulls of children were wrapped in cloth to
direct growth upward. Apparently, only children of rich families were
exposed to this.
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