Top 10 Unusual Beauty Standards in the World
Beauty is normal in our lives. We have our own fashions and ways to be stunning. Everyone has a definition of beauty. Most of us define beauty by make up, fashion and being fit. Sometimes, we need to spend money just to beautify ourselves. Some of us want to be a model so we need to do something just to look appealing. However, in some cultures they have their own definition of beauty and maybe it is not familiar to us what is their own beauty. So in this list, we will learn about the different and unusual forms of beauty standards from all over the world. It may look unusual for others but that's the symbol of beauty for those certain cultures.Take Note: We need to respect all the forms of beauty.
Let's begin.
Lotus feet, or foot binding, is a tradition from China where young girls break and bind their feet to make them smaller and change their shape. It is part of Chinese tradition, representing beauty, and the smaller foot is seen as emulating the empress' foot.
The custom-made shoes worn by women with lotus feet are called lotus shoes. This practice became popular among the higher class during the Song Dynasty and the lower class during the Qing Dynasty. However, this practice is painful as it deforms bones. Foot binding has been banned, so only older women have bound feet now.
Among the Mursi people in Ethiopia, young women insert a lip plate six months before their marriage. They start getting piercings at the age of 15 or 16. Their lips are cut by the woman as a sign of bravery and perseverance. The larger the lip plate, the braver the woman is considered.
Lip plates are a form of beauty and tend to attract husbands. They also symbolize bravery. When a Mursi woman doesn't have lip plates, it suggests laziness. Having a lip plate automatically identifies a person as a member of the tribe.
Among the Kayan women in Northern Thailand and the border of Myanmar, elongating their necks by adding brass rings symbolizes beauty. The brass neck rings are called "Padaung." This tradition starts at the age of five. They add rings to make the neck much longer, and every two years, more rings are added to extend the neck further. The longer the neck, the more beautiful the woman is considered.
This belief is deeply held among the Kayan people, but there is no actual explanation for this tradition. Even the Kayan women themselves don't know its origin. Some people say that longer necks serve as protection against tiger attacks or kidnapping by rival tribes. Today, they continue this practice to preserve their culture.
Crooked teeth, which may look like vampire teeth to us, symbolize beauty in Japan. This is called Yaeba. Japanese people find it attractive, especially for girls. It symbolizes the sexual attractiveness of a woman. As a result, Japanese women visit dental clinics to get fake crooked teeth.
It looks cute and distinctive.
Did you know that being fat is a symbol of beauty in Mauritania? Yes, being fat in Mauritania represents beauty. A bigger body means greater beauty, and it is common in this country for women to be large. This is their own standard of beauty.
The term for this practice is "lebbouh." To achieve this, young girls are encouraged to eat more food to gain weight, starting at the age of five. They are required to consume at least 16,000 calories a day. The bigger the woman, the more fortune she is believed to bring. Girls are sent to fat camps to eat more food, and if they fail, they may be tortured and embarrassed.
Scarification is a form of body modification where the skin is cut with sharp objects like knives, chisels, and blades to leave scars. In Africa, scarification is a form of beauty. Having scars makes a person attractive. The type, size, and position of scars vary depending on personal and cultural factors.
In West Sumatra, Indonesia, the Mentawai people sharpen their teeth with chisels. This practice is done without anesthesia and is painful. The primary purpose of this modification is to aid in finding a partner. It also symbolizes inner beauty and spirit.
The Maasai people in Kenya stretch their earlobes to depict beauty and symbolize social status. They stretch their earlobes by inserting larger and larger objects.
In Indonesia, the Dayak people also practiced this tradition in older generations. They start in infancy by piercing the ears and inserting rings. More rings are added as they grow older. This practice also symbolizes patience. However, it is now rare among the Dayak people.
That picture is terrifying.
In Japan, women used to turn their teeth black in a practice called Ohaguro. This tradition involved blackening the teeth with a solution called kanemitsu, made from vinegar, iron filings, vegetable tannins, and tea tannins. They started practicing it at the age of fifteen as they reached adulthood.
This practice prevented tooth decay, which was considered a mark of beauty. However, it was banned by the Meiji Government.
Iran has the world's highest rate of nose surgery. It is a significant trend in the country. Influenced by Western beauty standards, the traditional ethnic Persian nose is now considered out of fashion.