To beautify, women of B’rau ethnic minority group in Vietnam’s Central Highlands often tattoo their faces with strange patterns, pierce and extend their ears or grinding their teeth.

Before marriage, B’rau girls pierce their ears by thorns and try to stretch the ear-holes as big as they can. They decorate their ears not by silver or gold made ear-rings but the top of elephant tusks.

After beautifying their ears, they grind their teeth by a piece of stone. This is very important for both girls and boys because it shows their love to their parents. By grinding their teeth, they prove that they are not gluttonous and they will not eat up the cooking of their parents.

In addition, grinded teeth show that the people have become adults and they can do the jobs of the B’rau people.

B’rau people also make up their faces by tattooing strange patterns. The tattoos also signify the prosperity so only rich people can have tattoos.

However, these make-up methods have been lost in in recent times. In Dak Me village of B’rau people in Kon Tum province, only a dozen of people, mostly of over 80 years old, have ear-holes of over 10cm in diameter. They also replaced tusks by bamboo pieces or plastic bottle lids.

Only two women in the village have tattoos on their faces, Mrs. Nang Nang, 88 and Y Bu, 101.

“I and my husband tattooed our faces when we just got married. My husband died for nearly ten years ago,” Mrs. Nang said.

Source: Dan Tri