10. Crooked teeth are often considered attractive
While many western countries will try to correct their less-than-perfect teeth with the aid of braces and retainers, in Japan many men consider women with crooked teeth to be attractive. This particular look is known as “yaeba” and is often admired for the youthfulness it brings to a woman’s face. Although it is ideal to have a naturally crooked smile, it has become increasingly popular in Japan for women to spend hundreds of dollars to have a procedure done that will make their teeth crooked. Along with this newer custom, an older Japanese tradition known as “ohaguro” was once very popular and practiced regularly. It involves dyeing the teeth black or “blackening your teeth” and was also a sign of beauty more commonly practiced by married women, but sometimes even done by men. The samurai even practiced the ohaguro tradition to display their loyalty to their masters.
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