Crooked Teeth: Japan. The peak of attractiveness is the so-called "yaeba," or crooked teeth. It’s believed that people look cuter if they have this quality. Japanese with a straight line of even teeth go to dentists to have their teeth make crooked; crazy, huh?

Scarification: Western Africa/New Guinea. The inhabitants of New Guinea and several other countries in Africa still decorate their bodies with patterns and numerous artistic scars. The scars are usually given to men during an initiation ceremony, whereas for women these "tattoos" are considered an indication of great beauty.

Heart shaped face: South Korea. In South Korea, plastic surgery is not only widespread, it’s considered completely normal. In major cities, you’ll see advertisements everywhere calling for people to go under the knife to improve their appearance. Here, possessing a heart-shaped face is seen as one of the key ways to look beautiful. To get it, many Koreans are prepared to undergo complex operations.

Excess Weight: Mauritania. Mauritanians have absolutely no chance of attracting a man’s gaze if they don’t have folds of fat on their stomach. To make sure girls obtain the desired dimensions, their parents send them to special "farms" where they can eat up to 16,000 calories a day (the norm is 1,500). Unfortunately, because of this tradition, many girls develop stomach illnesses.

Surgical dressings on face: Iran. Iran is the capital of rhinoplasty. Despite the high price of the procedure, men and women here are ready to pay anything for the sake of a straight nose, which is seen here not only as a symbol of beauty but also of a certain status in society. But this is far from the strangest thing you can see here. Even if someone hasn’t had a nose job, they might decide to walk around in public with a surgical dressing on their face to make people think they have.

Pale skin: China/Thailand. In many parts of Asia, pale skin is considered to be the gold standard of beauty. If you walk into a store looking for some face cream, you’re unlikely to find one that doesn’t have a bleaching ingredient. This includes ones for men for use after shaving. Many Chinese people refuse to visit the beach without a mask, as they want to protect their skin from the effects of the sun.

A high forehead: The Fula people. Ever dreamed of having a fivehead? The Fula tribe of Africa thinks that the most important attribute for a woman is a high forehead. Women there remove some hair to make their forehead appear larger.

A long neck: Burma. One of the regions of eastern Burma has been called "the country of giraffe women." This name refers to the Kayan people who live there, whose women wear brass rings around their necks. It’s believed that the longer a person’s neck, the more beautiful they look. According to legend, these rings protect the Kayan women from tigers.

Stretched lips: The Mursi people. In the Mursi tribe of Ethiopia, girls learn to stretch the skin of their lower lips using special disks. The larger the disk, the higher the girl’s social status, and the larger the dowry that has to be paid before a marriage.

Monobrows: Tajikistan. In some regions of Tajikistan, a monobrow is considered a sign of female beauty. If nature hasn’t granted a girl this desirable feature, she might decide to apply some black makeup in a line between her eyebrows. Local people are convinced that joined-together eyebrows are an indication that a person will have a fortunate life.