Women Tattoo Their Gums Black in the Name of Beauty

Although having aesthetic procedures to look more beautiful is common all over the world, tattooing your gums black is a painful, ancient tradition still practiced by people in Senegal, west Africa.  The excruciating procedure is an old custom performed to achieve a more attractive, whiter smile making it easier to lure a mate.

Although most gum tattoos are performed for appearance, the practice claims to protect gums from bleeding, while eliminating everything damaging to the mouth such as foul breath, and all for less than one euro.

A black powder mixture of burnt oil and shea butter is initially pressed onto the gums, followed by repeated needle sticks. Some find the procedure too torturous, such as a lady Marieme in the popular YouTube documentary.  She quits at the fourth layer, three short of the desired seven.

She says, “I want black gums to obtain a more beautiful smile. It’s become an obsession. I do fear the procedure. But I’ll be OK.” 

It's apparent the considerable pain Marieme's tries to tolerate.  “It hurts. I would never recommend this torture to anyone,” she said. “It really hurts. I thought I was going to die. But I tried to hang on.”

 Marietta cosmetic dentists , +Kirk Kimmerling DDS +Suzanna Aguilera DMD and Garrick McGrath DMD welcome you to our dental office to discuss teeth whitening and options available.  It would be their great pleasure to welcome you to the practice with a new patient $100 coupon.