The Mursi of Ethiopia are the most well known tribe synonymous with lip disks and are predominantly practicers of animism. It is only the women who wear the lip adornments, or 'dhebi', and several teeth are also removed to enhance the appearance and avoid any damage. “It’s a painful process since it involves piercing the lip and removal of the bottom teeth to enhance the plates.Blood is lost and wounds take a while to heal”, according to Nabucoy, a young Mursi woman. However, the lip disks are highly important as a symbol of beauty and the bigger the plate, the bigger the chance of marriage.
The Mursi are not the only tribe known for this aspect of body modification. The Suya tribe of the Amazon also use lip disks but it's only the men who wear them.
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