Women in Senegal are their quest for beautiful smiles to extreme levels - by tattooing their gums black.
Women in the west African country say their ancestors have been doing it for years and claim as well as giving a whiter smile, the procedure also protects the gums and stops bad breath.More than 17,000 people have watched Mariéme endure the painful process online.
Mariéme said she had became 'obsessed' with the idea of getting her gums tattooed in order to achieve the perfect smile.
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After a few days she says: 'It really hurts. I thought I was going to die but I tried to hang on.
'I don't regret it now as I have beautiful gums. It's necessary to be beautiful and attractive.'
The tattooist said the practice has been done for years in Senegal among women and even men in some tribes have their gums tattooed, although she admits woman are less interested these days.
She said: 'Women should not have red gums. Her whole smile needs to be enchanting. A nice smile attracts men.'
She added: 'Less and less women are doing this but some are still interested, especially women who are looking for a lover.'
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| But after the pain subsided Mariéme said she was delighted with the results |
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