Surma woman with big lip plate – Omo Ethiopia
Lip Plates
Also referred to as lip plugs, this tradition is very common among members of the Surma tribe of Ethiopia and South Sudan, especially those who live along the Omo River. The practice involves incising a hole in the lower lip and fitting a rounded plate inside of it. The plate is intended to stretch the lip out and is replaced with a bigger one as the lip enlarges.
