The Karen are a remote people. They live in social units that are protective of the tribe and protective of the whole Karen people. Their customs and traditions stem from an ancient medium the details of which the Karen themselves claim to have forgotten. Among the many Karen traditions is that of beautifying the women of the tribe in special ways. There are as many distinctive features of beauty among the Karen as there are divisions within the larger tribe. The Karen are not one homogeneous group but rather a loose confederation of heterogeneous and closely related tribes. Each of these tribes has their own variation on beauty