Ohaguro is black tooth wax used by Maiko for that brief period of ‘Erikae’ — turning their collar from red to white — when they graduate from Maiko to Geisha. Ohaguro was originally done with black ink several times a week to maintain the color, in modern times, a black wax is used and rubbed onto the teeth with the finger. Traditionally this practice was for the wealthy, female members of the household would begin Ohaguro upon reaching adulthood. Ohaguro was considered to be more beautiful the blacker the teeth were.

(Source: malformalady, via anxieties)