Afghan women Facial tattoo (Khaal):
If you visit Afghanistan you will notice most of the women have green, dots or shapes drawn on their face ( chin/forehead/cheeks) or hands. Tattoos are very normal in Afghanistan especially among Pushtun women, except they are called “Khaal” ( means dot, because the tattoos are mostly drawn in form of dots) . It was, and in most of villages, still is considered a sign of beauty among young girls and women. Most of the women got their facial tattoos before marriage.

It’s a pre-Islamic habit that still exist in some tribes. They get it done by holding several sterilized sharp needles in the spot they are getting the tattoo, usually done to them by another elder woman who is known in the village for doing them. Afghanistan is Islamic country but they don’t have the proper teaching of Islam conveyed to them, most of the people having these tattoos admit that they never knew it was a sin in Islam and had it done when they were of small age (14-20). A lot of women have tried to remove it in several ways after knowing it is forbidden while others just leave it. Most of the Afghan people don’t have access to medical methods of removing tattoos,  because of being poor or simply because it is not available to them. Those who have done small dots use acid on their skin to remove it, which eventually leave scars. While others having bigger shapes just stay with it not knowing how to remove it.

Every Afghan family specially pashtuns have atleast one person in their family having these khaal.