Photo Series Looks at the Grotesque Side of Beauty Rituals

Some women change nearly every aspect of their bodies in order to be deemed "beautiful." They paint their nails, style their hair, put on makeup and even subject themselves to painful surgical treatments in the pursuit of perfection.

Photographer Jessica Ledwich shows a grotesque side of everyday beauty rituals in her series, Monsterous Feminine. Each photograph depicts the daily routine of women — from shaving their legs to strapping on a pair of uncomfortable, sky-high heels — and places them in a new, more gruesome context.