User blog comment:Ralok/Turians (appearance)/@comment-1773449-20091229005014

the Turian "markings" that is so iconic of there race was used as a sort of faction or tribal marking showing ones acceptance into there specific group, kind of like an inter species gang tag. Turians lacking this face paint are generally supposed to be distrusted among the species because it shows that they have not been accepted into a tribe/clan/family