Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Cardassians
8. Tears Of The Women
The original 'tear' makeup on Cardassians was solely on the forehead, just above and between the eyes. Dukat's skull, on full grinning display in Star Trek: Picard's second season episode Penance showed us the tear, and ridges, were bone structure, as opposed to muscle.
Star Trek: The Next Generation's sixth season episode The Chase introduced the first female Cardassian to the franchise. Gul Ocet was given accents on her neck ridges. The script describes that they could 'possess a kind of sexual dimorphism' apparent in many species.
For Cardassians, this was depicted as a colour change. Cardassian females had a slightly blue colour in their 'tear', as well as coloured neck ridges. No genetic reason was given for this, so it could also be cosmetic - an idea that Star Trek: Lower Decks producer Bradley Winters supports.
Natima Lang, appearing in Profit And Loss, also had a 'tear' on her chest, while Cardassian males didn't seem to have this.