Do Dimples Go Away?

Dimples are actually a result of developmental variation in the facial muscle called the zygomaticus major. This muscle runs from your cheekbone to the corner of the mouth. The muscle moves when you smile. Now, in individuals with dimples, the belly of the zygomaticus major muscle is divided into two separate bundles of muscle. One bundle connects below the corner of the mouth. The other bundle connects at the corner of the mouth. The movement of the skin over this divided muscle causes a dimple in your face. The reason for this variation lies in the person’s genes. It is passed on from either parent to the child.

The chin dimple is formed when the two halves of the lower jawbone fuse improperly in the midline. The resulting defect is perceived as a cleft chin or dimpled chin.

It is possible to get a dimple through cosmetic surgery. The procedure is called dimpleplasty and may cost you around $1500 depending on the doctor and hospital charges. The procedure is done under local anesthesia. The surgeon will mark an area on your face where the dimple is desired. This area is often found by asking the individual to suck in air and mark the point of greatest depression over the cheeks.

Under local anesthesia, the surgeon makes a small cut over the inner side of the cheek corresponding to the mark on the outer surface. They then place self-dissolving stitches to fix the cheek muscle to the overlying skin. Over time, suture dissolves and gets absorbed. When the wound inside the cheek heals, the cheek muscle forms a scar-like attachment to the overlying skin. This creates a dimple when you smile. The entire procedure takes around 30 minutes. There is no cut or stitch on the face, and you can go home the same day. The formation of dimples depends on your healing process and takes a few weeks to form completely.

The procedure is relatively safe but irreversible. Hence, you must always think twice before undergoing any cosmetic procedure.