Dimple Creation

Dimples are small visible indentations occurring in the dermis caused by the deeper facial muscles.  However, they may appear on various parts of the body, such as the abdomen, back, shoulder or limbs.  When dimples occur on the face they are highly prized because the face is highly visible and it is an important outlet for expressing thoughts and emotions beyond words.  Dimples tend to accentuate a smile, thus increasing the perception of attractiveness, sociability and facial beauty.  The presence of dimples on the face has been appreciated by many people and in different cultures.  When the muscle under the skin flexes, it pulls the skin, creating a dimple.  The reason some people have dimples and others don’t is that they are born with a tight connection between the facial muscles and skin, while others just don’t have this kind of anatomy.

Not everyone has natural dimples.  Creating dimples on the cheek through plastic surgery is called dimpleplasty.  In fact, it is the new plastic surgery trend among the mellenials with which dimples can be created without any complex surgical process.  Dimples are most often located on the bottoms of the cheeks.  Some people may also have chin dimples.  As you know, not everyone is born with this facial trait.  An injury may also cause dimple.  However regardless of its causes, dimples are considered as a sign of beauty, good luck and even fortune.  Due to such perceived benefits, the number of dimple surgeries has increased significantly in recent years.   

Once you have made up your mind to have dimple, when you come in for the preoperative consultation, your doctor will ask a detailed past medical history.  Pre-existing medical conditions, medications and allergies will be closely looked into.  Once your candidacy has been confirmed, the doctor will examine your cheek carefully from outside as well as from inside to determine the exact area where a dimple is to be created.  You can have a word with the doctor regarding the size, shape and exact location of the dimple.  Your doctor may advice you to stop some of the medications that you are taking before surgery.

Surgical steps

A dimpleplasty or dimple creation surgery is performed on an outpatient basis.  This means you can get the procedure done at your surgeon’s clinic without having to get admitted to the hospital. 

First, your doctor will apply a topical anesthetic, such as lidocaine, to the area of the skin.  This helps to ensure you don’t feel any pain or uneasiness during surgery.  It takes about ten minutes for the anesthetic to take effect.

Your doctor then uses a small biopsy instrument to make a hole in your skin to manually create a dimple.  An indentation is created in the cheek muscle, known as the buccinator.  A small amount of muscle and fat is removed to aid in this creation.  The area is about 2 to 3 mm in length.

Once the space for dimple is created by the doctor, they then position a suture (sling) from one side of the cheek muscle to the other in order to attach the muscle to the under surface of the skin.  The suture is then tied to set the dimple permanently in place.  When the suture is tied, it creates a natural-looking dimple in the overlying skin.   The surgery does not leave a scar on the outside of the face.  The dimples are seen upon cheek muscle movement, but not when the face is relaxed. 

Recovery timeline

Recovery from dimple creation surgery is relatively straightforward.  You don’t need to stay in the hospital for a prolonged period of time.  If there are no complications or side effects, you can go home immediately after the surgery.  Soon after the procedure, you might experience mild swelling.  You can apply cold packs to reduce swelling, but it will generally go away on its own within a few days.

Following a dimple creation surgery, patients are left with semi-permanent dimples for about one to two months.  During this time period you can experience mild swelling and soreness.  After that initial period, the tissue will eventually settle and the indentation will only be seen when smiling.

Most people can return to work, school and other regular activities two days after having a dimple creation surgery.  In order to assess the progress, your surgeon will likely want to see you a couple of weeks after the procedure.  Overall the risks of dimple creation surgery are rare and dimple creation surgery is considered to be safe and reliable.  Most people who have the surgery have a positive experience, according to the Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery.

Before opting for this type of surgery, you’ll need to accept that the outcome is permanent, whether you like the results or not.

So next time when you see a beautiful lady smiling with a dimple, needn’t be envious, you can very well have that look with a minimally invasive procedure under an experienced facial plastic surgeon.