Dimpleplasty – Creating Dimples

In some cultures dimples are considered a sign of good luck and prosperity. Also, dimples help brighten a smile and add character. Your sibling or close friend may have dimples and you may also want to have them.

A natural dimple is usually formed when there is a small defect in the buccinator muscle of the cheek. The skin overlying this small defect is stuck down to the underlying connective tissue and creates a dimple in the skin with smiling. Dimple creation surgery can replicate this naturally occurring process. It is possible to surgically create permanent dimples. Dimple creation surgery can be done on any type or sized cheek. You can decide where the dimples will be, or you can have Dr.Nikhil advise you where the most optimal place for the dimples should be on your face.

What is the actual procedure?

Dimpleplasty, the procedure of creating a dimple is simple and straight forward. The first step is to mark the exact location of the desired dimples on the outside of the cheek. A very small amount of local anesthetic is placed on the inside of both cheeks, and then a tiny incision is made on each side. A small amount of muscle (approximately 3 to 4 mm) is removed in the location that it would be absent in a natural dimple. Next, one or two absorbable sutures (which dissolve in 1-2 weeks) are used to create the new dimple. The amount of muscle removed and the depth of the sutures need to be adjusted very precisely to create the most natural appearing dimples. The entire procedure takes 20-30 minutes to complete. In the beginning there is a dimple present even without smiling, but after several days, or sometimes a few weeks, the dimple is only present while smiling or moving the face. The scarring between the inner skin and muscle will cause a permanent dimple even after the suture is absorbed.

Duration for dimple creation surgery.

It takes about 20 minutes to perform dimple creation surgery. The dimple procedure is done in the office under local anesthesia. It can be done on the same day of your initial consultation, especially if you are coming in from out of town.
There is usually a period of time after the dimple creation surgery is done where the dimple is present even when you are not smiling. This period could last anywhere from several days to several weeks and sometimes a couple of months. As you heal, the dimple will slowly flatten out when you are not smiling and will only be present when you are smiling. There are many techniques to perform dimple creation surgery

After Surgery

• Patient is advised to use ice packs for 2-3 days for swelling.

• Patient can resume normal diet.

• Patient is advised excessive facial animation to expedite resolution of edema.

• Dimple will appear at rest & in animation for 6 to 8 weeks,then gradually disappear and only present itself thereafter naturally during facial expression.

Positioning of the dimple

Generally, the position of the dimple is marked by the patient in front of the mirror. If the patient is undecided as to the site of the dimple, another landmark described from the cosmetic viewpoint is the intersection of a perpendicular line dropped from the external canthus and a horizontal line drawn from the angle of mouth. However, we feel that the position of the dimple marked by this method is too low. We consider the position of the dimple at the point of intersection of the perpendicular line dropped from the external canthus and horizontal line drawn from the highest point of the cupid's bow laterally. It has also been our observation in patients having natural dimples that if the person sucks his cheeks inside, the area of the maximum depression is the area of the dimple. Similarly, the patient is asked to create a negative suction and suck the cheeks inside. The site of the maximum depression is the marked site of the dimple.