Dimple Creation surgery or Dimpleplasty is a simple surgical procedure that aims to recreate natural looking dimples by creating a cut within the inside of mucosa of the mouth. The cheek skin is stitched to the deeper tissues with a suture and the cut is closed with absorbable sutures. The depth of the dimple is dependent on the tension of the knot – this is key to a naturally occurring dimple.

There is no need for removal or stitches and there is no cut on the external skin hence no scarring on the outside. There is no excision of tissue hence the chances of bleeding and hematoma formation is negligible. There is minimal downtime associated with this procedure and your cheeks may be tender for a few days and there may be some swelling. During the recovery period, you may appear to have permanent dimples. This will be slowly disappear and only be present when you smile after a few weeks.

A naturally occurring dimple is a tethering of the cheek skin to the underlying facial muscles. This is usually hereditary but a dimple can be created with a minimally invasive surgical procedure. 

Dimples are associated with youth, attractiveness and beauty, as it accentuates the smile of the individual. Some famous personalities with dimples include Mirander Kerr, Cameron Diaz, Ariana Grande and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The ideal position for a dimple varies from patient to patient. We will take you through a detailed planning so that you can decide the ideal position for your dimple or dimples. Some patients request for a single dimple and others come for surgery to have a symmetrical dimple on the opposite site. There are also patients who have naturally occurring dimples but want to make their existing dimples deeper. The choice is up to you. This is a procedure that is more common for ladies but there are increasing number of requests from male patients as well.

One of the common complications after Dimpleplasty is infection as the mouth is a source of bacteria. Antiseptic mouth gargles will be given for you to rinse after meals as well as in the morning and before bedtime. Antibiotics will also be given and painkillers will be prescribed to reduce inflammation and swelling. During the recovery period it would be good to stick with soft foods and soup for the first few weeks.

Most patients return to work the next day after surgery. The stiches for dimple creation surgery are absorbable and it takes about 2-3 weeks for it to dissolve. During this period of time, the scar that forms during the healing creates the skin tethering which gives rise to the dimple during smiling. The swelling and bruising may take a up to 1-2 weeks to settle and a few months for the neo-dimple to look natural. During the period of bruising, concealers can be helpful.

Dimples – naturally occurring or surgically created dimples can be partially reverse by releasing the tethering between the skin and the muscle. However, the completeness of the reversal depends on the dimple and may vary between individuals.