Dimpleplasty - How It Enhances the Smile

The smile of a person shows how they are feeling about a certain time or situation in their life. When a person smiles, they sometimes have the appearance of dimples on their cheeks but not everyone is born with this facial trait. For those who do not have naturally occurring dimples, they can have plastic surgery to create them on the cheeks. Want to learn more about this facial plastic surgery procedure? If so, keep reading to learn more about dimpleplasty surgery.

Dimpleplasty – What is It?

Dimpleplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that is performed to create the appearance of dimples on the cheeks. In general, dimples are the indentations that occur in the area of the cheeks when a person smiles, and they are usually located on the bottom of the cheeks. If they are not on the bottom of the cheeks, there is a chance that they might be located on the chin.

The formation of dimples can be natural in appearance as they sometimes naturally occur thanks to indentations in the dermis caused by deeper facial muscles. On the other hand, the formation of dimples might be caused by an injury. No matter the cause of the dimples, they are viewed as being a sign of beauty on the face which is one of the reasons patients seek out dimpleplasty surgery.

Dimpleplasty – How is It Performed?

The first step in the process is finding a facial plastic surgeon who is experienced in performing dimpleplasty surgery. The surgeon can discuss both the benefits and any potential risks or side effects of the procedure while also examining the patient to make sure the person is healthy enough for the surgery and an ideal candidate for the desired results. In addition, the consultation appointment is when the surgeon will determine where the dimples should be placed on the face.

On the day of the outpatient procedure, the surgeon will apply a topical anesthetic to the skin to help keep the patient comfortable and free of pain during the surgery. Then, a small biopsy instrument is used to create a hole in the skin so the surgeon can manually create a dimple in the targeted area of the face. In addition, the doctor will need to remove a small amount of fat and muscle in order to make the creation of the space for the dimple easier to accomplish.

The area that is created for the dimple is generally about two to three millimeters in length. Once this area or space is created by the surgeon, a suture will be positioned from one side of the cheek muscle to the other side of the cheek muscle. Then, the suture (sling) is tied in order to permanently set the dimples into place.

Dimpleplasty – Recovery and Results Revealed

Once the surgery is completed, the recovery period begins with the patient experiencing some swelling and soreness that will resolve on their own after a few days. Most patients return to work after a few days, and this also includes being able to resume their normal activities.

The doctor will want to see the patient again after a few days to make sure the results are progressing as planned. The final results should be permanent in nature as long as the patient follows any post-op instructions and also does not experience any type of trauma or damage to the treated area.

Dimpleplasty – Are There Any Risks with the Surgery?

While any side effects or complications from the surgery are rare, there are some possible side effects that patients need to know about before they have the procedure These side effects include bleeding where the surgery was performed, swelling, nerve damage in the face, redness, and a chance of an infection.

The chances of scarring happening after dimpleplasty is rare but there is a possibility of scars forming in the treated area. In addition, since the results tend to be permanent, it is not easy to reverse the results if the patient decides they do not like the look of the final results.

Dimpleplasty – Research Before the Surgery

It is important for the patient to take the time to research both the benefits and risks of dimpleplasty as well as perform research about their doctor of choice. A patient needs to make sure the surgeon has the proper skills and experience when it comes to performing the procedure and that the doctor has a history of providing final results that are natural in appearance.

As mentioned above, the patient needs to be aware of the fact that the results are permanent, which means the changes to the face will last a lifetime. The patient needs to think long and hard about this fact to make sure they are comfortable with the permanent alteration in their appearance they will achieve by having a dimpleplasty procedure.

- MA