Discover the Pros and Cons of Dimpleplasty

Dimpleplasty is a type of plastic surgery used to create dimples on the cheeks. Dimples are small holes that appear below the cheek when smiling. Dimples enhance the beauty of a person and create a more attractive facial appearance. Dimples are naturally obvious at birth and are caused by a slight disfigurement in the cheek muscle where the skin is tethered to the zygomaticus major muscle. It is more visible as it becomes deeper when an individual with a dimple smiles.

Experts Discuss Dimpleplasty

According to Darren Smith, a New York City-based plastic surgeon, “When the muscle under the skin flexes, it pulls the skin, creating a dimple. Imagine tugging on the middle of a napkin suspended by its four corners. 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.”

A double-certified plastic surgeon based in Atlanta, Wright Jones says “The treatment is a minimally hostile procedure used to create dimples in the face, most commonly within the cheeks. Over the last few years, it’s become a common request – almost augmenting – among millennial-aged patients due to its little downtime, enhancement of facial aesthetics, and lack of need for general anesthesia”. He added, “It is a finesse technique that requires a clear understanding of aesthetic goals between the patient and an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon. It takes 30 minutes or less depending on the patient’s anatomy”.

Jones also said, “Patients are sometimes left with semi-permanent dimples for about one or two months along with mild swelling or soreness. After that initial period, the tissue will eventually settle and the indention will only be seen when smiling.” Jones warned of its risks and complications by saying, “Although the treatment has little downtime, there are still risks involved, which could lead to deformities that are incredibly difficult to correct. Dimples could be overly dramatic, appear underwhelming, look unnatural, disappear with time, or even be located in the wrong place”. 

Dimpleplasty Gone Wrong

Tangie Renee is a radio personality in Atlanta. While she has been happy with her look in the past, she recently found herself wanting to enhance her appearance. While some people want to make a change using fillers, her desire was to make a subtle, but youthful, change by getting dimples.

A poster on a wall advertising “Dimple Day” at Dr. Curves Skin and Laser Center, while she was having laser hair removal, triggered her desired to have dimples. She decided to meet with Dr. Curves to learn more about the process and to learn if she was an eligible candidate for the procedure. In an interview with BET, Tangie told the network, “I would friggin’ love to have dimples. Who knew there was even an opportunity to get them? I met with Dr. Curves and he explained it (the process) to me. I found out that it was not expensive, not painful and it wouldn’t make me miss work.”

Who is the person known as Dr. Curves? Dr. Andre Jimerson, a plastic surgeon at Advanced Plastic Surgery in Atlanta, is also known as “Dr. Curves”. In his meeting with Renee, he informed her that she would not have to be put to sleep and the procedure involved minimal healing time. Renee said she “honestly felt like it was a dentist appointment because I saw the tray of tools, they put a blue bib around my neck and blue surgical shower cap on my head”. The dimpleplasty procedure is carried out by creating an incision in the mouth of the patient where an incision is created in the cheek muscle known as the buccinators. The muscle is then attached to the undersurface of the skin so the dimples are visible when the face is in motion but not when the face is resting. After a period of some tugging and pulling, the procedure was done and Renee had new dimples to show off to the world.

The response of the public was not a positive one for Renee as she was accused of hating herself so much that she decided to change her appearance. Some even said she looked “fake” thanks to the dimples. However, Renee is not ashamed of her new look and is proud to share the news with others. She hopes that sharing her story will give those who may not understand the procedure a better idea that the process is just an enhancement and not a large alteration to the appearance of a person.

Dimpleplasty Consultation and Recovery

During a consultation appointment with a board-certified doctor, patients need to receive information about the dimple creation process and the doctor also needs to examine the patient to determine whether the person is eligible for the procedure or not. In addition, the consultation appointment will help the patient decide where the dimples should be placed as well as their desired depth and shape.

Patients are advised to be on a liquid diet for a few days after the procedure. Since dimpleplasty can cause some facial swelling, patients are advised to take one or two days off work for recovery.