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Dimpleplasty: Now You Can Get Dimples Installed (No, I’m Not Making This Up)

by 54 Comments

Dimpleplasty. Yes, dimpleplasty (or dimple-plasty). Apparently, some folks covet the dimpled Mario Lopez look so much that they’re paying good money to have them installed.

Have you heard about this? I had absolutely no idea!

According to Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel, “The procedure is surprisingly easy!” The Boston, Mass. plastic surgeon typically performs the $2,000-$5000 procedure right in the office. Small incisions are made inside the patient’s cheeks after they’ve been numbed. Sutures are then used to stitch the desired dimple into place, and the dimpled area softens and looks more and more natural over time. The actual procedure typically takes about an hour to perform.

Um…I can’t even handle going to the dentist and seeing those dental hooks out of the corner of my eye, so the thought of cutting and stitching my cheeks gives me the heebie-jeebies!

I guess if you really, REALLY want dimples…

“Patients have experienced some minor bruising and swelling after the procedure,” says Spiegel, but they typically subside within 48 hours. It’s also normal for the cheek area to feel tight following the procedure, he adds, but the feeling subsides over the 2-3 weeks following surgery.

Dr. Michael Salzhauer, a Bal Harbour, Florida plastic surgeon, says dimpleplasty can be done as an out-patient procedure using local anesthesia. The incisions inside the mouth on the inner surface of the cheeks cause a small depression in the cheek muscles. The depressions are secured using internal and external stitches and over time heal to produce dimples.

What do you think of dimpleplasty and would you ever consider doing it? Perhaps two better questions are 1) what do you think of dimples, and 2) what do you think of elective cosmetic surgery (it’s okay to be honest, but this is a hate-free zone)?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I had no idea you could get this done either!

    I think dimples are cute but personally I wouldn’t put myself though uneccesary surgery even if it can be done under a local anesthetic. I’ve had major life-saving surgery and wouldn’t want to go through that again just for cosmetic reasons.

    We should all learn to be happy with who we are and what we got. Let’s face we covet what others have and others covet what we have so why should we worry?

    Reply

  3. I love dimples, they are the cutest thing. But I would never get a surgery for them, I am way too scared of anybody cutting my face. Once, I had to submit a skin sample from my scalp to my dermatologist and he put an injection to freeze the area, OMG an injection on my head and then he went and cut a small piece of my scalp and put it in a jar !!! I was crying like a baby, so the procedure for dimples is just not for me, I am way to coward especially after that experience with my dermatologist 🙁

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  5. That is freaky and weird if you ask me! I like natural dimples, not man-made ones, haha. I just read an article today about the new “Vampire face lift” in which they inject your own blood into areas of your face as a filler. No thanks!

    Reply

  7. Oh my goodness. Hopefully that after picture was taken pretty soon after surgery (before it had time to “soften”) because the effect doesn’t look cute and natural at all! People can do whatever they want with their bodies, but it just makes me sad when they end up looking worse than they did before. That is why I’m not sure I could ever get plastic surgery. I’m afraid I would like freakish and unnatural. Plus, I just had major emergency surgery 2 months ago and it was NOT fun. I’m not sure I could go through this again voluntarily.
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    Reply

  11. You can get the same effect by having cheek piercings and then taking them out later. Looks way better/more natural, no surgery necessary. 🙂

    Reply

  13. I think dimples are cute, particularly on kids. I personally wouldn’t be interested in the surgery, though. I’m saving my cash for that droopy eyelid surgery I’ll need in a few more years. 🙂 I don’t really have any strong feelings about elective surgery. It would be nice if we lived in a world where looks weren’t so prioritized but we don’t. I try not to be a judger. 🙂

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  15. Well, I already have dimples naturally and I’ve grown to really like them (esp. since my mom and aunt have them too!). But even if I didn’t, I don’t think I could handle this surgery even though it seems so “minor,” since I’m not a big fan of cosmetic surgery in the first place. Honestly, I’d rather spend the money on skincare and makeup XD

    Reply

  16. I had an upper eyelid lift to correct major overhanging eyelids and also had the huge bags underneath my eyes taken out at the same time. It was a painless procedure under “twilight” anesthesia. The recovery was easy; no after surgery pain. I used a very good plastic surgeon in San Diego. My goal was not to add something I didn’t have or change any features to look like something or someone else. I wanted to correct the problem around my eyes because it bothered me…..a lot. It took years off of my face and yet I looked just like myself after. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I am a strong advocate of cosmetic surgery. It is a very personal decision and absolutely in no way is it anyone else’s business. I personally don’t think the dimples in the picture look natural or flattering but that only means I would not do it for myself. I refuse to judge her, or anyone else, for whatever procedure they decide to do. And just because someone decides to do something to their appearance does NOT mean that they don’t appreciate and enjoy life already. That’s an incredibly judgmental stance to take when you have no idea why this person did this.

    Reply

    • Hi Deb,

      I fully agree about not judging others because we all have our reasons for things, and I’m the first to admit that I’m far from perfect.

      Personally, I have nothing against cosmetic surgery in general. I’ve known people who’d had things done, and they’ve been really happy. I’ve never had anything done, but I wouldn’t rule it out in the future. I try not to rule anything out. Take care. Hope you’re having a good week.

      Reply

  19. Plastic surgery, to me, is something I flip flop about. A lot of women with breast cancer get implants when they have their breasts removed, and I have no problem with that. And I’ve technically gotten plastic surgery before. When I was little, I slipped in the bathtub and split my chin open. I had to get reconstructive surgery to fix the skin on my chin. The kind of surgery that fixes cleft palates and lips is considered plastic surgery. People tend to forget that. However! If my sister or someone went and got dimples put in, I might look down on her, honestly.

    I love dimples, I have one dimple (on my left cheek–isn’t that weird? LOL), but I don’t think they’re worth going under the knife for.

    Reply

    • Absolutely, Gina. There are reconstructive surgeries and things like repairing cleft palates that give people a new lease on life. And I’m also not completely averse to the idea of elective plastic surgery either. You just never know how you’ll feel about something 5-10 years down the road. I try not to judge.

      Reply

  20. I inherited dimples from my dad and don’t really think about them until people point them out, but i like them because they’re not even and one is deeper than the other…just like my dads! This kind of surgery is unnecessary though, it doesn’t really make you look any better and I know someone that got it done; they look ok, but when she’s not smiling, she has tiny scars…I don’t know, it just seems odd :/

    Reply

  22. I have dimples and I like em. I think plastic surgery is OK. If you have the money and you want it, then go for it. It’s not for me though. I’m scared of medical procedures.

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  23. That’s a very big price tag for surgically-made dimples. I love dimples on people. My brother has them and I’ve always been a slight bit jealous that I don’t have them. However, I wouldn’t shell out $2,000-$5,000 just to have dimples. =s

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  24. Wow………..I’m not surprised by this at all. When I was a kid I always prayed that dimples would magically appear on my face! BUt I now, I would never go under the knife to have them. HAHAHA whatever floats your boat!

    Reply

  25. I love dimples!! I think they’re adorable! But to go under the knife to get them? No way jose.
    I say be happy with what God gave you, dimples or not. Not to mention it’s expensive??
    IMHO plastic surgery should be reserved for accidents or birth defects/abnormalities…but that’s just me. I think I might have one dimple?? (does that even make sense?) but I think they might be more prevalent in guys than girls (both of my brothers have them)?

    Thanks for the post Karen! The picture at the top of the post made me laugh;)

    Reply

  27. i thought i replied.

    i was saying that dimples are actually an aberration. i dont think i would pay to have an aberration put on my face.

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  28. I have dimples (three, actually – one in each cheek, and one in my chin!) and I personally like them a lot. I got a lot of comments on them when I was younger (especially from grandpa-types… not sure why). They definitely bump up the little-kid-cute factor. 🙂

    As far as getting cosmetic surgery for the purpose of getting dimples… I dunno. This specific surgery does strike me as particularly frivolous. However, I don’t know that other types of cosmetic surgery that have purported “benefits” (such as rhinoplasty) are any less frivolous. There are definitely some that seem to be easier to justify, such as reconstructive surgery. However, if you allow for one type of cosmetic surgery, do you have to accept all of them? Is there a sliding scale that allows you to accept the “justified” surgeries and not the “unjustified” surgeries? I want to be able have a consistent opinion, but I don’t know what that entails, exactly.

    Also, what about social responsibility? Should we be spending that kind of money on something that is purely cosmetic? Should our doctors be spending their time doing something besides making tiny incisions in people’s cheeks so that they can have dimples? (However, this strain of thought also begs the question: is it okay to spend copious amounts of money on makeup, which can also alter one’s appearance…?)

    These are just some questions (probably very poorly worded questions, at that), and I don’t necessarily think they have clear-cut answers. This is mostly biomedical ethics coming back to haunt me 🙂 Things that alter your appearance, from makeup to plastic surgery, are completely personal decisions, and I’m not trying to judge in the slightest. I do think, though, that makeup and cosmetic surgery present some very important questions that we should try to engage with.

    Someday I really want to develop an ethics of beauty. I sometimes struggle with the fact that I want to be pretty all the time. While I don’t think there’s necessarily anything wrong with that, I do want to justify it to myself. Darn philosophy degree…

    Reply

    • Hi, Shannon. You bring up such fascinating points! Ah, the allure of the easy answer… It would be nice though, right? — to be able to say, “That is always right,” or “That is always wrong.” Maybe it’s a basic human need to want the structure that easy black/white answers provide.

      In other news, how’s your day treating you? Are you having a good week so far?

      Reply

      • My day is going well! I’m actually feeling somewhat productive. I’ve gotten a grasp on a school presentation that I’ve really been stressing about (so now it feels like it’s actually something I can handle), AND I’ve done almost all of the dishes in the apartment! Ha! 🙂 Hopefully the rest of this week will be equally productive.

        Reply

  29. There is someone on YT that I subscribe to (she is really crafty!) who’s had the procedure done. It looked really weird at first.

    Generally, I don’t care what someone else does to his or her body. It is THEIR body. I have no right to judge them just like people have no right to judge me for choosing multiple dental surgeries (i.e. root canals and I actually need some teeth removed to overcrowding) over just getting dentures for my dental situation (it’s a long story). It’s a matter of confidence for 99% of us. We’re happy with everything else except that one thing.

    Reply

  30. The older I get, the more I’m okay with cosmetic surgery–for certain reasons. If you’re doing it to fend off aging because of a fear of getting older, well, I’m not sure you’ll ever be satisfied, as time does march on. If you’re doing it because you view your body as a canvas, or because there’s something you always wanted to fix…well, I think that’s a little different. Would I do injectables or facelifts to clear out wrinkles? Probably not…mostly because I hope as I grow older, I can embrace what comes with aging. But would I spend 5,000 dollars to fill in my eyebrows, so I could ditch the eyebrow powder for good? Heck yes.

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  31. Holy guacamole! That poor girl looked like the Joker in the after pic! It looks like her face is frozen and pulled reeeeeaally tight. I was born with, and still have, dimples and I’ve never thought of them as a desirable feature. It’s not like having a wart on the end of your nose, but dimples on grown ups just don’t equal adorable and attractive to me. Now my six year old son is positively adorable- head full of curly blonde hair, big blue eyes, smattering of freckles and dimples not only on his cheeks, but one on his chin, too! That’s who dimples look good on, kids. 🙂

    Reply

  33. I don’t like dimples but I think cosmetic surgery in general is a great thing. We can change things that we don’t like. I loved how Heidi Montag’s surgeries turned out and i think she looks stunning now, like a barbie doll…before the surgeries she was just average looking. I just gave her as an example cos we all know she had a lot of things done!:-) I think I may get lip fillers soon 😀

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  35. I really see no problem with plastic surgery, especially if it’s about improving existing flaws such as under eye bags, etc, like some people have mentioned before. Plastic surgery shouldn’t be about drastic changes, it should be about polishing our existing appearances, which is why I know when I get older if I can afford it I’ll probably get chemical peels or microdermabrasion.

    As an Asian American I also see no problem with the Asian Eyelid surgery that can be controversial. While I’m happy with my monolid, I understand the feeling and it’s unfair to judge those who have undergone it. It particularly irks me when non-asians say things about how unnecessary it is, how beautiful your eyes were before, yaddah yaddah yaddah – the fact is having not lived that life you can’t completely understand.

    Frankly I would consider getting this dimple surgery. I naturally have dimples but they’re lopsided, one side is the perfect dimple whereas the other isn’t as deep. People have always commented on how cute my dimples are, but to me it was always a reminder that one’s deeper than the other, my face is lopsided. If this surgery meant making my dimples more uniform and I somehow stumbled upon $5,000, I’d consider it.
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  36. i would consider getting this too. if only i had extra money lying around… plus i have a really round face and i think dimples on round faces are cute!
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  38. Personally I don’t like dimples, I have not so deep ones on my cheeks which sometimes appear when I laugh and sometimes don’t (weird I know!) but they’re not the deal for me. As for plastic surgery, I think it’s a beautiful thing that we have the chance to change a feature that makes us really insecure. For example, I like my face structure overall but I look like I almost don’t have cheekbones at all and sometimes that makes me really sad. And my biggest problem is my nose because I think it’s waaay too big (and I did some damage to it when I was younger) and I’ve always wanted to get it done. So if I find the money, I might do it. That is why I believe plastic surgery is a good thing, whether it’s for fixing smt that time gives you or just a feature makes you feel bad about yourself; but I think doctors should say “stop” when patients arrive to the point where they start to go overboard and make themselves worse than before. I remember I was really terrified when I saw Heidi Montag’s new body =) But then again, it’s a personal thing too, so it’s a thin line where a person should know what suits himself/herself beside the urge to get the body they want.

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  39. Meh, I had 11 dimples as a child. I now currently have 8 at full on, manic smile and 3-4 during a regular smile. I always coveted the non dimpled cheeks of other kids, so I cannot understand why someone would want this procedure done. People just want what they don’t have most of the time.

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  40. I’ve so never understood this whole dimple thing. I have natural dimples, and people are always like “Oh you have dimples so cute!” when I smile for the first time around them. I just don’t get it. I don’t find them cute or not cute. They just are.

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  41. I think this is an example of the beauty world taking it one step to far. Dimples are something that is considered cute and adorable because they are seemingly rare. They are something that distinguishes somebody’s features. Judging from the pictures they do not look like something you can ‘create’ either.

    The girls dimples look very unnatural and her before picture looks much more natural and ‘real’. That is my problem with plastic surgery. I believe beauty should enhance beauty, not create it.

    The doctor mentions that patients experience discomfort afterwards, and although there are aspects of the make up world that can be uncomfortable, I do not believe anybody should suffer pain for ‘beauty’. I think procedures like this can make others think that they need dimples, just because the option to have them created is now available.

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  43. I read about this procedure last year. The article I read stated that the dimples remain when you are not smiling!! = totally unnatural end result unless you go round with a permanent smile….

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  46. I’ve been often told I look younger and cuter than girls my age should look like, so dimpleplasty for me is a no-no.

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  47. So my manfriend has super awesome (natural) dimples, not unlike Slater’s actually. I love his dimples, and they are super cute. Sadly, I don’t have any, but I don’t want them badly enough to get them surgically… installed! 😀 Eek!

    Reply

  48. I have one dimple and have always wanted to be even, but probably not enough to drop thousands of dollars on it. Probably. I’ve seen people with natural deep, tiny dimples look great but it doesn’t really suit the woman in the picture. Time will tell I guess.

    Reply

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