Short Answer
Cheek dimples are caused by the movement of the skin muscles over the double or bifid zygomaticus major muscle. A person with dimples has two separate bundles of zygomaticus major muscles, one bundle connecting the zygomatic bone to the corner of the mouth while the other one connected below the mouth corner. This bifid zygomaticus major muscle is responsible for the formation of dimples.
A dimple is a small indentation on the cheeks, which becomes more apparent when someone smiles. Apart from the cheek, dimples can also be found on the different parts of our body such as the chin and lower back. Generally, cheek dimples can be found in pairs that is it can be present on both cheeks. However, it is also possible to have just one dimple. It is believed that dimples on the cheek bring luck and enhance facial beauty and expression. The occurrence of dimples is not gender-dependent, it can occur in both sexes. You might be wondering why all people don’t have dimples, only some people have these cute and desirable dimples.
Well, in order to understand this, we need to discover what causes or forms these dimples.
What causes dimples?
The facial muscle that is responsible for the formation of a dimple is zygomaticus major muscle and it is present in all human faces. It is a facial expression muscle that is involved when someone smiles.
Zygomaticus major is a muscle that connects the zygomatic bone and the corner of the mouth.
Cheek dimples are caused by the movement of the skin muscles over the double or bifid zygomaticus major muscle. A person with dimples has two separate bundles of zygomaticus major muscles, one bundle connecting the zygomatic bone to the corner of the mouth while the other one connected below the mouth corner. This splitting of zygomaticus major muscle into two bundles is known as double or bifid zygomaticus major muscle. This bifid zygomaticus major muscle is responsible for the formation of dimples.
It is found that babies are more likely to have dimples due to the presence of fat in their cheek. That’s why babies are so adorable and cute. However, some of them lose dimples as they grow due to loss of cheek fat. It is also possible to develop dimples later in childhood, even if they are not present at birth.
Why only some people have dimples, not all?
Now, we know that zygomaticus major muscle causes to form dimples. A person with dimple has two bundles of the zygomaticus major muscle while the person without dimple has only one bundle that is connecting the zygomatic bone to the corner of the mouth. This muscle variation of zygomaticus major muscle is the reason why not all people have dimples.
Does genetics play an important role in passing dimples from one generation to another?
It is usually considered that parents with dimples will have children with cheek dimples. But it is not true, it possible that a person will not have a simple, even if his/her parents have cheek dimples. Some consider dimples as a dominant trait but there is no evidence to prove this claim. However, in most of the cases, children will have dimples, if one of their parents have a dimple.
Is having dimples normal?
Sometimes, the variation of zygomaticus major muscle that is responsible for the formation of a dimple is considered a birth defect. However, it is important to note that having cheek dimples does not have any negative effect on health.
Can we get dimples if we don’t have?
In 1936, a woman called Isabella Gilbert of Rochester, New York invented a dimple machine consists of a face fitting spring carrying two tiny knobs that press into the cheeks. However, people later realized that it cannot be achieved with some device.
Yes, it is possible to get dimples through dimple creation surgery. This procedure is known as dimpleplasty. If you are really interested in having dimples, you should talk to a dimple plastic surgeon about the benefits, risk, and procedure of the dimple surgery.
