Dimple surgery

For the first few weeks it looks deeper than a natural dimple and shows even at rest. As the internal scar matures over 1–2 months, it relaxes into a softer indentation that mainly appears when you smile.

You choose the look; the surgeon sets the exact point. Placement follows your natural smile line, cheek fullness and midface width, and is marked while you smile and again at rest — a dimple set off that line looks pinched rather than natural. Say at the consultation whether you want it subtle or obvious, and bring reference photos.

Both look natural when they are planned properly. Two is the more common request and gives the classic dimpled smile, but it depends on matching placement and depth on each side, because a mismatch shows most at the moment you smile. One suits a face that is naturally asymmetric, or simply a more distinctive look — what matters is that it reads as intended rather than as a missing second dimple. The surgeon will say which sits better with your smile line and cheek fullness at the consultation.

It is intended to be permanent, but results vary. In some cases the suture loosens or the scar weakens over time and the dimple fades, which may need a revision. A significant change in weight can also alter how deep the dimple appears.

No external scar — the whole procedure is done from inside the mouth. The internal site heals like any minor oral wound.

At Vanity in Istanbul it starts from €1,350, often as a package that covers the surgeon's fee, local anaesthesia and a follow-up. Whether you have one dimple or two, and whether sedation is added, moves the final figure. It is cosmetic, so it is not covered by insurance.

Largely operating costs and a streamlined care pathway, not a difference in the surgery itself — the same intraoral technique, a modern facility and coordinated aftercare. Price is still the weakest way to choose a clinic. Compare on safety, the surgeon's experience, how aftercare is structured and how transparent the quote is about what it includes.

Reversal is possible but not always complete. A surgeon can release the internal suture and rebuild the tissue, though a faint indentation or scar may remain.

Yes. It is a day case under local anaesthetic with no drains, so the risk of a travel clot is low, and you can fly as early as 2 days after. We prefer you wait about 5 days if you can, so the swelling inside the cheek settles first.

Most people take 1–3 days off. Cheek swelling and an exaggerated dimple are normal in the first week, so plan around any events where you would rather not have visible changes.

Soft, cool food for the first few days, then normal eating once the internal wound is comfortable. Avoid crunchy, spicy or very hot food while the incision closes, brush gently around the area, and use the prescribed rinse after meals — the stitch sits inside your mouth, so oral hygiene is what protects it.

You need to be over 18 and in good general health. An active skin condition in the cheek area can interfere with healing, so mention any dermatological history at the consultation — the surgeon will confirm whether to go ahead or treat the skin first.

Not during the procedure — the area is fully numbed with local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure but no pain. Afterwards, expect mild discomfort at the internal site for a few days, manageable with simple painkillers, and most people return to normal routines the next day.

No. The effect depends on a physical tether between skin and muscle, and no injection or device reproduces it. Makeup shading or a photo filter can imitate a dimple in a picture, but one that appears every time you smile only comes from surgery.

Natural dimples come from a variation in the zygomaticus major, the cheek muscle used when smiling: a split or shortened band of the muscle tethers the skin and pulls it inward on expression. The trait forms before birth. Dimpleplasty recreates that tether with a suture.