Dimple Creation
Dimples over the cheeks can give a touch of cuteness to the face . In general ,aesthetically pleasing natural dimples occur either on one or both sides of the face, and are present only when the face is animated by smiling, laughing or talking. A natural dimple forms due to a minor defect in the buccinators muscle located in the cheeks or where the muscles used to form a smile are joined to the deeper part for the skin inside the cheek. When you smile the skin is pulled, causing the dimple to appear. Although this gets formed due to hereditary traits, it is very often considered as a good luck sign apart from accentuating your aesthetic smile. The surgical procedure to create dimples is very easy and straightforward when done properly.
How Dimpleplasty is performed?
Dimple creation surgery can be done in the office under local anaesthesia. You will be comfortable and awake throughout the entire dimple surgery. First the desired location of the dimple is marked over the skin. Usually dimples are created at the intersection of imaginary lines drawn from the corner of the lip to the bottom of ear and a vertical dropping line from the rear corner of the eye.
Some patients chose to have it on one side only and some prefer dimples on both sides. The inside of the cheek is numbed with a local anaesthetic. A small incision is then made in the inside of your cheek. There is no incision or scar on the outside skin. A small absorbable suture is passed through the inside of the cheek and catches the under surface of the skin where the dimple is desired. When this suture is tied it causes a dimpling in the overlying skin. You can see the dimpling right away.
At first there is a dimple present at rest even without smiling, but after several days, or sometimes a few weeks, the dimple is only present while smiling or moving the face. The scarring between the inner skin and muscle will cause a permanent dimple even after the suture is absorbed. However, the depth of the dimple varies depending on the amount of fat in the cheeks and your muscle anatomy. The sutures used are absorbable and fall in a few days.
What about downtime and side effects?
Dimple creation surgery is safe and effective, but also potentially reversible. There are minimal complications with dimple formation aside from a little bit of swelling and bruising. You should be able to resume your normal activities the following day. Dr. Shalu will give you a prescription for antibiotics for a few days after your dimple creation surgery in order to prevent infection. The pain is in general manageable . You will need to avoid hot and spicy food for about a week. Patients should be aware that the dimple will persist without smiling or moving the face for a period of between one week and three months.