Is Dimple a Defect?

A smile can brighten a face. Sometimes, it also creates a tiny hollow on the cheek. We call it a dimple. Many people think dimples look cute, but would you believe that they begin with a small difference in the way the face develops?

What Creates a Dimple?

Under our cheeks are muscles that help us smile. One of them is called the zygomaticus major. It pulls the corners of the mouth upwards.

In most people, this muscle forms one smooth strip. In some people, it may be divided into two parts or attached to the skin differently. When they smile, part of the muscle pulls the skin inwards and creates a dimple.

Imagine “Rope and Tent”

Imagine that your cheek skin is like the cloth of a tent. Under it, the smiling muscle acts like a rope tied to the cloth. When someone pulls the rope, the tent cloth dips inwards.

The same thing happens when a person with dimples smiles. The muscle tightens and tugs the skin inwards. When the smile disappears, the muscle relaxes like a loosened rope, and the dimple may disappear too.

Is a Dimple Really a Deformity?

A deformity means that a body part developed differently from its usual shape. So, a dimple may technically be called a tiny deformity or defect. That sounds scary, but it is completely harmless. Doctors more accurately describe it as an anatomical variation - a small difference in how the body is built.

It does not hurt or make a person unhealthy. Nature’s tiny “mistake” becomes a beautiful part of the smile!

Do Dimples Run in Families?

Dimples often appear in families, but scientists have not found one special “dimple gene.” Parents with dimples can have children without them, and children may have dimples even if their parents do not.

Dimples may appear on one cheek or both. They can also become deeper, lighter, or disappear as a person grows. So, a dimple is proof that even a tiny difference can make someone’s smile wonderfully special!

This story was published in July 2026 edition of Yaksha Prashna magazine. To read more such stories, get annual subscription at YakshaPrashna.co.in