Psychologist Don Grant argues the reason dimples are so attractive is their synonymy with youth. For the Gen-Z woman, for whom girlhood is fundamental to identity (see: #GirlMath, #GirlDinner, #HotGirlSummer, and #ThatGirl), the fact that dimples are so appealing has been learned from decades of media reinforcement. Dr. Grant points to Shirley Temple, the earliest “literal poster child,” whose dimples became associated with a sweet, inviting persona.
Dr. Lee says the first dimpleplasty can be traced back to the 1930s, presumably when the sultry beauty standard set by silent film stars was bulldozed by the likes of Jean Harlow (the dimpled actor who died at 26 was unironically nicknamed “Baby”). Today, less than 20-30% of adults have naturally-occuring dimples, though excess fat in infants means there is a greater chance they might temporarily develop them before outgrowing them in adolescence.
Because of their rarity, Dr. Lee argues the dimple drive might also be attributed to a shift away from the very singular beauty that has dominated social media for the past decade. The late 2010s saw the rise of a near-ubiquitous look of big lips, button noses and stretched eyes (LA girls all look the same, I don’t recognize, same work done to their face, I don’t criticize, sang The Weeknd in on 2020 release, “Escape from LA”). Dr. Levine considers the desire for dimples to be cyclical. “This is a trend that waxes and wanes in popularity,” she says. “I do not recommend trends [as the impetus] for surgical procedures as the results tend to be permanent.”
But, like any trend, accessibility contributes greatly to widespread adoption. Unlike other pricier invasive procedures that require significant recovery, dimpleplasty has the relatively low cost of about $1,500 (depending on your surgeon and where you live) and only calls for local anesthesia.
Amanda underwent a Zoom consultation before scheduling the procedure, which in and of itself only takes around 15 minutes. Swelling is expected to last a few days, and while the dimples are deep at first, they are expected to settle soon after. Amanda emphasizes the recovery process as “easy.”
“I had some swelling but that resolved in a week,” she says, adding that while the dimples were very prominent for a couple of weeks post-procedure, they started to become less defined as she healed.