Dimple creation surgery — dimpleplasty — has emerged as a minor cosmetic procedure popular among Korean patients and increasingly among international visitors. The procedure is technically simple, brief, and minimally invasive — but with permanence considerations that deserve careful thought. This guide covers the procedure in Korean clinics.
What dimpleplasty is
- Surgical creation of cheek or chin dimples.
- Internal suture technique.
- Suture passes through cheek/chin muscle to create attachment to underside of skin.
- Result: dimple appears when smiling.
- 30 minutes to 1 hour under local anesthesia.
- No external incision (cheek dimple) — done from inside mouth.
Types of dimples created
Cheek dimples
- Most common request.
- Created bilaterally or unilaterally.
- Position chosen based on patient\'s natural smile.
- Usually appears during smile (dynamic) or at rest (static) depending on technique.
Chin dimples
- Less common request.
- Single midline dimple.
- External incision sometimes needed.
- Subtle indentation on chin.
Lower-corner mouth dimples
- Subtle dimples at mouth corners.
- Less commonly performed.
- Can complicate mouth movement if poorly positioned.
The Korean technique
Pre-operative
- Consultation to discuss size, depth, position.
- Patient\'s natural smile analyzed.
- Position marked.
- Photographs documented.
Procedure
- Local anesthesia injected.
- Small incision inside mouth (cheek dimple).
- Buccinator muscle accessed.
- Small portion of muscle and fat removed.
- Suture placed from muscle to underside of skin.
- Knot tied to create depression.
- Mucosal incision closed with dissolvable sutures.
Settings
- Outpatient clinic procedure.
- 30–60 minutes total.
- Patient leaves same day.
Recovery timeline
First 24 hours
- Numbness from anesthesia.
- Mild swelling.
- Soft food only.
- Salt water rinses after meals.
Days 2–7
- Visible dimple even at rest (will soften over weeks).
- Mild discomfort with smiling.
- Continued soft food preferred.
- Antibiotic mouth rinse.
Weeks 2–8
- Dimple becomes more natural-looking.
- Initially appears at rest; gradually becomes dynamic only.
- Final appearance settles by 2–3 months.
Cost in Korean clinics
- Single dimple: ₩700,000–₩1,500,000.
- Bilateral cheek dimples: ₩1,000,000–₩2,500,000.
- Chin dimple: ₩1,000,000–₩2,000,000.
- Combined (cheek + chin): ₩2,000,000–₩3,500,000.
- Often 10% upfront deposit to secure date.
- Initial consultation typically free.
The reversibility question
Dimpleplasty is technically reversible, but with caveats:
- Within first few months — easier to undo by removing suture.
- After scar formation — removal requires scar excision.
- Permanent results may persist even after suture removal due to scar tissue.
- "Reversibility" is not as clean as marketing sometimes implies.
Risks and complications
- Infection (rare with proper aftercare).
- Asymmetric results.
- Suture extrusion (rare).
- Persistent at-rest indentation (some patients want this; others find unnatural).
- Numbness in cheek (usually temporary).
- Dimple location not ideal (revision possible).
- Loss of dimple over time (suture loosens).
Who is and isn\'t a good candidate
Good candidates
- Stable preference for dimples (not impulsive decision).
- Realistic expectations about appearance.
- Healthy and able to follow aftercare.
- Appropriate cheek/chin anatomy.
Less ideal candidates
- Impulsive decision driven by trend.
- Expectation of perfectly symmetric results.
- Active dental/oral issues.
- Bleeding disorders.
- BDD pattern with multiple recent procedures.
Korean patient profile
- Often younger patients (20s).
- Often after exposure to dimpled K-pop idols or actresses.
- Sometimes done as combination with double eyelid surgery or rhinoplasty.
- Korean clinics sometimes offer package pricing.
What to consider before deciding
- Will I still want this in 5–10 years?
- Have I considered the at-rest appearance during healing?
- Have I considered that "reversal" isn\'t perfectly reversible?
- Have I researched the surgeon\'s dimpleplasty experience specifically?
- Have I seen multiple before-and-after results from this surgeon?
- Have I considered alternatives (smile training, makeup illusions)?
The honest framing
Dimpleplasty is one of the simpler cosmetic procedures Korean clinics offer — brief, minimally invasive, and relatively low-risk. But "simple" doesn\'t mean "trivial." The "reversibility" claim is partially true but oversold; permanent traces typically remain. The patients who get good outcomes have stable preferences, realistic expectations, and chose surgeons with demonstrated experience. The patients who pursue dimpleplasty impulsively often regret either the at-rest appearance during healing or the long-term decision. If you\'re considering this, sit with the desire for at least 6–12 months before committing — it\'s a procedure with meaningful permanence despite the simple technique.