Dimple

The indentations on golf balls are also called dimples. Dimples are visible indentations of the skin caused by underlying flesh which form on some people's cheeks when they smile.

Dimples are genetically inherited and are a dominant trait ^*. Dimples on each cheek are a relatively common occurrence for people with dimples. A rarer form is the single dimple, which occurs on one side of the face only. Dimples themselves are actually caused by having shorter muscles in certain areas of the face.

Dimples are considered attractive in some cultures. Babies commonly have dimples, but sometimes these disappear (or become less noticeable) as the muscles lengthen with age; consequently, dimples are often associated with youth.

It is possible to have one or both cheeks surgically modified to create a dimple. This can cost around $500 per cheek. ^*

Chin dimples

Some people have a dimple on their chins, known as cleft chin. Like cheek dimples, chin dimples are inheritable and have a varying degree of prominence. For example, while Kirk Douglas has a very conspicuous cleft chin, his son, Michael Douglas has a much less visible cleft chin. The majority of females do not have cleft chins ^*.

The groove of the cleft chin is not just skin-deep, but also on the jawbone, as a groove in the vertical midline of symphysis menti and the soft tissue above it. It is probably the result of incomplete fusion between the left and right halves lower jaw during embryologic development ^*.

List of people with dimples

Deceased

Aaliyah (cheeks)
Ernest Hemingway (cheeks)
Lou Gehrig (cheeks)
Red Skelton (cheeks)

Living

Victoria Beckham (cheek)
Jenna Boyd (cheeks)
Vivien Cardone (cheeks)
Eddie Cibrian (cheeks)
Stephen Collins (cheeks)
Common (cheeks)
Van Damage (cheek)
Kirsten Dunst (cheeks)
Jane Kaczmarek (cheeks)
Hallie Kate Eisenberg (cheeks)
Jennifer Esposito (cheeks)
Tom Fletcher (cheek)
Jennifer Freeman (cheeks)
Jennifer Garner (cheek)
Camille Guaty (cheeks)
Jake Gyllenhaal (cheeks)
James Haven (cheeks)
Nicky Hilton (cheeks)
Nina Persson (cheeks)
Josh Holloway (cheeks)
Wesley Jonathan (cheeks)
Shahrukh Khan (cheeks)
Kristin Kreuk (cheeks)
Hugh Laurie (cheeks)
Heath Ledger (cheeks)
Mario Lopez (cheeks)
Melissa McCarthy (cheeks)
Heather Matarazzo (cheeks)
Debbi Morgan (cheeks)
Jack Perkins (right cheek)
Jeff Probst (cheeks)
Bonnie Raitt (cheeks)
Bill Richardson (cheeks)
Juelz Santana (cheeks)
Ashley Scott (cheeks)
Jessica Simpson (chin and cheeks)
Evan Stone (chin)
Ruben Studdard (cheek)
Gabrielle Union (cheeks)
Jack White (cheeks)
Meg White (cheeks)
Bradley Whitford (cheeks)
Preity Zinta (cheeks)

Fictional

External links

Human appearance