Dimple Creation Surgeryin Seoul

A natural cheek dimple is a small dip that forms when the skin is tethered to the muscle beneath it, so the skin pulls inward as you smile. Dimple creation copies that link on purpose. The aim is a dip that appears with expression, in a spot that fits the proportions of your face.

Where the dimple sits matters as much as how it is made. An observational study using 3D scans of faces compared the landmarks used to place dimples and concluded that each position should be chosen from the individual face, with a simulation at consultation (David, 2025). In practice that means you smile in front of a mirror while the point is marked, and you see where the dip will fall before anything is done.

The items on the right below are reasons to delay surgery or to discuss your history first. Several of them can be resolved before a later booking.

Dimple creation surgery, also called dimpleplasty, is a minor facial operation. In the technique described in the surgical literature, a small opening is made on the inside of the cheek opposite the marked point, a little tissue is cleared if needed, and a stitch joins the deep layer of the skin to the muscle below (Lee, 2025). When the cheek muscle moves, the skin follows it inward and the dimple appears. Because the work is done from inside the mouth, there is no cut on the outer skin of the face.

Safety in this area depends on anatomy. Branches of the facial nerve that move the lips run through the cheek, and the parotid duct (Stensen's duct), which carries saliva into the mouth, passes nearby. The 2025 review names knowledge of these structures as the core of a safe operation and advises care in people prone to keloids (Lee, 2025).

Published outcome data come from case series and reviews. The largest series, 2,048 patients analyzed in Korea, reported few complications when the anatomy of the dimple was respected (Chung, 2020), and a smaller report of 23 cases described a suture technique as safe and reproducible (El-Sabbagh, 2015). A 2026 narrative review notes that comparative trials are still missing, so the evidence is limited in quality (Chordia, 2026).

Dr. Song performs the operation. The clinic lists local anesthesia or sedation as the options for dimple surgery, and the choice is made with you before the day.

Dimple surgery has two prices on the clinic's list: one for a single cheek and one for both cheeks. Neither figure includes VAT. Korean VAT of 10% is charged on top at payment, and the card for each option shows the VAT-inclusive amount beside the list price so you can budget in full before you book flights.

Local anesthesia and IV sedation also appear on the price list as add-on lines. Ask for a written quote that names the side or sides, the anesthesia you chose and whether an add-on line applies, so the final amount matches what you agreed. As an example, a pair of dimples is listed at ₩990,000 + VAT.

Dimple surgery is small, yet it is still an operation inside the mouth, where bacteria are always present. The known risks are:

• Swelling, bruising and soreness of the cheek for 1–2 weeks, which can make chewing and wide smiling uncomfortable.
• Infection of the inner wound, which shows as growing pain, heat, pus or a bad taste.
• A dimple that is too shallow, fades or disappears, so a second operation may be needed.
• A dimple that is deeper than wanted or visible at rest for longer than expected.
• Asymmetry between two dimples in depth or position.
• A reaction to the stitch, such as a small lump inside the cheek.
• Injury to a branch of the facial nerve or to the parotid duct, which can affect lip movement or saliva flow.
• Thick or keloid-type scarring inside the cheek in people prone to it.

A fading dimple is the main limit reported. In the 2,048-patient series, about 8% of patients had a second operation, mostly because the dimple was shallow or had faded (Chung, 2020).

Contact the clinic promptly if pain gets worse after the first days, the cheek turns red and hot, fluid drains from the wound, or you develop a fever.