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Why do People Have Facial Dimples

Reshma Jirage
Dimples are natural, visible indentations caused by underlying flesh. Why do people have facial dimples? Read on to know about it.
Martin was walking all alone on the road. It was a beautiful, refreshing summer morning. He saw a charming lady walking towards him. She inquired some address and offered a beautiful smile. Ah! Her smile was simply wonderful, thought Martin, losing his heart to her beautiful dimples.
The same thing happens with everyone, when a person with lovely dimples gives a smile. If you ask what makes a beautiful face, the answer is a beautiful, confident smile. Smile is one of the most significant parts of facial expressions. And what makes the smile more attractive? It's nothing but dimples!
So what are dimples? A dimple is a small natural indentation on the face. It is more commonly seen on the cheek or chin. Dimpled cheeks are considered very attractive in many cultures. You must be wondering what causes facial dimples?
Dimple is a dominant trait that is genetically inherited. Anatomically, dimples are caused by the variation in facial muscle structure (zygomaticus major). Most people with dimples have dimples on both the cheeks. A single dimple on one side of the face is rarely seen.
Dimples are caused due to short muscles. Babies have dimples, but they may disappear or become less noticeable as the muscles lengthen with aging.
The reason that some people have facial dimples is because they have shortened muscles. These muscles pull the skin when someone smiles, creating a classic dimple. In most cases, dimples are not visible until someone smiles. The changes in the face due to a smile bring out the dimple. With aging, dimples may disappear, as facial muscles slowly stretch out.
Some people have a dimple on the chin. It is known as cleft chin. Similar to the cheek dimples, chin dimples too are inherited with a varying degree of prominence. In the case of the latter, the groove of the cleft chin is deep enough to reach the jawbone.
A chin dimple results possibly from incomplete fusion between the right and left halves of the lower jaw during embryonic development.