Dimpleplasty is one of those procedures that sounds deceptively simple. Thirty minutes, local anaesthesia, no external scarring, you go home the same day. Patients come across it on Instagram or TikTok and arrive at consultations having already half-decided they want it. But the questions underneath the surface are real and worth answering properly: How permanent is it, genuinely? Will it look natural on my face specifically? Does it work the same way on all cheek types? What does recovery actually involve day to day?
This article answers all of those questions directly, in Dr. Doshi's voice, based on how he performs dimpleplasty at his Long Island and Manhattan offices and what he sees in the results over time.
What Dimpleplasty Is and How It Works
Dimpleplasty is a minor surgical procedure that creates a permanent dimple in one or both cheeks. The entire procedure is performed from inside the mouth. There are no external incisions, no visible scarring, and no general anaesthesia. It takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes per side under local anaesthesia, and patients leave the office the same day.
The technique creates a small fibrous adhesion between the inner cheek mucosa and the cheek muscle beneath the overlying skin. When the muscle contracts during smiling, it pulls the skin inward at that attachment point, producing the indentation that reads as a dimple. In the early weeks after the procedure, the dimple may be visible even at rest because the healing tissue is still firm. Over the following months, as the adhesion matures and softens, the dimple transitions to being visible primarily with animation, which is the natural behaviour of a congenital dimple.
This progression is important to understand before the procedure, because patients who are not prepared for the resting dimple in the early weeks sometimes worry that something has gone wrong. It has not. The settlement from always-visible to animation-visible is a normal and expected part of healing.
Dr. Doshi performs dimpleplasty at his Long Island and Manhattan offices. It is one of a small number of facial procedures where results are visible immediately, downtime is measured in days rather than weeks, and the procedure can be performed without any of the logistical complexity of a surgical procedure under general anaesthesia.
Is Dimpleplasty Actually Permanent?
This is the most important question patients ask, and it deserves a precise answer rather than a marketing-friendly one. The short answer is: in most patients, yes, the result is long-lasting and generally considered permanent. The longer answer involves some nuance about how the biology of healing works.
The dimple is created by a fibrous adhesion between inner cheek tissue and the underlying muscle. In the immediate post-operative period, this adhesion is firm and strong, and the dimple is prominently visible. Over the following months the surrounding tissue heals, the fibrous connection matures, and the adhesion can soften to varying degrees depending on the individual patient's healing response.
In practice, most patients retain a visible and natural-looking dimple long term. The result behaves most like a natural congenital dimple at six months and beyond: visible with animation and smiling, less prominent or not visible at rest. This is the intended outcome and is what most patients want.
Where it gets more nuanced is the minority of patients in whom the fibrous adhesion softens significantly over time, reducing the visibility of the dimple. This is not a complication but a healing variable. It happens more commonly in patients with thicker or heavier cheek tissue, where the adhesion has more overlying bulk to work against. Dr. Doshi discusses this honestly at consultation. He does not guarantee an identical result at five years that he cannot predict at five months, but he can say from his case experience that the results hold well in the majority of patients.
What he will not do is describe dimpleplasty as unconditionally permanent in every patient regardless of anatomy, because that is not an accurate statement and patients deserve accurate information before making a decision.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Dimpleplasty works best for a specific type of patient and anatomy. Understanding candidacy helps you assess whether the procedure is likely to give you the result you have in mind.
- Patients with medium to full cheeks: the dimple needs sufficient soft tissue context to look like a natural feature. Very thin cheeks with minimal subcutaneous tissue produce less predictable results because there is not enough overlying tissue for the dimple to sit within naturally.
- Patients who want a dimple in a specific, anatomically correct location: natural dimples occur at the point where the cheek muscle has a natural split or attachment. Dr. Doshi maps this location on each patient individually before the procedure rather than using a standard template.
- Patients who understand the early appearance: in the first one to three months, the dimple is visible at rest as well as with smiling. This is normal. Candidates should be comfortable with this transitional appearance.
- Patients with realistic expectations about longevity: dimpleplasty is long-lasting for most patients but not unconditionally permanent for every anatomy. The result typically looks best at three to six months and beyond.
- Adults and older adolescents in good general health with no active oral infection.
Patients who are not good candidates include those with very thin cheeks, those who want a dimple in a location that would not look anatomically natural, and those who expect a guaranteed permanent result regardless of their individual healing response. Dr. Doshi will tell you directly at consultation if he does not think the procedure will deliver the result you are expecting.
The Placement Decision: Where the Skill Actually Lives
Dimpleplasty is a procedure where the technique itself is straightforward. The skill, and the differentiator between surgeons, is in the planning: specifically, where the dimple is placed.
A dimple placed too high sits in the wrong zone of the cheek and looks artificial. A dimple placed too far toward the corner of the mouth reads as a scar rather than a feature. A dimple placed too deeply creates a depression that looks like a wound rather than a natural indentation. These are all real outcomes that occur when placement is based on a standard template rather than the individual patient's anatomy.
Natural dimples occur at the intersection of specific anatomical landmarks: the cheek muscle's natural attachment points, the position of the smile line, and the fat compartment distribution of that particular face. Dr. Doshi maps these points on each patient before the procedure using the patient's natural smile to identify where a dimple would anatomically belong. The consultation and planning conversation is, in his view, as important as the procedure itself.
Results look most natural on patients with fuller cheeks where the dimple sits in a soft tissue context that mirrors how a congenital dimple would appear in that face. On very thin faces with minimal cheek volume, even correctly placed dimpleplasty can look more like a depression than a feature. Dr. Doshi is direct about this.
What Dimpleplasty Recovery Actually Looks Like
Recovery from dimpleplasty is among the most manageable in any facial aesthetic practice, but patients benefit from knowing what to expect at each stage so that normal healing does not feel alarming.
Days 1 to 3
The area inside the cheek where the procedure was performed is tender and swollen. Eating solid food is uncomfortable and patients are on a soft diet. The dimple is prominently visible, often more than the intended final appearance, due to the firmness of the fresh adhesion and the surrounding swelling. Over-the-counter pain medication manages the discomfort; prescription pain relief is rarely needed. There is no external bruising and no visible sign of the procedure from outside.
Days 3 to 7
Tenderness reduces progressively. Most patients are comfortable eating normally by days five to seven. The dimple remains visible at rest. Most patients return to work within two to three days, as there is nothing externally visible to explain.
Weeks 2 to 6
Internal healing continues. The dimple is visible at rest and may appear more prominent than expected during this phase, which is a normal part of the settling process. Patients who were not prepared for this sometimes become concerned at the six-week mark. Dr. Doshi briefs all his patients on this timeline so the transition is not a surprise.
Months 2 to 6
The adhesion matures and the dimple transitions progressively from visible at rest to visible primarily with smiling and expression. By month three to four most patients have a clear and representative picture of their result. By month six the result is settled. This is the phase that most resembles the final long-term appearance.
Can Dimpleplasty Be Combined with Other Procedures?
Yes, and combinations are common in Dr. Doshi's practice. Because dimpleplasty is performed under local anaesthesia in 20 to 30 minutes, it can be added to the same appointment as injectable treatments or scheduled on the same day as a surgical procedure performed under general anaesthesia or sedation.
Common combinations include dimpleplasty with dermal fillers for patients who want cheek volume enhancement alongside the dimple, or dimpleplasty combined with rhinoplasty or blepharoplasty when the patient is having a surgical procedure under anaesthesia. Combining procedures is practical, cost-efficient, and reduces the number of separate appointments and recovery periods the patient has to manage.
Dr. Doshi discusses combination options as part of the consultation process. If you are considering dimpleplasty alongside another procedure, raising this at consultation allows him to plan the session appropriately.
How Much Does Dimpleplasty Cost in NYC and Long Island?
Dimpleplasty is one of the most accessible procedures in facial plastic surgery in terms of price. It is significantly less expensive than major facial procedures because it is a minor procedure performed under local anaesthesia, does not require a surgical facility fee in most cases, and takes under an hour.
The exact cost varies based on whether one or both dimples are being created, the surgeon's fee, and any adjunctive treatments combined in the same appointment. Dr. Doshi does not advertise a single standard price for dimpleplasty because combination cases differ from standalone cases in terms of time and planning. A complete cost breakdown is provided at consultation.
The consultation with Dr Hardik Doshi includes a full assessment of your cheek anatomy, an honest assessment of whether dimpleplasty will produce the result you have in mind, and a complete cost breakdown with no hidden fees. Virtual consultations are available as a first step.
Why Choose Dr. Doshi for Dimpleplasty on Long Island or in Manhattan?
Dimpleplasty is available at many aesthetic practices across Long Island and NYC. What differentiates outcomes is the planning, specifically the anatomical precision of placement, and the experience to know when not to proceed because the patient's anatomy will not support the result they want.
Dr. Doshi is double board-certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and otolaryngology head and neck surgery. His training is specifically in the anatomy of the face. He does not use a standard placement template. He maps each patient's anatomy individually, uses the natural smile to identify the correct placement zone, and is direct with patients when he believes their anatomy is not well-suited to the procedure.
He also has specific case volume in dimpleplasty relative to other Long Island and Manhattan facial plastic surgeons, which is reflected in his organic search ranking for the procedure. That volume means his assessment of what works and what does not is based on a wide range of patient outcomes rather than a handful of cases.
