We see them as a sign of charm, youth, and sometimes even luck. But behind these mischievous little hollows that appear on some cheeks, lies a much more surprising origin. Between science, heredity, and culture, dimples are not there by chance…
Dimples on the cheeks: a charm at the heart of our DNA
Have you ever wondered why some people have those little indentations at the corners of their smile, while others don’t have any at all? This seemingly innocuous detail actually stems from an unusual anatomical variation of the face.
From a medical perspective, dimples are caused by a difference in the zygomaticus major muscle, the one that pulls the corners of the mouth upward when we smile. In people who have it, this muscle is either shorter or split into two parts. The result? The skin sinks slightly when we smile, forming those famous dimples that often make us crack .
