Dimpleplasty in Colombia: The Small Procedure Nobody Warns You About
Dimpleplasty creates a permanent cheek dimple through a small internal suture. The procedure is fast and inexpensive — but the 4–8 week 'resting dimple' phase surprises patients whose surgeons didn't warn them. Here's the honest guide.
Dimpleplasty is a small procedure — 20 to 40 minutes, done under local anesthesia in an office setting — that creates a permanent cheek dimple. It's popular in Colombia partly because the procedure is straightforward and inexpensive, and partly because dimples are culturally read as attractive facial features across most of Latin America.
The procedure is honest, boring, and predictable. What follows is what to expect if you're considering it in Medellín, Bogotá, or Cali — including the parts most patients don't know until they've had it done.
How the procedure works
A dimple is anatomically a small tether between the deep cheek muscle (buccinator) and the overlying skin. When you smile, the muscle contracts and pulls the skin inward at the tethered spot, creating the visible dimple.
Dimpleplasty replicates this tether surgically:
- Marking: the surgeon marks the location where you want the dimple, usually where you naturally get a small crease when you smile widely. Both cheeks are marked together for symmetry.
- Anesthesia: a small amount of local anesthetic is injected inside the cheek at the marked spot.
- Incision: a small incision is made inside the mouth (buccal mucosa) — no external scar.
- Tissue removal: a small plug of tissue is removed from between the buccinator muscle and the skin, creating a channel.
- Suturing: a permanent suture is placed catching both the muscle and the underlying skin, forming the tether.
What "permanent" actually means here
Most dimpleplasty results settle over 3–6 months. Immediately after surgery, the dimple is visible at rest — a small indentation is present even when you're not smiling. This "resting dimple" is usually the biggest concern of the early weeks and can feel unnatural in the mirror. Over 8–16 weeks, as the internal tether softens and scar remodels, the dimple typically becomes dynamic only — visible when you smile, disappearing when you don't.
Between weeks 2 and 8 you will likely see a permanent indentation in your cheek even at rest. This is expected and almost always resolves as the tissue softens. Surgeons who set this expectation clearly up front save patients from a lot of anxiety. Surgeons who don't warn about it get panicked calls at week 3.
Typical 2026 pricing in Colombia
Recovery timeline
- Day of surgery: mild soreness inside cheeks, some swelling. Soft-food diet.
- Days 1–3: visible swelling; resting indentation is deep and obvious.
- Days 4–7: swelling subsides; back to work usually possible.
- Weeks 2–4: resting indentation persists but softens; dynamic dimple beginning to appear naturally.
- Months 2–6: resting indentation resolves; final dimple is judged.
Reversibility and revisions
Dimpleplasty is technically reversible in the first weeks if the internal suture is released before scar forms — but most surgeons in Colombia treat it as a permanent procedure and won't quote reversal beyond week 2–4. If you're second-guessing, don't book.
Revisions to make a dimple deeper, higher, or more symmetric are possible after 6+ months of full healing. They're inexpensive but should not be pre-planned as an assumption; go into the initial procedure expecting the first result to be your result.
Who's a good candidate
- Patients with medium-to-full cheek volume — very thin cheeks create less convincing dimples
- Patients who are certain about wanting a permanent change to their smile
- Patients who can accept the resting-dimple phase without panicking
Poor candidates: patients with active dental infections, patients who bruise or scar unusually (though internal scars are hidden), patients on immunosuppressants that impair healing, and patients considering the procedure primarily because someone else wants them to have it.
Combining with other facial work
Dimpleplasty is commonly added to a Colombia trip built around a bigger procedure — buccal fat removal, rhinoplasty, chin implant — because it adds a fraction of the cost when done in the same OR session. If you're considering multiple facial procedures, ask the surgeon to price the whole package rather than individual items.
Chin dimples ("butt chin" clefts)
A related but different procedure creates a vertical cleft in the chin. Technique is similar (internal suture tethering skin to underlying tissue), and it's popular with male patients seeking a more chiseled look. Same recovery profile, similar pricing.
Get a real quote — not a range
Send a photo, tell us your goals, and we'll route you to two or three board-certified surgeons in Colombia who actually do this procedure often.
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