Not everyone has natural dimples, which are the result of skin being attached to underlying facial muscles. “When the muscle under the skin flexes, it pulls the skin, creating a dimple.. “The reason some people have dimples and others don’t is that they are born with a tight connection between the facial muscles and skin, while others just don’t have this kind of anatomy.” But, thanks to a quick outpatient procedure, that can change in just under half an hour.

The treatment, known as dimpleplasty, is a minimally invasive procedure used to create dimples in the face, most commonly within the cheeks. And over the last few years, it’s become a common request — almost tripling — among millennial-aged patients due to its “little downtime, enhancement of facial aesthetics, and lack of need for general anesthesia,”.

The dimpling treatment, “a finesse technique that requires a clear understanding of aesthetic goals between the patient and an experienced plastic surgeon,” takes about 30 minutes, depending on the patient’s anatomy, and involves creating an incision inside the patient’s mouth, “where a defect is created in the cheek muscle, known as the buccinator,”. “The muscle is then attached to the undersurface of the skin so that the dimples are seen upon animation, but not when the face is relaxed.”

Following dimpleplasty, patients are left with semi-permanent dimples for about one to two months along with mild swelling and soreness, says Jones. After that initial period, the tissue will eventually settle and the indention will only be seen when smiling.