The Mystery of Dimples

Ever wonder why some people have dimples while others don't? Dimples are visible indentations in the facial skin that are either permanently present on one's cheeks and chin, or appear when a person smiles or speaks. They are one of the most dominant facial traits and are considered as a mark of beauty and loveliness.

Well, the truth is that dimples are actually genetic defects that are caused by shortened facial muscles. It is due to a fault in the sebaceous connective tissue that develops in the course of the embryonic development. Sometimes, a variation in the structure of the facial muscle may also cause dimples. Dimples can fade as time goes by as one's facial muscles may stretch out. Dimples that appear on your face due to the presence of excessive fat are not healthy and these dimples are not permanent. These vanish away when the excessive fat goes away.

The genetics of dimples is quite interesting. They are a dominant trait, which means that it only takes one gene to inherit this defect. If one parent has them, the child has a 25-50% chance that he may have dimples as well. If both the parents have dimples, the child has a 50-100% chance of inheriting the gene which depends on how the parents inherited theirs. If neither of the parents have dimples, then you won't have them either!

You don't need dimples; we're all fairly beautiful in our own way!