Dimple placement: where, one or two, and will it show at rest?
Updated: 13 hours ago
Medical editor: Dr. Semih Yıldız, plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon (FEBOPRAS) · Last updated: October 2026
A cheek dimple is usually placed on a line running straight down from the outer corner of the eye, and the exact point is marked while you smile, where your cheek naturally folds. You can have one dimple or two; the choice depends on your preference and the symmetry of your face. Once settled, a well-placed dimple shows mainly when you smile rather than at rest.
Placement is the step of dimple surgery that most decides whether the result looks natural. Dr. Semih Yıldız sets each dimple position according to your facial shape and smile, and it is agreed with you before the day of the procedure.
The classic reference point
A long-established method uses two simple landmarks. The first is a vertical line dropped from the outer corner of the eye. The second is a horizontal line through the corner of the mouth. The point where the two lines cross, out on the cheek at the height of the mouth corner, has been used as a standard starting position for decades and is sometimes called the Khoo Boo-Chai point, after the surgeon who described it.
This point is only a guide, though. Faces differ in width, cheek fullness and the way they move, so the final mark is set on your own smile rather than with a ruler.
Why the mark is made while you smile
A dimple only looks natural where the cheek actually creases during a smile. That point depends on how your smiling muscles pull, and it cannot be judged reliably from a relaxed face. For this reason the points are drawn on your cheeks while you are smiling, on the day of the procedure, after the position has already been discussed using your photos.
You may be asked to smile several times, gently and broadly, because the crease can shift slightly between a soft and a full smile. A point that works for both tends to look more natural in everyday life. If you already have a faint natural dimple, its position is usually the obvious place to start. Any preference, such as a dimple sitting slightly higher or lower, is discussed at this stage, within the limits of where your cheek actually creases.
One dimple or two
Either option is possible, and neither is more correct. Natural dimples can appear on one side only, so a single dimple can look entirely natural and give a smile some character. Two dimples frame the smile more evenly, but they also invite comparison between the two sides. If you already have a natural dimple on one side, the options are to deepen it, to create a matching dimple on the other side, or both.
A few points help with the decision:
Your smile: if one side of your smile lifts higher or more strongly, a single dimple can sit naturally on that side.
Facial symmetry: most faces are slightly asymmetrical, which matters more when there are two dimples to compare.
Your preference: some people want a subtle detail, others a symmetrical frame for the smile; both are reasonable goals.
Symmetry and its limits
With two dimples, the aim is that they look balanced in your smile, so the two marks are set according to how each side of your face moves rather than measured as exact mirror images. Even so, the sides can heal a little differently, and asymmetry between the dimples is one of the known risks of the procedure. Because swelling is rarely even in the first weeks, balance is judged once the dimples have settled after 1–3 months, and a revision can be considered if a clear difference remains.
Size and depth in proportion
Position is only half of the plan. Depth, like position, follows the way your smile moves, and the dimple should also suit the scale of your face. A small, soft dimple tends to look natural on a narrow face, whereas in a fuller cheek a very subtle dimple may hardly show. The aim is a dimple that looks as if it had always been there, not one that draws attention to itself.
Will it show when your face is relaxed?
In the first weeks it will, because the stitch holds the skin inwards while the lasting connection forms. It then softens over weeks 2–4, and by 1–3 months it shows mainly when you smile.
Long term, the goal is a dimple that appears with expression and is hard to see when your face is relaxed. In some people it remains noticeable at rest for longer than anticipated. Depth plays a part here: a more pronounced dimple can be more likely to show when your face is relaxed, so the size you would like and how visible it should be at rest need to be discussed together.
Photos that help with planning
Good photos make the online planning more accurate. Useful ones include:
a front view with a relaxed face
a front view with a gentle smile and another with a full smile
even daylight, no filters and the camera at eye level
hair tied back so that both cheeks are fully visible
if you have a faint natural dimple, a close-up of it while you smile
Pictures of a dimple style you like can also help the discussion, as long as it is clear that your own anatomy sets the limits. At the consultation the marks are then checked on your real smile. More about the procedure, the recovery milestones and the risks is on our page about dimple creation in Istanbul.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose exactly where my dimple goes?
Your wishes are part of the plan, and the position is agreed with you before the procedure. The final point, however, needs to sit where your cheek naturally folds when you smile, otherwise the dimple can look out of place. That is why the marks are made while you smile, on the day of the procedure, after a face-to-face consultation.
Can I add a second dimple later?
In principle, yes. Matching a new dimple to one that has already healed is harder, though, than planning both at the same time, because position and depth then have to be judged against a settled result. If you think you might want two dimples, it is worth deciding before the first procedure so they can be planned as a pair.
Will my dimple show when I talk?
It may, lightly. The dimple is created by connecting the skin to a muscle that moves in many expressions, not only in a broad smile. Once it has settled, it usually shows most clearly when you smile and much less during relaxed speech. In the first weeks, while it is still visible at rest, it will show more often.
If you would like to know where a dimple would suit your smile, share one relaxed and one smiling photo of your face for a free online assessment.
This article provides general information and does not replace a medical consultation. Results vary from person to person.
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