Dimples on the cheek: what is it and why does it appear?

Even despite the flourishing of the body positivity movement, it has not become easier for fat people in this world. Many of them still experience some discomfort and, despite calls to accept themselves at any weight, do not give up trying to lose weight.

Anna Shikunova

, plastic surgeon, candidate of medical sciences @doctorshikunova

It's never too late to start losing weight. Another thing is that after certain marks this process becomes much more complicated. Not many overweight people manage to attract attention in a timely manner. As a rule, they turn to specialists for weight correction when the process has already gone too far. What can be done?

How to get rid of extra pounds? How to remove a “hanging” belly? These are the main questions that concern patients when diet and exercise do not give the long-awaited results. A person loses control over his weight, which is rapidly approaching the 100 kg mark - it’s time to take decisive action.

Dimples on the cheeks: normal or abnormal

Facial dimples occur in approximately 30% of people. Clearly visible depressions can be of different depths, shapes (round or elongated), and sizes. Their localization also differs - the chin, cheekbones, tip of the nose, the area between the eyebrows and even the forehead.

But the most common situation is dimples. They often occur in young children, somewhat less often in adults. Dimples can be found on both cheeks or on one cheek. They can be located at different distances from the corners of the mouth and are most often invisible when the person’s face is relaxed.

In fact, these cute dimples are nothing more than a rather rare genetic defect caused by the structure of the zygomatic major muscle, which is also called the laughter muscle. According to many scientists, the presence or absence of dimples is determined genetically, just like the shape of the nose or the color of the eyes.

In some families, this deviation is passed down from generation to generation, in other cases it may appear through a generation, but sometimes only one of all family members has this feature.

Genetic defects in children - sex chromosome aberrations

Sex chromosome aberrations (X—determines female sex, Y—determines male sex) consist of the loss of one chromosome or the presence of an additional sex chromosome. One of the diseases associated with such abnormalities is Turner syndrome, caused by the presence of a single X chromosome - occurs in girls with a frequency of 1: 2500.

Newborns weigh approximately 500 g lower at birth than the average healthy newborn, and their body length is approximately 3 cm shorter (the average adult female height is 143 cm). In addition, newborns are diagnosed with lymphedema, high forehead, wide base of the nose, small narrow lower jaw, low-set and protruding ears.

Girls with Turner syndrome are also characterized by impairments in visual-motor skills, assessment of spatial reactions, concentration, difficulty solving problems, mastering mathematical knowledge - many of them are musically gifted. Most adult women with Turner syndrome lead normal working lives and their IQ is within the normal range.

Another chromosomal aberration in women is the presence of an extra X chromosome - so they have three X chromosomes instead of two - the frequency of this anomaly is 1:1000 girls. Girls with this aberration develop normally after birth, but their average birth weight, body length, and head circumference are slightly smaller than those of girls with normal X chromosomes. lower than in the general population (approximately 15-25% of patients have mild mental retardation). However, most women with this aberration lead normal work and family lives (about 75% of women are fertile).

Klinefelter syndrome is associated with chromosomal abnormalities in boys. The frequency of occurrence is 1: 700-1000 boys. The cause of this disease is the presence of an extra X chromosome - instead of one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, there are two X chromosomes and one Y. It can also happen that two or three extra X chromosomes appear, but this is very rare. However, diagnosis of Klinefelter syndrome in the neonatal period is impossible due to the absence of characteristic clinical symptoms.

Klinefelter syndrome

Characteristics of Klinefelter's syndrome in an adult male include tall stature (over 180 cm), a face with sparse facial hair, a feminine figure, abdominal obesity and elongated lower limbs - Klinefelter's syndrome is also a cause of male infertility. However, this disease does not affect life expectancy.

Males may also develop an extra Y chromosome (there are two instead of one) - this aberration occurs with a frequency of 1 in 1000 boys. Children experience mild motor impairment, delayed speech development and learning to read. Boys with an extra Y chromosome are tall (over 190 cm) and have a typically male build. Puberty is similar to healthy males, they are usually fertile and can have healthy offspring (a father with two Y chromosomes will not pass them on to his sons).

Causes of dimples

The anatomical features of the laughter muscle can vary quite significantly from person to person - this is the main reason why dimples appear on the cheeks. The fact is that the zygomaticus major muscle looks like the letter V. Its common part is attached to the zygomatic bone, and two diverging bundles are woven into the orbicularis oris muscle, respectively, just above and just below the corner of the mouth.

Sometimes transverse fibers appear in the center of the lower fascicle, intertwined into the inner dermal layer of the cheek. That is, the area of skin is connected directly to the middle part of the lower muscle bundle. When it contracts, the attached section is pulled inside the fork between the bundles, and a depression is formed on the outer surface of the cheek. Another reason for the formation of a depression is insufficient length of the zygomatic muscle.

On chubby cheeks, dimples are more noticeable due to the additional fat layer. By the way, this is why children often have dimples on their cheeks. This is due, firstly, to their plump cheeks, and, secondly, to the elastic zygomatic muscle. With age, the fat layer thins out, and the muscle stretches more, and the depressions become less noticeable or stop appearing altogether.

Since the structure of the zygomatic major muscle is very variable, it is possible to form two dimples on one cheek at once. But this appearance feature is much less common.

Varieties of dimple placement

Genetic defects in children - trisomes

The most common trisomy is trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome. It occurs in 1 in 700 births, but the likelihood of having an affected baby increases with the age of the mother. The risk of Down syndrome in a child in a pregnant woman at 35 years of age is 1:360 and increases to 1:100 at 40 and 1:30. when the woman is 45. In more than 60% of pregnancies with trisomy 21, the embryo or fetus has a spontaneous abortion.

Down syndrome

There are several forms of this trisomy:

complete trisomy, when all cells of the body have an additional 21 chromosome;
mosaic trisomy - only some cells contain an extra chromosome;
translocation trisomy - additional material from chromosome 21 can be transferred to another chromosome.

The development of a child with Down syndrome, however, does not depend on the type of trisomy.

External signs that allow diagnosing trisomy in a child include the following:

oblique position of the eyelid slits;
sunken bridge of the nose;
drooping corners of the mouth;
short neck;
short wide arms;
bright spots located on the iris of the eye.

The height of children with trisomy 21 is lower than that of their peers, moreover, they tend to be overweight. A characteristic feature of sick children is also a delay in mastering verbal and motor skills.

Moreover, people with Down syndrome are more likely to develop acute myeloid leukemia. Almost 90% of patients aged 35-40 years have symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The average IQ of the patient is 35-49 (moderate mental retardation). Men are usually infertile, and female fertility is significantly reduced.

Currently, people with Down syndrome live about 50-60 years.

Another trisomy is trisomy 13, called Patau syndrome, which has an incidence of 1 in 8,000–12,000 live births (the risk increases with maternal age). As with Down syndrome, it is distinguished by complete, moisalike and translocation forms.

A newborn with trisomy 13 has numerous congenital abnormalities - microcephaly, skin defects on the head, flat bridge of the nose, low-set ears, extra fingers or adhesions of the limbs. Children experience muscle hypotension, lack of speech and independent walking, and deafness. However, most children with Patau syndrome die in the neonatal period, and only 5% survive to 1 year of age.

Another condition associated with trisomy 18, Edwards syndrome occurs in 1 in 8,000 births - as with Down-Patau syndrome, the risk increases significantly with maternal age. Newborns with trisomy 18 are characterized by low birth weight, a prominent nape, small jaw and mouth, narrow cracked eyelids, low-set and misshapen ears, clenched hands, overlapping fingers, and misshapen feet.

Edwards syndrome

In addition, sick children suffer from numerous defects of the heart, gastrointestinal tract, urinary and osteoarticular systems. The syndrome also includes seizures, difficulty breathing, and severe psychomotor impairment. Most pregnancies with trisomy 18 are accompanied by spontaneous miscarriage, while newborns usually die in the first weeks or months of life (only 5-10% of patients survive to 1 year).

Folk beliefs and assigned meanings

There are many interpretations about what dimples mean. In general, their presence indicates a positive attitude to life, emotionality, stormy temperament, sensuality, and independence of a person. At the same time, people with dimples are attributed such negative qualities as vanity, despotism, narcissism, impudence, and love of gossip.

Much depends on whether one or both cheeks have these marks, as well as on which cheek the dimple is more noticeable.

Basic values:

if the dimple on the right cheek is more pronounced , the person is active, collected, can quickly switch from solving one problem to another, and easily makes contact;
a more noticeable depression on the left cheek is a sign that this is a sensitive person with a flexible psyche, capable of adapting to environmental conditions in a short time, but at the same time distinguished by constancy in his affections;
if the dimples on both cheeks are equally visible , then their owner is most likely a creative, independent, artistic person who loves entertainment and a luxurious lifestyle.

Judging by the fact that dimples on the cheeks are also called “the kiss of an angel” or “the mark of happiness,” we can conclude that most people consider the presence of these marks on the face to be a symbol of good luck and success. In some Asian countries, hollows on the cheeks are regarded as a sign of increased sexuality.

Why do people like dimples on their cheeks?

In general, the attitude towards people with dimples is clearly positive, regardless of whether it is an acquaintance, a random passer-by, or a famous film actor. First of all, dimples on the cheeks are cute. They give their owner, regardless of his gender and age, a special charm. Perhaps this attitude towards this feature of appearance is explained by the fact that dimples are very common in children, and the sincere smile of a baby can leave few people indifferent.

For most people, dimples on the cheeks are associated with a cheerful, easy-going disposition, kindness, laughter, and a touching and slightly childish attitude towards the world. According to surveys, people who have dimples in their cheeks when they smile are considered more sincere and romantic, inspiring trust and sympathy.

“Mark of happiness” for a child

Chromosomal aberrations - types

There are two main types of chromosomal aberrations: structural and numerical aberrations. Structural aberrations are changes in the structure of a chromosome. These include:

deletion - loss of a chromosome along with the genes it contains;
duplication - duplication of a fragment of a chromosome with its genes;
inversion - inversion of a chromosome fragment by 180 degrees;
translocation - transfer of part of a chromosome to another place on the same or another chromosome;
isochromosome - an abnormal chromosome in which one arm is missing and the other is doubled;
ring chromosomes - are formed when a chromosome breaks on both arms and the distal portions of the arms are lost and the rest of the chromosome fuses into a ring.

Structural aberrations
The second type of chromosomal aberrations are numerical aberrations—the changes they cause usually involve the loss of one chromosome (monosomy) or the addition of an extra chromosome (trisomy). Numerical mutations are most often caused by abnormalities, such as chromosomes not separating during the division of a reproductive cell.

Among the diseases associated with the presence of chromosomal aberrations in children are syndromes caused by trisomy. Most often these are trisomes of chromosomes 21, 18 or 13, chromosomal deletion and microdeletion syndromes, as well as sex chromosome aberration syndromes.

Is it possible to make artificial happiness marks?

Finding a person who wants to get rid of dimples is quite difficult. But finding those who want to have this distinctive feature is as easy as shelling pears. You can achieve the appearance of cute cavities in several ways:

Using decorative cosmetics is the easiest, but at the same time the most short-lived method. The effect remains on the face until the makeup is washed off. You can draw dimples with a pencil, powder, foundation, or liquid eyeliner. The main thing is to experiment a little to get the hang of it and master the skill of shading, only then the result will look natural.
Special exercises. This option is suitable for people who are patient, as it will take time to achieve a noticeable result. A set of exercises must be done daily without skipping, preferably several times a day. But there is also a minus - even if performed regularly, gymnastics may turn out to be useless.
Piercing. This is a rather radical method, as it involves significant and noticeable changes in appearance. A puncture is made in the marked place in the cheek, into which an earring or barbell is inserted. The depression is formed by a puncture, and looks deeper due to the inserted earring. The effect of the procedure is immediate, the downside is that after the earring is removed, a scar will remain on the cheek.
Surgical intervention. An operation that helps to acquire the treasured marks is called dimplectomy. A small incision is made on the inside of the cheek. The soft tissues are pulled together in a special way so that a dimple is formed on the skin on the outside. At first, it is constantly visible, even when the muscles are relaxed. But gradually the surgical thread dissolves, the surface of the cheek is leveled. But the scar left after the operation will connect the area of the cheek with the muscle, and therefore dimples will appear when you smile.

There is another option - Botox injections. But experts have a negative attitude towards this procedure, since the introduction of a drug based on botulinum toxin in the immediate vicinity of the orbicularis oris muscle can negatively affect facial expressions and the functioning of the oral area, and cause facial asymmetry.

Genetic defects in children - chromosomal deletions

Deletion or loss of a portion of a chromosome can cause diseases such as Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (caused by a partial deletion or microdeletion in chromosome 4). The frequency of this syndrome is 1:50,000 live births - it is twice as common in girls as in boys.

With this syndrome, microcephaly, wide eyelid cracks, a long bridge of the nose, and a high and narrow palate are observed. Moreover, sick children also experience growth retardation, congenital heart defects, underdevelopment of the lungs, and unilateral renal failure. At 1-2 years of age, convulsions are very common, which disappear with age.

More than 30% of children with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome do not survive beyond the age of two, but there are also isolated cases where patients have reached adulthood.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome

Another disease associated with chromosomal deletion is cry-the-cat syndrome. Occurs with a frequency of 1:37,000 live births. The pathology is caused by the loss of a fragment of the short arm of chromosome 5. Affected newborns usually have low birth weight. A characteristic feature of this syndrome is a peculiar cry caused by abnormalities of the larynx, disorders of the nervous system and muscle hypotension, reminiscent of a cat's meow.

In addition, children develop microcephaly, a round asymmetrical face, widely spaced eyeballs, and small and low-set ears. At a later age, the child has a lack of proper speech education (but there is speech understanding), delayed psychomotor development and significant or moderate mental retardation. Many sick children die in the first months and years of life,