Dimples do seem to run in some families, so genetics may play a role. But they are not the simple, single-gene dominant trait older textbooks claimed. No one has linked cheek dimples to any specific gene, the pattern differs from family to family, and almost no research has tested how they are inherited. The honest summary: they may be partly inherited, but no one knows how.

Is the dimple gene dominant or recessive?

There is no confirmed 'dimple gene,' so calling it dominant or recessive is not scientifically accurate. The dominant-trait idea comes from old classroom genetics, where dimples were taught alongside earlobes and tongue-rolling as simple Mendelian examples. Modern geneticists treat all of those as myths or oversimplifications. Dimples are better described as a complex trait with weak, inconsistent evidence for any single inheritance rule.

Can dimples disappear or appear with age?

Yes. Many babies and young children have dimples that fade as the face grows and the muscle and fat under the skin change. Some people develop a dimple later, or notice it becomes shallower over the years. This is one more reason dimples do not behave like a fixed, inherited on-or-off trait — they can change across a single lifetime.

Are dimples hereditary?

Possibly, in part. Dimples often run in families, which is why they are called hereditary. But no gene for dimples has been found and almost no family or twin studies exist, so no one knows how — or how strongly — they are passed down.

There is little data. One study of 1,462 young adults in India found facial dimples in 121 people, about 1 in 12. Most of them had a dimple on one cheek only, but other studies report the opposite, so it is not clear whether one or two dimples is rarer.

If both parents have dimples, will the baby have them?

Not necessarily. Two parents with dimples can have a child without them, and two parents without dimples can have a dimpled child. Because the inheritance is not a clean dominant-recessive pattern, you cannot reliably predict a baby's dimples from the parents. Think of it as a fun family resemblance to watch for, not something you can calculate.

Are dimples genetic?

Cheek dimples are one of the most charming facial features, and almost everyone has wondered whether they are inherited. The short answer: dimples do seem to run in families, so genes may play a part — but they are not the neat, single-gene “dominant trait” that old biology textbooks taught. Below we explain what actually creates a dimple (a small muscle quirk), where the dominant-trait belief came from, why the scientific evidence for it is weak and inconsistent, and why dimples can even fade or change as you age.

What actually causes a cheek dimple

A cheek dimple is not really about skin — it is about muscle. Many dimples are thought to be linked to a small variation in the zygomaticus major, the muscle that runs from your cheekbone to the corner of your mouth and lifts it when you smile. In some people, this muscle splits into two bundles, and the lower one is attached to the skin. When you smile, the muscle tugs the skin inward and a little dent forms — which is exactly why a dimple usually only appears when you are smiling, and smooths out when your face is at rest.

Chin dimples (a cleft chin) work differently again — they are a separate feature with their own genetics. On this page we are focused on the classic cheek dimple, the kind that shows up with a grin.

Are dimples dominant or recessive?

The answer most biology classes expect is dominant. MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine’s genetics site, says dimples are “usually considered” a dominant trait, so if you are filling in a homework sheet, that is the textbook answer.

The scientific answer is more careful: no one has proven it. The same MedlinePlus page says little research has been done, no gene has been found, and some researchers say there is no proof dimples are inherited at all. So the honest version is “taught as dominant, but unproven.” The sections below explain why.

The old belief: a simple dominant trait

For decades, dimples were a staple of school genetics lessons. The standard teaching went like this: dimples are a dominant trait. If you inherited even one “dimple allele” from a parent, you would have dimples; only people with two “no-dimple” copies would lack them. It was presented right alongside other tidy examples — attached versus free earlobes, tongue-rolling, widow’s peaks, and hitchhiker’s thumb — as a clean, textbook-perfect Mendelian trait you could chart on a Punnett square.

It is an appealing story because it is simple, and because dimples really do appear to cluster in some families. If your mum, your aunt and your sister all have dimples, “it’s a dominant gene” feels like a satisfying explanation.

The honest correction: the evidence is weak

Here is the part the old textbooks got wrong. Geneticists now treat the “dimples are a simple dominant trait” claim as a myth — the same way they have debunked the idea that earlobes, tongue-rolling, widow’s peaks and hitchhiker’s thumb are clean single-gene traits. The reality is messier:

No specific “dimple gene” has ever been confirmed. There is no allele scientists can point to and test for.
The inheritance pattern is inconsistent. In some families dimples show up generation after generation; in others a child has them but no one else in the family does.
Some people have a dimple on only one cheek, which is hard to square with a single inherited on-or-off gene.
There is almost no family or twin research on dimples. A 1951 genetics textbook called them dominant but cited no studies.

The most accurate way to put it: dimples are possibly partly genetic, but unproven. No one has worked out how they are inherited. So if anyone tells you dimples are “definitely a dominant gene,” that is a well-meant classroom oversimplification rather than settled science.

How common are dimples? One or two?

There is very little good data. One study from India checked 1,462 people aged 15 to 35 and found natural facial dimples in 121 of them — about 1 in 12 (8%). Of the 118 people with cheek dimples, 86 had a dimple on one cheek only and 32 had one on both cheeks.

Treat these numbers with care. It is one study of one region, and the authors note that other studies found dimples on both cheeks to be more common. So no one can say for sure whether one dimple or two is rarer, or how common dimples are worldwide. What the data does show is that a dimple on just one side is normal — and hard to explain with a simple on/off gene.

Are dimples a deformity?

No — not in any medical sense. MedlinePlus calls a dimple an “anomaly” of the muscle, which sounds alarming, but it simply means the muscle is shaped a little differently from the usual pattern. In a study of 50 cadaver half-faces, researchers found the split (“double”) zygomaticus major muscle — the kind thought to explain many cheek dimples — in 17 of them, about a third. They described it as an anatomical variation and a common finding.

In other words, a dimple is a difference in how one muscle attaches to the skin, not a disease or a defect that needs fixing. If a dent in the cheek appears suddenly, without smiling, or after an injury, that is a different thing — see a doctor about it.

Dimples can change — or disappear — with age

One of the clearest signs that dimples are not a fixed, inherited switch is that they can come and go over a lifetime. Plenty of babies and young children have adorable dimples that gradually fade as their face grows and the muscle and the layer of fat beneath the skin mature and change shape. A dimple that was obvious at age three can be barely there by the teenage years.

The reverse happens too. Some children who had no dimples at birth develop them later in childhood, while others find an existing dimple becomes shallower over the years. That is a poor fit for the simple on/off textbook model — you do not lose your ABO blood type as you age. Dimples, by contrast, are tied to soft tissue and muscle that keep changing, which is one more reason they resist a simple genetic rule.

So, are dimples inherited? A fair summary

Yes and no. Dimples do seem to run in some families, and genes may play a part. But they are not a simple dominant trait you can predict with a Punnett square, there is no confirmed dimple gene, the inheritance is inconsistent, and the feature itself can shift with age. Treat a dimple as a delightful family resemblance to enjoy spotting in baby photos — not as something you can reliably calculate or guarantee.

If you love exploring these inherited-or-not questions, the same honest caveat applies across nearly all the “fun” traits: most are more complicated than the classroom version. They make great entertainment and family curiosity, but they are estimates and stories, not precise genetic predictions.

Frequently asked questions

Are dimples genetic?: Dimples do seem to run in some families, so genetics may play a role. But they are not the simple, single-gene dominant trait older textbooks claimed. No one has linked cheek dimples to any specific gene, the pattern differs from family to family, and almost no research has tested how they are inherited. The honest summary: they may be partly inherited, but no one knows how.
What actually causes a cheek dimple?: Many cheek dimples are thought to come from a small variation in the zygomaticus major, the muscle that pulls the corner of your mouth up when you smile. In some people this muscle splits into two bundles, and the lower one is attached to the skin, so when you smile the skin is tugged inward and a little dent appears. The dimple usually only shows when you smile, because that is when the muscle pulls.
Is the dimple gene dominant or recessive?: There is no confirmed 'dimple gene,' so calling it dominant or recessive is not scientifically accurate. The dominant-trait idea comes from old classroom genetics, where dimples were taught alongside earlobes and tongue-rolling as simple Mendelian examples. Modern geneticists treat all of those as myths or oversimplifications. Dimples are better described as a complex trait with weak, inconsistent evidence for any single inheritance rule.
Can dimples disappear or appear with age?: Yes. Many babies and young children have dimples that fade as the face grows and the muscle and fat under the skin change. Some people develop a dimple later, or notice it becomes shallower over the years. This is one more reason dimples do not behave like a fixed, inherited on-or-off trait — they can change across a single lifetime.
Are dimples hereditary?: Possibly, in part. Dimples often run in families, which is why they are called hereditary. But no gene for dimples has been found and almost no family or twin studies exist, so no one knows how — or how strongly — they are passed down.
Are dimples rare?: There is little data. One study of 1,462 young adults in India found facial dimples in 121 people, about 1 in 12. Most of them had a dimple on one cheek only, but other studies report the opposite, so it is not clear whether one or two dimples is rarer.
If both parents have dimples, will the baby have them?: Not necessarily. Two parents with dimples can have a child without them, and two parents without dimples can have a dimpled child. Because the inheritance is not a clean dominant-recessive pattern, you cannot reliably predict a baby's dimples from the parents. Think of it as a fun family resemblance to watch for, not something you can calculate.

Sources

Checked against the following public guidance on October 13, 2026. Advice can differ between countries; your doctor, nurse or midwife can apply it to you.

— The Period Tools Team