More men want artificial ‘dimples’

Plastic surgeons at Mumbai’s government-run hospitals reveal that the number of men seeking cosmetic treatment has increased by 25 per cent.

A senior doctor said artificial dimples were the latest fad. “Dimple cosmetic surgery is rapidly gaining popularity,’’ said a surgeon at Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital. He explained that there are two type of dimples - cheek and chin dimple. The chin dimple comes via a dominant gene, so the chances are if you naturally have one, your child will inherit it.

According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, men choose cosmetic surgery for two reasons — first, to look better and, secondly, to obtaining a cutting edge in their professional lives.

Dr Nitin Mokal, a plastic surgeon, said they receive 1015 calls daily for simple cosmetic surgery. “Both men and women generally

approach us for dimple procedure. But now, there is an increasing incidence of men opting for this procedure. We get around 10 phone calls a year regarding this procedure. But 25 per cent of the callers are male,” added Dr Mokal.

The surgery usually costs Rs 20,000-Rs 30,000 in private hospitals. But the cost is on the lower side in government hospitals. “In this procedure, under local anaesthesia, stitches are given inside the cheek forming a dimple shape,” Dr Mokal said.