[Alandriel (OP)]

Take a nice large







noooooooooooooo! it's NOT a frying pan







it's a MIRROR !!


sheesh!  [] only have food on your mind???



 [] []



think of *something* or *someone* pleasant and     r a d i a t e - yes more... a little more...... let it shine!!!


Yes - you are SMILING now.

Keep that smile and observe those interesting little depressions to the side of the curve or your lips.

If you're a happy person or just plain lucky you might have them even without having to do this excercise.



*What* exactly are dimples? How do they form? Why don't we have them on other parts of the body when doing similar skin/muscle streching excercises? Do they serve any interesting evolutionary purpose? Any other species have them?

Theories, theses and speculations happily accepted with a huge





and ps: I've checked. No dimple thread around yet  [^]

 

[Karen W.]

Very cute... Your right I don't think I have seen a dimple thread.. good question but I honestly don't know.. me will have to investigate!

[SquarishTriangle]

I have a dimple on only one side of my face.

[Alandriel (OP)]

We need proof of that Squarish Triangle in order to properly assess this very special case  []


I'm very curious if you can come up with something Karen. I've been totally unsuccessful on google so far

[SquarishTriangle]

Nice try...Not happening.

[Alandriel (OP)]

[Karen W.]

This is all I could find so far it has some  explanation! LOL!
From Oxford University press:

http://www.answers.com/topic/dimples-2?cat=health

dimples

Small indentations in the surface of the skin, usually, though not always, on the face. The primary use of ‘dimple’ is in reference to small hollows formed by the cheeks when smiling or to a small dent in the surface of the chin. Dimples can be permanent or transient, and can occur in any part of the body with sufficient flexibility of skin and plumpness to allow their formation, including shoulders (especially in children), legs, and buttocks.

The origin of the term ‘dimple’ is obscure and, unlike most other English words describing facial features, use of the word is in evidence only relatively recently, from about the fifteenth or sixteenth century onward. Shakespeare mentions dimples in The Winter's Tale (1610-11): ‘The pretty dimples of his chin, and cheek’ (II.iii.101). Occurrences of the use of the term increase after this period.

Some anatomical uses of the term lack the pleasant connotations commonly associated with a pretty chin or cheek. Certain genetic disorders produce conditions referred to as ‘dimples’. For example, occlusions of the gastrointestinal tract can be caused by the failure to form a true anus; instead, those with this defect are born with a dent or ‘dimple’ that must be corrected by surgery.

Dimples and dimpling extend well beyond references to the body. One possible (though historically unsupported) origin of the term, the Middle High German tümpfel and modern German tümpel — pond, pool, or puddle — conveys the sense of ‘dimple’ as used to refer to depressions or dips in a geographic surface, including the dip in surrounding land made by the surface of a pond or a ‘dimple’ caused by a low spot in a meadow or hill.

Dimples are generally considered attractive features when located on the cheeks or chin. Smiling tends to enhance social interactions and life in general, and has been shown in recent studies to increase perceptions of attractiveness over neutral expressions. Dimples tend to accentuate a smile and thus may increase perceptions of attractiveness and sociability. Dimples, especially on the chin, also increase the angularity and definition of the male face, creating the impression of a strong visage. It is probably not coincidental that many of Hollywood's leading men of the ‘Golden Age’ of movies, identified with competence, strength, and fortitude, had well-defined chins or lively smiles notable for their dimples.

— Jeffrey Barker

See also beauty; face.

[Karen W.]

I have a dimple on only one side of my face.

What a cutie!



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimple

Dimple
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Dimple (disambiguation).
A small child with dimples.
A small child with dimples.

Dimples are visible indentations of the skin, caused by underlying flesh, which form on some people's cheeks when they smile.

Dimples are genetically inherited and are a dominant trait.[1] Dimples on each cheek are a relatively common occurrence for people with dimples. A rarer form is the single dimple, which occurs on one side of the face only. Anatomically, dimples may be caused by variations in the structure of the facial muscle called zygomaticus major. Specifically, the presence of a double or bifid zygomaticus major muscle may explain the formation of cheek dimples.[2] This bifid variation of the muscle originates as a single structure from the zygomatic bone. As it travels anteriorly, it then divides with a superior bundle that inserts in the typical position above the corner of the mouth. An inferior bundle inserts below the corner of the mouth.

Dimples are considered attractive in some cultures. Babies commonly have dimples, but sometimes these disappear (or become less noticeable) as the muscles lengthen with age; consequently, dimples are often associated with youth.
Contents
[hide]

    * 1 Chin dimple
    * 2 See also
    * 3 References
    * 4 External links

[edit] Chin dimple
Actor Kirk Douglas exhibits a cleft chin.
Actor Kirk Douglas exhibits a cleft chin.

Some people have a dimple on their chins, known as cleft chin. Like cheek dimples, chin dimples are inheritable and have a varying degree of prominence. For example, while Kirk Douglas has a very conspicuous cleft chin, his son, Michael Douglas has a much less visible cleft chin. Females generally have less conspicuous cleft chins than males, like Elisha Cuthbert.[3]

The groove of the cleft chin is not just skin-deep, but also on the jawbone, as a groove in the vertical midline of symphysis menti and the soft tissue above it. It is probably the result of incomplete fusion between the left and right halves of the lower jaw during embryologic development.[4]

[edit] See also

    * List of Mendelian traits in humans

[edit] References

   1. ^ http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/detailed.jsp?artid=4862&type=6&root=4&parent=4&cat=40
   2. ^ http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/78395/
   3. ^ http://www3.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=119000
   4. ^ http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/sep99/938018019.An.r.html

[edit] External links

    * Curious about Dimples
    * Possible inheritance of dimples
    * What causes dimples?

[whimsley]

One of my friends humorously called dimples--subcutaneous fat faults.  Had to love the guy.

[Make it Lady]

Was Kirk Douglas in Spartacus. He had a major league chin dimple. He looked like someone had stuck a spear into his chin. I'm rather fond of men with cleft chins. Any photos would be appreciated.
My son, Murray has one dimple on one side of his face and two on the other. I'll try and find a picture.
Des O'Connor the singer and presenter is knicknamed Dimples.
My Mum used to say that dimple were caused by God checking to see if you were done (cooked) before he sent you down to Earth.

[smitasharma54]

The Dimple creation surgery procedure involves simulating the natural way a dimple is formed, by forming a connection between the skin and the cheek muscle, such that when the muscle contracts, it pulls the skin inwards to form a dimple.
thanks