Frequently Asked Questions About Hip Dips
Hip dips generate countless questions because they've only recently entered mainstream body image conversations. Before 2015, most people didn't have a specific term for this natural indentation, but social media brought new awareness and, unfortunately, new insecurities. The questions below address the most common concerns based on searches, medical consultations, and discussions with physical therapists and orthopedic specialists.
Understanding the facts about hip dips helps separate what's anatomically possible from what's marketing hype. The fitness and cosmetic surgery industries have capitalized on hip dip insecurity, sometimes making unrealistic promises. These answers draw from peer-reviewed research, anatomical science, and practical experience from healthcare professionals who work with body composition and skeletal structure.
What are hip dips?
Hip dips are natural indentations on the sides of your hips, located between your hip bone and thigh bone. They occur due to the shape of your pelvis and are completely normal anatomical features. Specifically, they appear in the space between your iliac crest (the upper edge of your pelvis) and your greater trochanter (the bony prominence at the top of your femur). The depth and visibility of hip dips depend on your skeletal structure, including pelvic width, the distance between these two bones, and the angle at which your femur sits in your hip socket. The gluteus medius muscle covers this area, but even well-developed muscles cannot completely eliminate the natural indentation created by your bone structure.
Are hip dips normal?
Yes, hip dips are completely normal and occur in people of all body types and sizes. They are determined by your bone structure and genetics, not by weight or fitness level. Approximately 80% of people have some degree of visible hip dips, making them one of the most common body features. Medical anatomy textbooks have documented the trochanteric depression (the technical term for the hip dip area) for over 150 years as a standard anatomical landmark. The visibility varies based on individual skeletal structure, with factors like pelvic width and femur positioning playing the primary role. You can have hip dips whether you're thin, muscular, or carry more body fat, because the indentation is created by the relationship between bones, not soft tissue.
Can you get rid of hip dips?
You cannot completely eliminate hip dips since they are caused by bone structure, but targeted exercises can help build muscle in the surrounding areas to minimize their appearance. Building your glutes and hip muscles through squats, lunges, and side-lying exercises may help create a smoother silhouette. The gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and tensor fasciae latae are the primary muscles that overlay the hip dip area. A consistent strength training program focusing on hip abduction movements can increase muscle mass in these areas by 15-25% over 3-6 months, which reduces the visual contrast of the indentation. However, the skeletal structure remains unchanged. Studies show that even professional bodybuilders and athletes with highly developed musculature still have visible hip dips if their bone structure creates that natural indentation.
Do hip dips mean you're out of shape?
Absolutely not. Hip dips have no correlation with fitness level, health status, or athletic ability. Olympic athletes, professional dancers, and fitness competitors all have hip dips if their skeletal structure creates that indentation. A 2018 study examining body composition in elite female athletes found that hip dip visibility had zero correlation with body fat percentage, muscle mass, or performance metrics. Some of the fittest people in the world have pronounced hip dips, while some sedentary individuals have minimal indentations simply due to their pelvic shape. The misconception that hip dips indicate poor fitness likely stems from digitally altered images on social media that create unrealistic body standards. Your hip dips say nothing about your strength, endurance, flexibility, or overall health.
What exercises help reduce the appearance of hip dips?
The most effective exercises target the gluteus medius and surrounding hip muscles through abduction and external rotation movements. Side-lying leg lifts performed with controlled movement for 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions directly work the gluteus medius. Clamshells with a resistance band around your thighs engage both the gluteus medius and minimus. Lateral band walks force these muscles to work against resistance while stabilizing your pelvis. Curtsy lunges combine glute building with hip abductor engagement. Single-leg deadlifts develop the entire hip complex while improving balance. Fire hydrants target the gluteus medius through hip abduction and external rotation. For results, perform these exercises 3-4 times weekly with progressive overload, gradually adding ankle weights or resistance bands. Visible changes typically appear after 8-12 weeks of consistent training, with muscle volume increasing enough to reduce the visual contrast of the hip dip.
Can hip dip filler or surgery remove them?
Cosmetic procedures exist but carry significant risks and costs. Hip dip filler involves injecting hyaluronic acid or Sculptra into the indented area, costing between $3,000-$8,000 per session with results lasting 12-24 months. Fat grafting (Brazilian Butt Lift technique applied to hips) transfers fat from other body areas to fill hip dips, costing $6,000-$12,000 with permanent results if the fat survives. Silicone implants can be placed over the hip area for $10,000-$15,000. However, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes that hip augmentation procedures have higher complication rates than many other cosmetic surgeries, including implant shifting, infection, and aesthetic irregularities. The FDA has issued warnings about injectable fillers migrating from the intended site. Many plastic surgeons refuse to perform hip dip procedures on patients with normal anatomy, considering it medically unnecessary body modification of a natural feature.
Why did hip dips suddenly become something people worry about?
Hip dips entered popular consciousness around 2015-2016 through social media, particularly Instagram and YouTube, where beauty standards became increasingly specific and often unrealistic. Photo editing apps like Facetune made it easy to digitally smooth hip dips, creating images of bodies that don't naturally exist. The Kardashian-Jenner family's influence popularized an extremely specific body shape with exaggerated hip-to-waist ratio and no visible hip dips, achieved through a combination of cosmetic procedures, corsetry, and photo editing. By 2017, Google searches for 'hip dips' increased by 340% compared to 2014. This created awareness of a body feature that had always existed but never been scrutinized. The phenomenon mirrors previous beauty anxieties like thigh gaps or specific eyebrow shapes that social media amplified into widespread insecurities about normal anatomical variation.
Are hip dips more common in certain body types?
Hip dips occur across all body types, but visibility varies based on skeletal structure rather than weight or body composition. People with wider pelvic bones relative to their femur positioning often have more pronounced hip dips because there's more distance for the indentation to occur. Those with high hip bones (iliac crest positioned higher on the torso) may have more visible dips from a frontal view. Body fat distribution influenced by genetics and hormones can slightly affect appearance, with more subcutaneous fat potentially softening the indentation's edges. However, research from the Journal of Physical Anthropology shows that hip dip depth correlates most strongly with skeletal measurements taken from CT scans, not with BMI, body fat percentage, or general body type categories like ectomorph or endomorph. You can find pronounced hip dips on petite, average, and plus-size bodies alike.
Do hip dips and love handles appear in the same area?
No, hip dips and love handles are different features in different locations, though they're sometimes confused. Hip dips are skeletal indentations located between your hip bone and upper thigh on the side of your body, specifically at the greater trochanter. Love handles are accumulations of subcutaneous fat that sit above the hip bones at the waistline, typically starting 2-4 inches higher than where hip dips appear. You can have hip dips without love handles, love handles without hip dips, both, or neither. Love handles are influenced by body fat percentage, genetics affecting fat distribution, and lifestyle factors including diet and exercise. Hip dips are purely structural, determined by bone anatomy. Some people mistakenly think building muscle will eliminate love handles and hip dips simultaneously, but they require completely different approaches since one involves fat reduction and the other involves bone structure that cannot be changed.
| Feature | Location | Caused By | Can Be Changed? | Affected By Weight? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hip Dips | Between hip bone and thigh, side of body | Skeletal structure (pelvis and femur relationship) | Minimized with muscle building, not eliminated | Minimal effect |
| Love Handles | Above hip bones at waistline | Subcutaneous fat accumulation | Yes, through fat loss | Directly affected |
| Saddlebags | Outer thigh below hip dips | Fat deposits on outer thigh | Yes, through fat loss | Directly affected |
| Hip Flexor Bulge | Front of hip crease | Tight hip flexors or anterior pelvic tilt | Yes, through stretching and posture correction | Minimal effect |
| Pelvic Tilt | Entire hip alignment | Muscle imbalances or skeletal structure | Often correctable with exercise | Minimal effect |
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Want to understand more about hip dips and body anatomy? Visit our home page for an overview, or learn more about us and our mission to normalize body diversity.
For more information on pelvic shape, understanding pelvic shape helps explain why hip dips vary so dramatically between individuals based on skeletal anatomy.