Are Hip Dips Permanent?

guide Updated: 2026-07-06 22:16:00

The Bone Gap Is Permanent

The distance between your iliac crest (top of pelvis) and greater trochanter (top of femur) is set by genetics and fixed after skeletal maturity around age 16-18. No exercise, diet, supplement, or non-surgical treatment changes this distance.

What IS Changeable

While the bone gap is permanent, the visibility of the depression can change dramatically. You have four levers:

  • Muscle volume: Building the gluteus medius and minimus pushes outward against the skin, softening the dip by 30-50% over 6 months.
  • Fat volume: Gaining body fat fills the depression. Losing fat makes it more visible.
  • Filler volume: Dermal fillers add volume under the skin, filling the depression for 2-3 years.
  • Surgical volume: Fat transfer permanently fills the depression with your own fat.

The Mindset Shift

Accepting that the bone structure is permanent — while understanding you have real options for changing visibility — is the foundation for healthy decision-making. You are not stuck with the feature as you see it today, but you also cannot change the bones that create it.

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