Body
February 10, 2025

Are Hip Dips Good or Bad? What They Are and What Causes Them

Hip dips are the inward curves between the hip bone and the top of the thigh. They are neither good nor bad. They are a normal result of how the pelvis and thigh bone are shaped, they say nothing about your fitness or health, and they cannot be exercised away. Cosmetic procedures are marketed for them, but the FDA recommends against using injectable fillers for body contouring.

What are hip dips?

Hip dips, sometimes called violin hips, are visible indentations on the outer side of the body just below the hip bone. Cleveland Clinic points out that “hip dip” is not a medical term. It describes a normal body shape, not a condition.

What causes hip dips?

Bone structure. Cleveland Clinic explains that everyone with typical anatomy has a space between the top of the pelvis, the hip socket and the bony point at the top of the thigh bone. Whether that space shows as a dip depends on:

the width of your hips;
the length of the neck of the thigh bone;
the size of the bony prominence at the top of the thigh bone.

Muscle and fat distribution can make the shape more or less noticeable, but they do not cause it. Hip dips are more common in women because of the shape of the female pelvis, though men can have them too.

Are hip dips good or bad?

Neither. Cleveland Clinic’s exercise physiologist describes them as very common and “nothing to be worried about.” They are not a sign of being unfit, overweight or unhealthy, and they are unlikely to affect how the hip joint works.

The idea that hip dips are a flaw comes from social media, not from medicine. Body shapes go in and out of fashion. Bone structure does not change with them.

Can you get rid of hip dips?

Not with exercise or weight loss. Cleveland Clinic is direct about it: you cannot change something that is anatomical. Building the muscles around the hip may fill the area in a little, and it has a better reason behind it, which is keeping the hips strong and mobile.

The exercises it suggests start with bridges.

What about cosmetic procedures?

Several procedures are marketed for hip dips. Cleveland Clinic names fat transfer as the most common, along with fillers, and notes “varying degrees of success.” It stresses researching the procedure and the provider carefully, because the pelvis is the core of the body.

Fillers

This needs a clear statement. The FDA “recommends against using dermal fillers or any injectable filler for body contouring and enhancement,” including to increase the size of the buttocks. Its approved uses for fillers are on the face and the back of the hands. It also says the risks of unapproved uses “are not known.”

Injectable silicone is a separate and more serious concern. The FDA says it is not approved for any aesthetic procedure and can cause long-term pain, infection, scarring, permanent disfigurement, stroke and death.

If filler is offered to you for hip dips, ask whether that product is FDA-approved for that use, what the risks are, and what could be done if something went wrong. Our post Is Liquid BBL safe? covers the same questions for the buttocks.

Surgical fat transfer

Fat transfer is surgery, with surgical risks, and is carried out by plastic surgeons. If you are considering it, a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the right starting point.

Frequently asked questions

Are hip dips normal?

Yes. Cleveland Clinic describes them as very common and not a medical concern.

Do they mean I am out of shape?

No. They reflect bone structure, not fitness or body fat.

Will they go away if I lose weight?

No. Cleveland Clinic says losing weight and building muscle will not remove a hip dip, because it is a matter of bone structure.

Next step

If you would like to talk through what is and is not realistic for your body shape, book a consultation. You may also want to read how to get rid of cellulite.

If you are looking at filler-based body treatments, read what affects the cost of a Liquid BBL, which also sets out the FDA’s position.