Know your body
What Are Hip Dips? The Honest Guide Nobody Sells You
Hip dips are natural inward curves on the side of your hips, created by the gap between your iliac crest (top of the pelvis) and greater trochanter (top of the thigh bone). They're skeletal, present in most women, and not a sign of weight or fitness. Training can soften their look; nothing removes them.
Two weeks ago you probably didn’t know the term. Then a video pointed at a curve on someone’s hip, called it a problem, and now you can’t stop checking yours side-on in the mirror. Welcome — you’re one of millions this month, and this is the one guide that isn’t trying to scare you into a purchase.
What hip dips actually are
Stand side-on. Find the top of your hip bone (the iliac crest). Now find the widest point of your upper thigh (the greater trochanter — the knob at the top of your femur). Hip dips are simply the inward curve between those two bones.
How deep that curve looks depends on three things you didn’t choose:
| Factor | What it does | Changeable? |
|---|---|---|
| Pelvis width & height | A taller or wider iliac crest = longer span for the curve | No — it’s bone |
| Femur / trochanter position | A more prominent trochanter = a more defined “shelf” below the dip | No — it’s bone |
| Muscle & fat over the gap | The gluteus medius and fat pad sit exactly over the dip | Yes — this layer is trainable |
That third row is the entire honest conversation about hip dips. Bones set the dip. The soft tissue over it decides how sharp it looks. Everything else you’ll read on this site — training, styling, even filler pricing — is just different ways of working with that one layer.
”Violin hips,” “high hips,” “hip dips” — same thing?
Mostly yes. Violin hips is the older name for the same silhouette. Some people distinguish a high hip dip (curve sits just under the waist) from a low dip (closer to the thigh) — the anatomy is the same, but the high type responds better to glute-medius training because more muscle sits in that zone. Not sure which you have? The 2-minute quiz sorts you.
What actually works (and what’s a lie)
Works, with honest limits:
- Glute-medius training. The muscle directly over the dip. Built consistently for ~8 weeks, it adds a shelf above the curve and a rounder line below it — read what training can honestly do, or start with the exercise having a moment on TikTok, the side-plank hip lift.
- Styling. High-rise cuts, side-panel leggings and smoothing layers reshape the line in minutes, not weeks.
- Doing nothing. Genuinely. About 90% of women have this curve. It was on Renaissance statues. You’re allowed to close this tab.
Lies you’ll be sold this summer:
- “This 10-minute workout eliminates hip dips” — no workout changes bone spacing.
- Creams, wraps, massage tools, “fat redistribution” gadgets — the dip is skeletal; there’s nothing for a cream to do.
- Dramatic 2-week before/afters — that’s posture, lighting and leggings. We break down the tricks in our before-and-after guide.
Exists, costs real money, and we’ll give you real numbers: injectable filler ($3,000–$10,000, temporary), Sculptra, fat transfer and BBL-adjacent surgery. If you’re pricing those tonight, read the honest filler guide before any consultation — it covers the numbers med-spa Instagram won’t post.
The part nobody says out loud
You found this page because an algorithm taught you to see a “flaw” that human eyes don’t register. In every study of what people actually notice about bodies, hip contour doesn’t make the list. Your dip was invisible to everyone at the beach last summer, and it will be invisible this summer — whatever you decide to do or not do about it.
Whatever you choose, choose it informed. That’s the whole club rule.
Real questions, real answers
Are hip dips normal?
Completely. They're a standard feature of human pelvic anatomy — surveys of body-shape imagery suggest roughly 9 in 10 women show some visible indentation. Bone spacing decides how visible yours are, and no amount of gym or weight change alters bone spacing.
Was I born with hip dips?
Yes — the blueprint was set before you were. The distance between your iliac crest and greater trochanter, your femur angle, and where your body stores fat are genetic. Puberty made them visible, not anything you did.
Do hip dips mean I'm unhealthy or overweight?
No. Hip dips appear on lean bodies, muscular bodies, and soft bodies alike. Very lean athletes often have deeper-looking dips because there's less fat over the bone landmarks. They carry zero health information.
Can you get rid of hip dips completely?
No — and any product promising that is lying about your skeleton. You can build the gluteus medius that sits over the dip (softens the curve over about 8 weeks), style the line with clothing tonight, or leave it exactly as it is. All three are valid.
Why is everyone suddenly talking about hip dips?
Because the trend recycles. Search interest in hip dips spikes every summer — a TikTok wave names the 'flaw,' millions of people look side-on in the mirror, and by winter it fades. Your body didn't change in that cycle. The algorithm did.
What’s your hip dip type?
Four questions, one honest answer: what actually works for your silhouette — training, styling, or just reassurance.
Take the quiz