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What Are Hip Dips?

Hip dips are an inward curve on each side, just below the hip bone. On some people they are more prominent/noticeable than on others.

Also known as..

  • Hip dents
  • Violin Hips
  • Trochanteric Depression
  • High hips
  • Shelf hips
  • Figure 8/spoon body shape

 

What Causes Hip Dips?

The indentation which we call hip dents actually is known as the ‘trochanteric depression’ in anatomical terminology.

Hip dips come about because of the shape of your pelvis. If you have very visible violin hips, you’re not a freak, and it’s not a deformity.

This shape usually is caused by having ‘high hips’, for example if your pelvis sits up high and is quite wide, it can mean there is a bit of a dip between your hip bones and where your thigh bone (femur) starts.

Hip dips are caused by the positioning of your pelvis and thigh bones.

 

As I dug deeper through the bowels of the internet, more research uncovered more names – violin hips is a common way to describe hip dips. It’s a common feature that plastic surgeons sometimes deal with (the solution is to graft fat into the area of the dent to try and round out the shape).

One thing that I did find funny was that a few people mentioned that they always thought this affliction could have been from wearing their underwear in the ‘dip’ location.

I actually thought this might have been a contributing factor as well and to this day, I often adjust my underwear waistband to sit on the offending muffintop that seems to insist on highlighting my hip dips. Just in case the position of the waistband can wear down that annoying bit of fat!!!

How Love Handles Can Contribute

“Love handles”, also known as “muffin top”, refers to those pesky rolls of fat that love to develop on our hip bones.

Photo Credit: Colin Rose via Wikimedia Commons cc (Cropped)
Photo Credit: Colin Rose via Wikimedia Commons cc (Cropped)

They are not specifically hip dips, but unfortunately can make the whole hip-dip shape look more noticeable, because you can tend to get this lumpy bit right at the top of the hip dents, which makes them look stand out more.

Muffintop

We’ll look at some tips for how to dress to downplay this feature a little later on.

Does Everyone Have Hip Dips?

It’s hard to say if EVERYONE has hip dips. That’s a pretty big generalization! I’ve read some posts that claim that you will basically have a hip dip if you have a skeleton, which, yeah, is pretty much every human on the planet.

I’m not sure if I agree fully though. I know for a fact that some people don’t have this feature – I’ve got lots of friends who have a nice rounded shape around their hips without any hint of an indent. Plus, I’ve spent years secretly scoping out other females to try and see if their hips looked the same weird way mine did, and found that very few (if any) had the same amount of hip dip that I do.

Don’t forget though, that clothing can hide a lot, so in reality these people probably do have a small hip dip that is not very noticeable.

Not a hip dent in sight.. why don’t my hips look like this?!

Realistically though, most people do have some degree of hip dip, so I guess it’s fair to say that having hip dips is very ‘normal’!

I think it’s fully dependent on the individual. I think it’s fair to assume that this trait follows a normal distribution graph (couldn’t help myself, I used to tutor math!) meaning that the majority of people have a slight hip dip, somewhere in between these two extremes.

The number of people having no hip dip, or very prominent hip dip, is probably going to be the minority.

hip dip in a normal population
My nerdy take on how many people are affected by hip dip. This graph is representative only, and just a theory of mine!

Why Hip Dips Get Such A Bad Rap

A lot of people hate on hip dips, but why?

As a personal sufferer of deep hip dips myself, I feel that I’m pretty qualified to answer this question! For me, the reason why I don’t like my own hip dips is the way they look.

We’ve all grown up with the perception of feminine beauty, and it’s the traditional curvy, hourglass figure. A narrow waist that curves out to a nice butt and hips looks awesome, in my opinion.

Photo Credit: Stu Willis via Compfight cc
Nice curves! Photo Credit: Stu Willis via Compfight cc

My violin hips are one of my most disliked body features. That’s not to say that I constantly am hating on myself or anyone else that has hip dips, but it definitely is one of the features I would rather not have. Not many people I know has them as prominently as I do, which always made me feel a bit like a freak and very unattractive. I know (and fully advocate) that we shouldn’t fuss about such small and ultimately insignificant things, but I also know how much these little things can sometimes chip away at your self esteem and make you unhappy if you focus on them.

Here’s what violin hips/hip dips look like:

violin hips
Hip dips, hip dents, violin hips, whatever you want to call them. It means your hips/butt don’t quite look smooth and round when viewed directly from the front or back.

Compare this to someone with not much hip dip and more of an hourglass shape:

woman hourglass
A more rounded figure. Barely any hip dip here, though there is a hint of it. I think most women have this kind of shape to their hips.

That being said, I need to point out that some people actually like hip dips, and the majority of people don’t even care about them! This article is for all the others out there (and trust me, there are plenty of us) who have prominent hip dips, and always felt like there was something wrong with them. I’m here to tell you emphatically – there’s not.

I still feel insecure about mine occasionally though. In the past I have let it dictate what I wear because some outfits tend to accentuate it more than others. I can remember many a time where I’ve tried on a tight fitting dress, and looked great from the sides, but if I turn front-on directly it looks like I’m missing two massive chunks out of the sides where my hip dips are.

I also can’t wear any high waisted bottoms without looking a bit weird (only my personal opinion), so I really just avoid them altogether *sad face*.

Photo Credit: Idhren via Compfight cc
High waisted jeans look great on a person without hip dips in my opinion! Photo Credit: Idhren via Compfight cc

How To Reduce The Look Of Hip Dips or Hip Dents

Unfortunately for those who have violin hips and don’t like them, there’s not a lot you can do about them.

Depending on what causes your hip dips (for most people, it’s a combination of their bone structure and fat distribution on the hips) it can be either impossible or very difficult to make changes in this area. If your hip dips stem from your skeleton/pelvis, then just start learning to love yourself. If you find that you have a bit of extra fat in the love handles area, you may be able to make some slight improvements by focusing on diet and exercise, but some people can be of a healthy weight (or even underweight) and still store fat in this area!

One thing you can do that’s immediate is to select clothing that will help you down-play your hip dips. Here are some practical tips you can take:

Tips on how to play down deep hip dips and smooth out your shape

  • Don’t wear tight fitting low waistbands that ‘cut you off’
  • Wear longer or more flowing tops
  • You might want to try peplum tops like those pictured below (these have a hanging frill at the waist which can hide hip dips)

    • Try looser fitting clothes, A-line skirts/dresses, ruffled dresses etc.
    • Avoid high-waisted/tight bottoms, unless you have a comparatively skinny waist to help show off your curves
    • Try compression underwear (which can sometimes help smooth out love handles to reduce the size of the ‘dent’)
    • Try padded underwear (hip padding can fill in the dips!)

    This video below shows some great examples of how the wrong choice of clothing can emphasize your love handles. Avoid tight waisted jeans (ill fitting) and underwear which has a tight waistband that can ‘cut you off’!

 

Padded Underwear For Hip Dents

Another clothing choice that is immediate is hip padding in butt enhancing underwear. You can already get butt padded underwear which is excellent for giving a nice little boost to your assets, but did you know that you can get specific hip padding that can literally help fill out those dents?

Check out these hip pads I found from Bubbles® Bodywear:

hip pads for hip dip
Sticky Hips from Bubbles® Bodywear, an excellent option for filling in those hip dents.

I like these because they are so simple, they have a reusable adhesive backing and simply stick to the inside of your underwear (alternatively Bubbles® Bodywear also sell purpose made hip padded panties with pockets to hold hip padding).

Check them out in the video below and you’ll see that they can make a significant difference to your front-on profile. As soon as I saw these, I was like yes – that’s exactly what I need to fill in those gaping hip dents on my sides, lol!!

Exercises to Reduce the Look of Hip Dents

If you’re not completely sold on the padded panties idea, and want to work on getting rid of those hip dents in a more permanent manner, I do think that there may be certain exercises which could potentially help round out your shape.

This may not work for everyone, as everyone’s hip dip can be due to slightly different features. I always wondered to myself if you could work out the muscles which are located at the main part of the hip dent and if they were to bulk up, they could fill out the dent.

The only catch with this logic is that (a) there may not be a muscle located directly where your hip dents are; and (b) it may not be possible to bulk up this muscle to the point where it would fill out the dent. That being said, it can’t hurt to try, right?

Firstly I went to check out the actual anatomy of the butt to see if there are any muscles under the hip dent area. It seems to me like the Gluteus Medius  and Gluteus Minimus muscles are in the vicinity of my hip dents, so I figured that exercises which target these muscles may help to fill out the dents. I am not sure if these muscles can definitely be ‘bulked up’ in the way that bigger muscles like the Gluteus Maximus can, but I feel like there’s nothing lost in trying.

Gluteal muscles anatomy
Gluteus Maximus (Yellow), Gluteus Medius (Blue) and Gluteus Minimus (Red) are the main muscles that contribute to the shape of the buttocks. image credit: CFCF via Wikimedia Commons cc

Recommended Exercises for Hip Dents

I’m not saying that these exercises will be able to definitely fill out hip dents, but I feel like there’s no harm in trying them.

My personal approach has two angles:

  1. Aim to work the Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus to help bulk them up and fill out the hip dent area
  2. Aim to work the Gluteus Maximus to add extra volume to the butt as a whole – this should draw the eye more to the fuller areas of your butt and hopefully help to give an overall rounder and more lifted shape as well!

Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus Butt Exercises:

Here is a short list of glute exercises that might be able to help reduce hip dips, but for more details on this (including pictures), check out my post on which butt exercises are the best to help reduce hip dips.

Butt Exercises to Bulk up Your Gluteus Maximus:

Seriously, you can almost pick any of the butt exercises on this list, but my favorite all-rounders and staple butt exercises are (take your pick):

Fill Up Your Fat (Naturally)?

Another option which I have come across recently seems a bit like wishful thinking but there is some science that seems to support it! I have not tried this myself yet but I did a bit of research into it and it seems like it could be something.

It’s called “Volufiline” and it’s basically a topical (cream) agent that is derived from a Chinese herb. But here comes the cool part… studies have shown that if you apply this active ingredient, it can encourage the growth of fat cells naturally in the spots you apply it.  So lather that on to your hip dents to try and fill them out by growing your own fat!

You can check out my full post on Volufiline here.

You’re Not Alone

Okay, so now you have a name for this ‘condition’ that you’ve been afflicted with all your life. So what? You don’t like it? (Hey, me neither).

Chances are not many of your friends will understand your pain. You may feel like a bit of a freak.  I know it may not help much, but knowing that you are not alone kind of can boost your morale, as silly as it sounds.

Other people with hip dip
I stumbled upon this post which made me realize I’m not the only one with hip dip, and funnily enough, it kind of did help me feel a little less freakish. Source: Reddit (You can see the full post and comments here)

 

I found the above thread on reddit, and also a hip dip appreciation blog! So if you’re feeling down about your hip dents, travel over to these few sites to hopefully feel a little bit more love towards you body shape.

Summary

Okay, so I must admit that when I started this blog post, I didn’t think I’d be able to write so much on the topic of hip dips, but the topic is certainly close to me!

As a woman with prominent hip dip, I am still working on accepting my body shape, but learning how to dress to flatter your curves can really help. Surprisingly, so can knowing that you are not the only one with this condition.

I hope this has been helpful to anyone who has hip dents and is wondering if they are normal or not. As always, drop me a comment! I’d love to hear (again) that I’m not the only one out there with hip dip…

What Is Hip Dip? And Why Having This Feature Doesn’t Mean You’re A Freak

132 thoughts on “What Is Hip Dip? And Why Having This Feature Doesn’t Mean You’re A Freak

  • July 4, 2016 at 5:27 pm
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    This was the first time I’ve stumbled across a post on this subject -I just never thought to look up what those dents are. I have them quite prominently myself and have always been a tiny bit insecure about it when I look at myself in the mirror (or go to work on cam!). But over the years of working as a camgirl I’ve learned that no one actually seems to notice or care about this feature. Not once has it come up and they are often displayed prominently in my line of work. So nice to see that there’s not only a name for it, but a totally reasonable explanation and I don’t feel so weird about my shape after reading this! Thanks Jolie!

    Reply
    • July 4, 2016 at 10:30 pm
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      Glad to hear Cat! It is kind of strange how just learning that I’m not the only one with these makes me feel less insecure about mine as well, and that’s funny that no one cares or really notices them, especially in your line of work – all the more reason to not let this little feature bother one too much (that’s what I can keep telling myself til I believe it!).

      Reply
      • November 1, 2016 at 9:54 pm
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        I stumbled on this blog while trying (in vain) to find athletic pants that don’t emphasize what I now know is ‘hip dip’. I have scoliosis so this is much more pronounced on one side than the other and I don’t worry about it unless spandex is involved. But I work out regularly – and spandex seems unavoidable. If anyone has ideas for work out pants that ‘work’ for hip dip I would love to hear them!

        Reply
        • November 9, 2016 at 12:54 pm
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          Hi Linda!

          It’s always hard whenever you bring figure-hugging clothing into the equation, this is definitely a tough one! You could maybe consider longer/ looser fitting tops to hide your hip dip.

          Alternatively if hiding it is not an option, try experimenting with a few different styles to see what might down-play the dips for you.. I’m thinking that things like where the waistband sits may help (i.e. low-rise vs mid-rise, vs high-rise).

          Some workout pants also have stitching in such a way that emphasizes the curves of your butt, that could maybe help draw attention away from your hip dip area? It’s so hard to say because every style of pant is different (not to mention every body!), so I honestly think your best move would be to get to your local mall and try on a whole heap to get a better idea of the most flattering style.. Good luck, I know it can be difficult!

          Reply
        • March 27, 2017 at 7:42 pm
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          Hello, I don’t know where you are from but Sainsbury’s do fantastic work out leggings and they have a thick band around the top. When I wear them you can not tell I have a hip dip at all and mine is very prominent. X

          Reply
          • May 29, 2019 at 9:26 am
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            Hey all, everyone’s is different. And that’s a great thing. I find hip dips really attractive.

          • May 31, 2019 at 9:00 am
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            True that Sb! Thanks for your input!

    • April 22, 2018 at 12:30 pm
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      I have a spoon shape or what people call shelf hips and I cant wear fitted shirts at all so upset about that because my waist is the smallest part of my body and I have to wear high waisted pants whether I want to or not what is a girl to do guess I will be wearing skirts and wrap dress from now on

      Reply
      • April 24, 2018 at 5:32 am
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        Knowing what styles flatter your body shape can make a huge difference in boosting confidence. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes you just gotta step away and acknowledge that ‘I love that style/piece of clothing, but unfortunately it just doesn’t look great on me’. But I totally feel your pain!!

        Reply
    • December 11, 2018 at 6:20 pm
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      Wow! As a man, I cannot believe that women try to eliminate “hip dip.” I think it is one of the most beautiful features that a woman’s hips can have. It is all the more special for its rarity. Just my opinion but I’m sure there are plenty of men who feel the same. As an amateur sculptor and painter, I appreciate the complexity and variety of women’s figures. In fact, I was doing research on just what this feature was called when I stumbled on this blog.

      Reply
      • December 14, 2018 at 12:40 pm
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        Hey Admirer,
        Thanks so much for taking the time to write this! I am amazed and also a little confused that there are people out there who think this way. I must admit I’ve never actually stopped to think that anyone would actually prefer hip dips. I’m sure if you’re of this opinion though, that there are many others who would also share your preferences. Makes me think of my own hip dips in a totally different light, and I’m sure plenty of other women reading this will feel the same way. Thank you for this!

        Reply
  • July 12, 2016 at 3:35 am
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    I’ve HATED this aspect of my body my entire life. Family when you ask, doesn’t this look weird (in a new dress or something) and of course no one is honest. Noo you look great!! It is my biggest insecurity. I’d love those hip pads, but I’m a really blunt real girl, and I’d feel like a fake a little. Just personally. I envy those who can rock em. I’d get the surgery for sure If and or when I can afford it. I definitely feel like the majority of us who have this issue, if that one thing wasn’t different, our bodies are usually those tiny ribbed, then curved hips bodies. So close to an almost perfect body. But that’s reality and I am trying to overcome it and accept it. Funny this is the first time I’ve ever looked up what it could be. You were the second page I read, and I loved every word. Thank you for putting this out there. I seriously thought I was the only one. I feel a bit less self conscious because of your article. If I’m not the only one, then it’s not that bad or weird. And we do notice more about ourselves than others do. Most people probably couldn’t care less about our dips. But its major to us. Thanks again for making me feel less alone. Much love

    . ? ? ? Lala

    Reply
    • July 12, 2016 at 11:02 am
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      Hey Lala, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot! I identified with nearly every word you wrote (I also think the hip pads are a great invention, but have yet to bring myself to bust out a pair in public). Even though intellectually I know heaps of people have these, it really does make me feel better to know that I’m not the only one that feels insecure about mine, and that there are real people out there (like you for instance!) who feel just the same as I do. I have found that wearing the right kind of clothing really helps as well, sometimes with the right outfit the dips are nearly unnoticeable!
      xoxo Jolie

      Reply
  • July 22, 2016 at 10:29 pm
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    I also have very prominent hip dips: http://i.imgur.com/nrcUyB4.jpg

    I have been very self conscious about it for my whole life! The low-waisted trend of the early 2000s really made me feel even worse about myself. I now wear a lot of A-line dresses and flowy high waisted skirts which makes me feel a lot more confident.

    It’s still frustrating to have to explain to people sometimes that my ‘muffin top’ is actually my hip bones…

    Reply
    • July 23, 2016 at 10:06 am
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      Hey Shan, your pic here is a classic example of high hip bones creating a hip dip! Mine (and from all the comments here, a lot of other ladies too) are similar. Oh yeah, I remember the low-waist trend and it really didn’t do any favors for us hip-dippers. I find in my case that there is a sweet spot for the waist line of jeans/pants/skirts that can help down-play the look of my higher hip bones. Definitely agree with the A-line cut and flowy fabrics, thanks for sharing what’s worked for you!

      Reply
    • April 22, 2018 at 12:31 pm
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      i know what you mean so mad that I cant wear the latest styles because of my hips bummer

      Reply
    • October 30, 2020 at 12:36 am
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      I have never seen anyone with a hip dip as prominent as mine is. Not even when searching online, all these people talking about their big hip dips and I’m like in awe of how tiny their dips actually are. I so badly want to wear a body con dress for once I’ve my life and feel confident.
      Not sure if maybe my 5’0 frame makes it more obvious? I have never seen those hip pads before, but i am intrigued, and i am definitely going to look into getting some so thanks for the tip!

      Reply
      • October 31, 2020 at 9:13 am
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        Hi Sara, I know what that feels like! It’s said often but just remember that we can be our own worst critics, so perhaps even if yours are more prominent than other people’s, it is still possible that no one notices them as much as you do. If you do try out the hip pads, let us know how you go!

        Reply
  • July 24, 2016 at 2:21 am
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    I think I kinda have something like this. I actually noticed something weird looking in the mirror around my hips when I was shadow boxing in the mirror that gave this affect (I think from over developed muscle in that area from punching all these years.) I never knew there was a name for this, though I have noticed it in women.

    Ladies, it’s definitely not a turn off or anything to be concerned about.

    (Hi Jolie, it’s been a while!)

    Reply
    • July 26, 2016 at 1:02 pm
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      Hey again Vince, glad to see you around again! Actually most guys do tend to have a bit of a hip indent, but I think it’s less noticeable because you guys don’t have to necessarily live up to the social expectation of ‘having curves’. Could be muscular in some people though. Thanks for sharing your perspective on hip dips, it’s great to hear a guy’s take on the issue! Definitely reassuring that it’s not a turn off, as sometimes we can feel like it might be.

      Reply
  • July 24, 2016 at 5:04 am
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    This has been very helpful, and I always thought that it was just a muffin top, or that it was an effect of too tight underwear, even though I seem to be an average weight. I have done more research of my own, and I noticed that many of my female relatives also have this trait, so it is possibly hereditary. This article in particular has made me less insecure about my prominent hip dip.

    Reply
    • July 24, 2016 at 7:58 am
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      For years I seriously thought my hip dips were mostly from wearing tight-waisted underwear too low down during the crucial development years Stella! I think after puberty when you do start to get some curves can make it worse if your body tends to store fat above the hip bones (I know that’s the case for me – I don’t remember having these kind of dents as a kid). I’d say there’s most likely some genetic part to it, probably more to do with bone structure and fat storage areas which is why you might have noticed the hereditary nature of it. I’m glad that you are feeling less insecure about your dips though, that’s the main reason I decided to write this post 🙂

      Reply
  • August 11, 2016 at 2:10 pm
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    I have always had this condition. Mine is very pronounced. When taking my “measurements”, the third measurement, hips, is RIGHT under my navel!.. just one inch. I have always looked 10 pounds heavier than I actually am. For me, the only solution that worked was liposuction! This removed the horrible bump and made me appear balanced in clothes.

    Reply
    • August 13, 2016 at 1:01 am
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      That’s awesome to hear that liposuction has given you great results! I’m not gonna lie, I’ve often thought about getting lipo just to get rid of that annoying bump right on the hip bone that seems to make the hip dips worse… but I’m a bit of a chicken when it comes to getting some of those invasive procedures! So glad to hear you are happier with your shape now 🙂
      Jolie xo

      Reply
      • August 28, 2016 at 9:42 am
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        Hey Jolie I love all ur helpful articles and I’d like to ask u a question. All my life I thought I had a H shaped butt but now that I know I have hip dips I do if it’s just the hip dip that makes my butt look like that . I do have pictures but idk where it’s safe to send or if you even want to see. I just really need some advice because I hate my back side so much ?

        Reply
    • January 28, 2017 at 8:59 pm
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      Hi, thanks for your post. Was just wondering how your body has adjusted to the liposuction so far since it’s been a year now. I’m contemplating getting one myself, so any info on side effects and thoughts on it would be of immense value to me!!! Thanks☺

      Reply
  • September 7, 2016 at 1:50 am
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    Another natural and all round benefitting thing to do is thigh and glute exercises, as your booty gets higher and rounder, it will show from the front as a decrease in size of hip indents, I have noticed this on myself and on insta famous Tammy Hembrow (although she had very small hip indents to begin with, but now they are non-existent on her). I wish I could post her before and after photos here. 🙂

    Reply
    • September 7, 2016 at 4:29 am
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      That’s awesome news, I will definitely go check out her instagram!

      If you’ve browsed around my site at all, I’m all about making positive changes with exercise, so it’s excellent to hear that here is some real-life evidence. Thanks so much for sharing!!

      Reply
  • September 7, 2016 at 7:19 am
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    I thought I was the only one with this and so I’ve never looked it up! WOW! I’m not alone! I’ve always thought, If I just lost weight/exercised more/wore looser underwear (seriously), it would go away but whatever my weight, the dips remain.

    This probably sounds silly but knowing I’m not alone, that this is just a normal part of my anatomy because of how I’m specially made, makes me feel better about it. So thanks so much for sharing your story.

    Reply
    • September 8, 2016 at 2:04 am
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      Thanks Wendy, your thoughts sound exactly like mine. It is really comforting to know that we’re not the only ones!!

      Reply
  • September 21, 2016 at 10:02 am
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    I have this too. It’s terrible from behind but okay from the front. I can’t wear swimmers without feeling down and out. Any suggestions for swimmers to flatter this shape?

    Reply
    • September 23, 2016 at 9:12 am
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      Hi Amanda, I can totally relate and I’m sure a whole heap of others can as well so try not to be too hard on yourself! You’d also be surprised that when you are moving around etc it’s not like it will be that common for anyone to be staring at you when you are standing from the behind at a perfectly straight angle. For me, my dips are noticeable from both front and behind when standing, but if I sit down they are usually well disguised 🙂

      That being said – yes I do have some tips for swimmers!

      In my opinion, you should stay away from anything too skimpy on the hips such as string bikinis (exception – if they have bows at each side this may help distract the eye away from the dips a little, but I haven’t tried this in practice). I think that because of the minimal cover in the hip area, it makes your hip dip look much more obvious.

      Anything high-cut is a definite no-no! This cut generally will sit above the hip bones, which makes hip dip look MUCH much worse!

      I personally find that for bikini bottoms, something with a bit of a thicker waistband seems to be optimal, and the position of it in relation to the hip dip is a factor as well. For me, the type of bikini bottoms which seem to down-play my hip dents most are ones with a side band about the same height/thickness or a little wider than the worst parts of the ‘dent’, and they kind of sit just in/around the dent. It’s best if they are not tight or cause any kind of compression (as this will make the dent appear worse or deeper). I find that by sitting in this position it kind of makes it look like the swimmers are causing the dent (even thought they’re not), which gives a bit of an excuse for the dent being there. I know that explanation sounds kind of weird and may not apply to everyone’s hip dips, but that’s the most flattering cut I can find for myself personally.

      Prints or ruffles or anything that draws more attention to the center of your butt can also help pull the eye away from hip dip.

      Alternatively a boy short kind of bikini bottom can also work. I find that the bottoms should sit just below my hip bones (if they sit higher on the hip, they seem to accentuate the hip dip for me) to look the best.

      For one-piece swimwear, I don’t have as much experience, but I think they would probably work best if they ‘end’ just below the bottom of the hip dent (as it starts to go out again).

      A lot of this is just what I have found through experimenting with different styles over the years – some may or may not work for you depending on how your hip dips are! Hope this helps though, and if you need more this post I wrote on bikini bottom styles may be helpful as well!

      Reply
  • October 9, 2016 at 7:23 pm
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    Thank u so much for sharing this. I always thought I have those muffin tops but I’m actually not fat. So I always was wondering why I have to do so much sport just for getting this away. Now I know what’s going on with my body and I can work on it and I work on my own view of it – I just have to accept how I am!
    I still try to train hard to have it not to prominent but I still will work on my mind to love it how it is.
    Thank you so much to show that we are not alone!

    Reply
    • October 10, 2016 at 9:45 am
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      Totally Selena! Thank you for taking the time to comment, it does truly show that there are heaps of us out there – and we are not freaks lol!
      Acceptance is definitely something I’ve been working on too. It does really help to know we are not alone 🙂
      I think you’ve got the perfect mindset – wishing you heaps of luck!

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      • August 23, 2020 at 12:05 am
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        Idontknowwhyifeeleverycomentisfake

        Reply
        • August 30, 2020 at 10:43 am
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          Hahaha, interesting Noneya. I don’t know, I just reply to and publish what comes through 🙂

          Reply
  • October 13, 2016 at 4:55 pm
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    It’s so nice to read that other people have this issue too! It really frustrates me. I like wearing tight tops because (imo) I have nice boobs and a small waist, but it makes my hip dip look really obvious. It sucks.. I do yoga every day and yoga pants will never look as pretty on me as they do on so many other women. If I use my hands to lift my butt up to the extreme, the fat of the butt kind of fills up the dips on the sides a bit. However, I don’t think there are any pants out there that can lift it this high. Plastic surgery is not an option. It’s not THAT bad. It just sucks..

    Reply
    • October 13, 2016 at 10:40 pm
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      I feel your pain Jade, you know butt lift panties could be an option, I know you said you need to lift it up to the extreme, but I’m sure every little bit will help! Also, it is possible to get a ‘lifting’ effect with exercise, as well as try and fill out those dents a little. For an example, check out this butt transformation – just goes to prove that it is possible!

      Reply
  • October 29, 2016 at 6:03 am
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    Back in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, there was no such thing as hip dip. It didn’t exist.

    It is caused by those ugly low-cut skirts/shorts/jeans that women began wearing in about 2002. Because you are trying to hang clothing off the widest part of your body, you have to pull it ludicrously tight to stop gravity pulling it down. This reshapes the body, permanently, into a bizarre shape that wouldn’t otherwise have formed. It has nothing to do with anatomy, it is all about that repulsive fashion trend.

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    • October 30, 2016 at 12:41 pm
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      Hahah Kevin, this is not a bad theory! I did actually think that clothing could have caused my hip dip, but I’m 99.999% sure this isn’t the case… There are definitely examples of hip dip in the 80s – there was no hiding it with some of those high-cut swimsuits for example!!

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  • October 29, 2016 at 6:16 pm
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    YES YES YES YES!!!! I’m so glad I finally googled this. I thought I was the only one.
    My hips are way higher than normal but I just figured it was because I was tall and had long legs. Waist goes in, Hip bones (anterior superior iliac spine) go out and are very prominent just a thin layer of skin over the hip bone, then it goes in again at the trochanteric depression, then out again near the top of the thigh at the greater trochanter of the femur. Seriously a permanent muffin top/roller coaster of curves down there, thanks genetics!! No matter how loose my pants or bottoms are, if I’m wearing a thin shirt or tight shirt boom love handles on display. So nice to hear that this is more of a bone structure variance than me constantly telling myself oh if only I did a couple more love handle exercises it could go away!

    How tight of underwear did you wear when you were younger thinking that you might have caused the indentation unknowingly?? haha

    Bodycon dresses or bandage skirts: not sure why I keep trying them on thinking something will change, but hell to the no, bumpsville galore! What can a girl wear to Vegas?? I think I’ll try those padded panties.

    Bikinis are the worst since it looks like you’re just wearing too tight of bottoms. In photos I usually try to position my hands or arms over the indent to try to hide it as much as I can. High waisted jeans and flowy A-line skirts/dresses all the way.

    I’m glad I now have a name for my problem spot, exaggerated trochanteric depression/hip indentation/hip dip/violin hips! Though I guess it might not really be a problem now that I know I can never change it.

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    • October 30, 2016 at 12:18 pm
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      I can totally relate girl! Damn those hip dips and yes the associated genetics too, hahaha.

      If you’ve got your heart set on a figure hugging Vegas dress minus the bumps, I think your only option is padded panties unfortunately!

      It’s funny because after researching online I found out that I wasn’t the only one who thought that tighter underwear might have caused these dips. They actually weren’t that tight at all, but I guess I just associated the location of the waistband with the hip dips and worried that I’d caused this problem myself! Anyway, definitely learn how to down-play them with the correct clothing choices, it can get rid of a lot of the self-consciousness that I know we all feel at some point. I know since learning a few of these tips I have been less concerned about my hip dips since they aren’t as noticeable courtesy of visual illusions, lol.

      Thanks for your comment 🙂

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    • November 22, 2016 at 1:39 am
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      You wear that body con dress and wear it proudly! Hip dips shouldn’t be considered a flaw, if you wish to hide them wear something else…. but if you want to wear body con wear it who cares besides you! And I can tell your right now you will slay!

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    • November 9, 2016 at 12:56 pm
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      Oh, thanks Romula! I actually had no idea, I always thought saddlebags referred to love handles! I will update my post for correctness!

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  • November 3, 2016 at 2:03 pm
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    I was sitting with my friend in leggings and she said your love handles are HUGE! You need to diet!

    I was so confused. What are love handles?? I searched on the Internet and found articles on muffin tops and fat. I knew mine were not fat as there is a thin layer of skin and very prominent bone.

    I found this article and I’m very happy at how positive you are about it ? But now I’m kind of upset, what if everyone thinks I’ve got love handles and don’t eat healthily when actually it’s just my bones???

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    • November 9, 2016 at 12:43 pm
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      Hey Alex, unfortunately it’s just one of those things.. if you can’t do much about it, you just have to learn how to accept it!! I think what matters most is what you think of yourself. I know it can be hard but try not to focus on other’s opinions of you. If you are healthy and happy then who cares what anyone else thinks?!
      Love, Jolie 🙂

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  • November 12, 2016 at 7:45 pm
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    Oh my goodness, I gasped at LEAST 10 times while reading this article- you took words right out of what I’ve been thinking for years (though I’m only fifteen ?). I have an hourglass shape and all my life I’ve thought “I’d only be perfect if my hips were smooth.” I would look at myself in the mirror and flatten those little pieces of fat on my hipbones with my hands and then I’d finally look like the other girls at school. When I read about the “too tight underwear” thing I almost screamed! I VERY SERIOUSLY thought my hip dips were caused by wearing the low rise jeans that were in fashion in middle school with a really tight belt! AND I’ve always wondered if I could fashion myself some little pads that could fill out my hip dips and never knew people actually made real ones! My hip dips are filling out a bit as I go through puberty so that gives me hope! This article really brightened my day hahaha!

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    • November 12, 2016 at 8:59 pm
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      Heheh, hi Madeline! You might be lucky yet, a lot can change during puberty ESPECIALLY fat distribution, so here’s hoping you end up with a lesser dip! Based on a lot of the comments people are posting on this article we are all definitely not alone – it’s so funny that this seems to ring true even right down to having the same thoughts about this affliction! Thanks for your comment, I’m so glad to hear you are feeling a bit more positive now!!
      Love Jolie xo

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  • November 14, 2016 at 2:12 pm
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    Wooow. You’re information are really helpful. My friends never understand me haha so true. I have been feeling insecure about my hip dips since i was in middle school . Even now i am college student i still feel it. Whenever i wear tight dress or jeans it makes them look more . So glad that i’am not the only one thx!! 🙂

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    • November 16, 2016 at 7:41 am
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      No problem Helen, thanks for stopping by to comment!

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  • November 25, 2016 at 12:50 pm
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    I’m 13 years old and have a very prominent hip dip. I always used to think it was a muffin top, and i would do all these oblique exercises. Then i thought that my low rise leans had cut into my body and left a dent. Imagine how scared I was! I always used to be very embarrassed about them. Now, I’m laughing at all the crazy things I thought about them. Thankfully, I know that it’s not fat and just my bone structure. This post boosted my self esteem knowing that almost everyone has a hip dip. Thank you very much!

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    • November 28, 2016 at 7:28 am
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      Hi Sophia, thanks for taking the time to comment, it means a lot to everyone who seems to stumble across this page!

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  • December 5, 2016 at 8:48 pm
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    Oh my, oh my. Now I know I’m not alone. Thank so so much for this post. I’m definitely getting the pads. God bless you real good…

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    • December 8, 2016 at 10:40 pm
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      Nice Helen! Let us know how you go with the hip pads!

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  • December 23, 2016 at 4:56 pm
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    I have a very prominent “hip dip” that has always made me look a lot bigger than I actually am. My family, especially my extended family, has mocked me about being bigger since I was in elementary school even though I’ve never been overweight. My hip dips prevented me from wearing prom dresses and bathing suits and just fitting into the normal crowd because I’m so self conscious about it now. I was anorexic in high school and still suffer from an eating disorder and even when I was at my lowest weight my lumpy hips were there. It’s sad because I know now that there’s nothing I can do to make them go away and therefore I do not believe that I will ever feel beautiful. I only came across this article because I’m about to go shopping for professional clothes and I know that it’s going to be difficult. I’ve always wanted to wear a skirt that shows off my figure but I do not have a figure worth showing off. This article really did bring positivity to my day since know I know I’m not alone in this, but I know I’ve got a long way to go

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    • December 24, 2016 at 10:13 am
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      Hi Dori, Thanks for sharing your story with all of us here. It makes me sad to hear that you feel so self conscious about your shape, but it’s definitely not fair on you that your family has made fun of you in the past.

      I think you are wrong when you say you don’t think you will ever feel beautiful though. It sounds stupid, but I’ve really come to realize that a big portion of the way you feel ultimately comes down to how you think and what you allow yourself to feel. Please don’t keep putting yourself down! It’s really hard, but making a conscious choice to try and think differently about the situation (if you can’t do anything else about it) can and will definitely help.

      Try to focus on the things you can control (like being healthy and treating your body well) and what you are grateful for about your body, instead of what you don’t like about it – I promise you this is the way to turn it around! I hope the clothes shopping goes well – much love xx Jolie

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  • February 2, 2017 at 5:57 pm
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    As a man, I can say that I think “hip dips” are quite attractive and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say a bad thing about it.

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    • February 3, 2017 at 12:59 am
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      Wow, you have no idea how much this kind of feedback both shocks and assures us Jeff! Huge thank you for taking the time to drop this comment.

      If I’m honest, I still have a huge amount of disbelief when I hear this kind of comment from a guy, but with enough reinforcement, I hope it sinks in (both to me and everyone else reading this page!).

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  • February 16, 2017 at 3:53 pm
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    Hello Jolie,
    Thanks for writing this article. I have been suffering from dip hip syndrome since I was 26 years old and I have been calling it with names like hour glass, ugly butt or what not and tried to do some exercises as well but it’s a very slow process, at times I just give up and stay as I am but other times I feel disgusted with my lower body because no matter what I wear I look horrible :(. Now I am turning 40 in few months and still struggling with this problem (lol). I guess can’t run away and keep doing exercise.
    Thank you. 🙂

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    • February 18, 2017 at 9:43 am
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      Hi Faiza, I feel your pain, but please please please – don’t put yourself down by telling yourself you have an ugly butt! While we may not be able to change everything about ourselves, turning your thoughts to things you are grateful for can definitely help counter the negative feelings we all have from time to time. Keep up the exercising though, any improvement is always a bonus!

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  • February 28, 2017 at 7:44 am
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    I’m a guy that is big boned. My ribs and my hips are wide and in between them it makes an hour glass. Even if I didn’t have love handles it would still appear that I do cuz my shape. It brings my self esteem down so much. “I can’t have a regular guy body” “she’s gonna be grossed out when I take my shirt off” I’m obsessed about it. It’s really sad.

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    • November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am
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      Hi Cole, sorry that you feel that way, we all here know what it’s like to have a body feature you don’t like and can’t easily change. Don’t forget that the points in this article can apply to you too. It sucks, but we can’t let ourselves get down on things that we can’t change! Honestly though, I think you wouldn’t be the only guy with this issue and I’m willing to bet that most girls won’t care. Try and work on something you can change that you can wow her with instead – arms, shoulders, abs? Or even better, glutes?? 😛

      Reply
  • March 14, 2017 at 6:18 pm
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    Thank you for this.

    I can’t count the number of times I have cried and agonized about my “deformity.” A problem that no one else in the world had, I thought! I’m now 28, but between ages 13-23, my hip dents (though I never knew what to call them until reading this article) obliterated my self esteem and made me feel like a total outcast. My friends couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t wear a bikini or tight-fitting skirts. They told me I “wasn’t even fat” and was being silly. I didn’t know how to describe what was wrong with me, and just dodged their questions.

    It stopped me from dating, as I was terrified of a boy seeing me naked. Eventually I did fall in love, and I’ll never forget when he told me he loved my hips. I thought he was messing with me. But it has been almost 10 years and he keeps saying it, so it must be true. 🙂 Still… I wasn’t happy with myself, and would occasionally fall down the well of self-pity and cry about my hips.

    BUT, thanks to the beauty of the internet, and thanks to you for being so open and honest with your writing, I can put all of that behind me! I would say my hip dent is especially noticeable. Probably on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a full-blown 10. I am as far from the ideal rounded hip as can be. Luckily I have learned how to dress to feel comfortable and confident. I know what works on me and what doesn’t.

    But still, I felt totally alone. Until now! Your article (which was fun to read by the way!) shed light on something I never thought anyone would talk about! I might have to buy a pair of those hip pads too so I can expand my wardrobe (Embarrassing story: I used to use socks to fill out my shape when I was a teenager – until my friend saw one poking out of my pants one day and I about died lol she never did ask what a sock was doing there.)

    Anyways, thank you to my fellow hip dip sister! I wish you happiness and love! Mwah!

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    • March 15, 2017 at 11:26 am
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      Hi Amy! Thank you for your comment and hilarious story about the sock-stuffing! I could just about see your friend not saying a word and it made me laugh! I cannot tell you how much I identify with everything you’ve written, as well as all the comments from all the lovely ladies who have commented on this article. I too was terrified of a guy ever seeing me naked and thought he’d wonder what was wrong with my hips. But my boyfriend also occasionally tells me he likes my hips (and everytime, I’m like.. “Whattt???”), so putting our own self-dislike aside and looking at this logically, we now have solid proof that not everyone dislikes hip dips. Much love back to you too!

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  • March 26, 2017 at 10:58 am
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    So I have to leave a response because I am actually not self-conscious about my body. I think I am hott!! I don’t like my muffin top spilling over tho and I was looking up ways to accentuate my figure better. I’ve just recently started dressing more girly and I sing in a band so I want to be able to look my best. This article has definitely open my eyes, I never really gave too much thought of it but I did think that I was the only one with this body figure. I recently have been dealing with a divorce and it didn’t know what to do so I started dancing I’m 5’9 and I was 175lbs size 38 in mens pants at the beginning of my divorce, I am now 160 pounds and size 30 but I still have a muffin top …. It is just my body.

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    • March 27, 2017 at 11:12 am
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      Love to hear that you are not self conscious Marge, and huge congrats on your new body! Thanks for stopping by!

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  • March 27, 2017 at 8:51 am
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    So I’ve been searching for a swimsuit and can’t seem to find anything that’s exactly what I want..and I got to thinking about this awful indention in my hips.. A few minutes later and google led me here.. I have always been super self conscious about my body shape. I am learning to love my body as it is but nobody’s (my family) hips ever had that weird dip that mine do (which I now know is hip dip). My family is super honest about things and I’ve heard it since high school about my hips looking differently from the rest of my family… Never criticizing me for it but lets face it being a slightly overweight teenager with self esteem issues already, their honest opinions did nothing to improve my body image. Anyway, I am glad to know that I am not the only person with this problem. My hip dips are pretty prominent… Like really noticeable. I will definitely be trying the exercises you mentioned and maybe they will hurt.. can’t hurt to try.. Thanks!!

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  • April 1, 2017 at 8:07 pm
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    Oh my gosh I love this post so much! Thank you so much for writing it!
    My whole life I’ve had a war between “feel confident in the body you’re in” and “but this is evidence that I’m fat!”
    And not seeing it on anyone else around me definitely contributed to that. I mean posters of women everywhere and online shopping yes, that’s a given, but also none of my friends. Either it’s a little rare or everyone else was very good at hiding it!
    And I’ve definitely had those judgey “your bikini bottoms are way too small for you” comments. I’m now tempted to threaten to strip to show it’s just how my hips are.

    In googling this I also ran across https://insideoutstyleblog.com/body-shape-calculator which actually includes high hips as a thing – it’s the distinguishing feature between her X shaped and 8 shaped body types here https://insideoutstyleblog.com/2010/11/body-shapes-explained-defining-points.html
    Although her 8 shaped cartoon body shows absolutely no signs of violin hips (which annoys me a lot since the author specified it was part of the definition so showing no evidence of that feels like everything that told me I look wrong!) she does have some hints on how to dress it which immediately made sense of a couple of things I’d noticed over the years.
    E.g. A-line skirts, even though they’re supposed to be universally flattering and skate over the hips etc, just look terrible on me – they flare out so much! Which makes total sense if they’re flaring out from a higher point than you’d expect, so straight skirts actually look better.

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    • April 2, 2017 at 11:10 am
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      Thanks for the link Kathryn, that ‘defining points’ post has a great example of violin hips! I always latch on to examples like this which actually show hips that look like mine, its like ‘yes! Finally someone has an example of what my body is like!!’ I’m off to crawl that site to see if there are any dressing tips for the 8 shape!

      Reply
  • April 12, 2017 at 6:06 pm
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    Agh, this has been so so helpful! I’m a curiously confident 15 year old who has finally taken up the courage to google what on earth my hips are doing. This post is extremely helpful, but I’ve also got a little personal clothing anecdote…

    I usually wear skinny jeans with tops that cover my hip dips, but I’ve recently felt quite fashionable & adventurous, and so started to try high waisted jeans.

    I chose a pair that sit basically just above my hip dips; they’re a little on the loose side, and they’ve got this gorgeous rose embroidery down the legs. I’m completely in love! They do a more-than-good job at hiding my hip dips, since they aren’t tight, and I can finally experiment with shorter (and cuter) tops.

    It has taken me months of staring at socially acceptable body silhoettes to realise that mine look nothing like them. I think I’m more comfortable with my body than most, but it’s been fantastic to know that this isn’t a major problem, or that I’m facing it alone. Again, thank you so much for enlightening me! Lacie x

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    • April 20, 2017 at 10:22 am
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      Thanks so much for sharing Lacie! I’ve never even considered high waisted jeans before, but you have opened up my mind to the fact that it may be possible to wear them even with hip dips! That’s a great idea with the embroidery down the legs to take away attention from the hip area as well.

      Can you let us know how exactly they sit in terms of height? Do you mean they sit just above your actual hip bone? In which case I’m picturing they are not overly high waisted, is that right?

      I would love to be able to wear shorter tops, but don’t really want to show too much skin, so high waisted is the only other choice (which I’ve so far not been brave enough to try)!

      Reply
  • April 20, 2017 at 1:10 pm
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    Oh. my. gosh! It’s so nice to know I’m not the only one who can never buy a knit form-fitting dress. This was so helpful to know I’m not alone! I’ve generally been okay at accepting it’s just the way it is, but not being able to wear a nice non-structured dress has driven me crazy! I want to wear one so bad but I look so BUMPY!

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    • April 20, 2017 at 12:16 am
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      I know Rachel, I and all the other ladies who have commented here all feel your pain!! I haven’t gone this far yet, but if you are really keen, the only solution I can see is padded panties to quite literally fill in those missing pieces lol. That, and a thicker fabric for the dress (think very thick knit), could definitely even out any bumpy bits. You could add shapewear to the equation if you really wanted, but it does sound like a lot of effort after all of that, which is understandably why a lot of us sadly just write off the body con dress 🙁 Damn these hip dips!

      Reply
  • April 24, 2017 at 5:31 am
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    I’m currently around 18 and I’ve struggled with this for so long because girls around me don’t have it and wear like the beautiful tight prom dress or pencil skirts and hip accentuating items. My sister told me what I had with my hips was from wearing tight jeans and underwear in middle school so I always thought I had just messed up my body from early on. It’s the only part of my body that I have yet to to love and accept and while my mom has hip dips as well hers are not nearly as prominent and noticeable as mine. I’m curious if it is possibly genetic at all? But either way this post was so very helpful to know that so many other women have this as well and I hope to either try to lessen how noticeable mine is or just accept it over time, thank you for creating this article it was very helpful

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    • April 26, 2017 at 9:42 am
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      Hi Izzy, thanks for sharing and your kind words! I’m so glad this post has seemed to help so many fellow ‘hip-dippers’ lol 🙂
      Yes I would say there could definitely be a genetic component (it’s bone structure, after all). But I’m still of the opinion that the right clothing and exercises can help hide those dips, even if just a little bit! Good luck!

      Reply
  • May 20, 2017 at 1:38 am
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    Hi,

    I have a sad history with my hip dips aswell.
    When i get curvier around 12 years old, the hip dips developed and made me very insecure.
    I genually thought that i was getting fat. I started dieting and hating on my body, but they never disappeared.
    I am 35 now, and when i look at old pictures of me, i realize that i was gorgeous.
    I hope a lot of young girls read your article and realize they are not freaks but beautiful in their own way.

    What i learned about my silhoutte over the years:
    -Avoid low rise everything as ot will give you the appearence of a muffin top.
    -high cut underwear/bikinibottoms are the worst,
    -Anything 50ies/pin up style (peblums etc) will look classy ,gorgeous and sexy, this fashion was made for figure of 8s(high hourglass)
    -men love the curves
    -when i wear thighter dresses(and i do!) ,i just wear some high cut spandex panties under ist, they even the bumps and little belly out
    -show off what you got. I for example have nice legs, nobody will even realize my hip dips when i show them
    -oversize clothes don’t work, and makes me look boxy.
    Accentuate your waist somehow.
    -You will never get rid of the hip dips, but a little exercise can help to tighten them..

    ok just my two cents

    Love yourself girls, i bet your body is gorgeous

    Reply
    • May 21, 2017 at 10:45 am
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      Thanks for these tips Adora, they are gold. I didn’t know that one about 50’s fashion style, that’s a great one! I especially loved this part of your comment … “I am 35 now, and when i look at old pictures of me, i realize that i was gorgeous” That’s so true, that we often don’t realize how lucky we are until it’s much later!

      Reply
  • June 8, 2017 at 11:17 pm
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    I literally teared up reading this. After hating my stomach for most of my life, I’ve really struggled with body acceptance over the past couple of years. One day I began analyzing this area more, and when I discovered my high hip bones, I felt a little better knowing this isn’t easily changed. Like others, I had never known the term for this! I’m so relieved I’m not alone as I journey onward to body acceptance. Thank you for your well-researched article!

    Reply
    • June 9, 2017 at 9:19 am
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      Thank you Laura for your lovely comment! I wish you all the best on your journey – whenever I am struggling with this myself I like to constantly remind myself how lucky I am to be healthy, fit and able. Something we shouldn’t take for granted ever!

      Reply
  • June 15, 2017 at 8:42 pm
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    Thank god I found this. I also have hip dips. Mine are just from having naturally high hip bones. My hips start right under my waist and I tend to gain weight there. I have struggled for years trying to find clothes that work for me and kept trying to dress for an hourglass figure since i have a small waist to hip/bust ratio but ended up frustrated and confused! Since I figured out this is my shape, i’ve been trying and struggling to find jeans. I cant seem to find any that are high enough rise to not emphasize my hip shelf and that wont slip down and stay put. Anyone have any recommendations? I am going to try the shape wear panties/ control undies cause I think that might help smooth me out with some of the clothes I have.

    Reply
    • June 16, 2017 at 9:08 am
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      It’s hard if you don’t have much of a waist, and the whole high hip bone issue certainly doesn’t help! I have a similar problem. For me there’s an optimal spot where the waist of the jeans needs to finish so that I don’t end up looking too weird. I don’t usually wear belts, but ended up having to because jeans kept falling down, so maybe this would help you too – then you could have some way to hold them put! For me it just took a lot of experimenting (take advantage of trying on heaps of jeans when out shopping to see how different styles fit on you!) until I found the most flattering option. Also check out my guide on how to flatter your butt with jeans or jeans that make your butt look bigger for a few more tips!

      Hope this helps, and maybe we’ll have some other recommendations for you too from others?

      Reply
  • June 29, 2017 at 11:39 pm
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    Wow I have always wondered if anyone else had hip dips like me. Honestly I didn’t know it was a thing until today. I always thought there was something wrong with my body. This post helped me so much, THANK YOU!

    Reply
  • July 1, 2017 at 5:20 am
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    This post made my night. I’ve always struggled with my hip dips (didn’t know they had a name) and felt like I was the only person who had them. My waist is smaller than my mom’s but I could never fit into her clothes because of my hips. I used to spend so much time pressing the skin back and wishing my body looked that way all the time. I’m a yoga teacher now and I’ve let go of a lot of that negativity, but of course it’s still there sometimes. I’ve noticed that my hips are quite open in yoga and that opens me up to do postures that some people can’t! I don’t know if this is the reason, but I like to think it contributes. My hip dips are less pronounced since I’ve started yoga. When you practice and activate your core, it is more than just the abs!

    Also, I disagree about high-waisted jeans or shorts. If I wear ones that sit just above my hips, they totally smooth me out so much so that my prof pic on FB is of the back of me wearing them! You can’t even tell. So don’t rule them out! Thank you for this awesome post.

    Reply
    • July 2, 2017 at 8:13 am
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      Emily! First of all, thanks! Second of all – that is absolutely AWESOME that doing yoga has reduced your hip dips! Can you share more specifics like how long it took you to notice this kind of result, how often you practice, and what kind of yoga poses you do that might have been most effective? I did compile a list of yoga poses which are good for the butt once, but I’d very much love to write one about which poses are good for reducing hip dip!!

      I know what you mean about smoothing out the dips. I think it depends on the individual (including exact hip bone location, how it flows into your waist etc.) if high-waisted bottoms will be a good thing or a bad thing. Basically, try and see! Thanks heaps for this information!

      Reply
  • July 5, 2017 at 5:37 pm
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    yeah to be honest i didnt find this article helpful at all
    all fairly common sensical tips and if youre older like i am than you wouldve have thought of or tried all these ….
    and then highlighting the obvious downsides to having this structure that basically make me cringe, everyday alone, now your article points out in pretty good detail how and why you hate them… weird way to relate maybe, i am left wanting to nap and pretend i didnt read this lol

    Reply
    • July 6, 2017 at 8:06 am
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      Ouch, sorry about that hipdip! I can’t remember if I did add it in or not, but there are (maybe) some things I’ve come across since writing this article that may help. For instance ‘coolsculpting’ (non-surgical), or I guess if all else really fails and it’s totally ruining your life, liposuction. I’ve thought about both these options before on days when I too have felt like wanting to nap and not think about my hip dips, lol.

      Reply
  • July 19, 2017 at 3:33 pm
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    I used to not have these dents, but more recently I developed them again when I started gaining weight again. I feel like my body has learned to store fat in different places, depending on how I’ve changed my diet. The first time I gained a lot of weight, it was mostly in my stomach and arms… this time, it is in my thighs and stomach and I have these dips. I also have love handles too, so maybe that contributes to it too?

    Anyhow, I am somewhat on a mission to figure out what is causing my body to gain weight again. I am wondering if I am eating too many eggs, fat (like butter), or if I drinking too many sugary beverages (like honey in my tea). I also have an autoimmune disease, so I don’t know if that has affected how my body stores fat, or if I have just been skinny my whole life because I was sick before? Hopefully, my post can help someone else though!

    Reply
    • July 27, 2017 at 7:59 am
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      Hey Belle, thanks for sharing this, I feel like posts like yours are definitely useful if someone else has a similar experience or is looking for the same kind of information! I hate to say it, but sometimes just age can be a factor when it comes to weight gain. I know my Mom used to be this tiny skinny thing (I can barely squeeze into some of her dresses!) but then I guess from about 35 onwards she might have started putting on weight around her hips and legs and it seemed to stay there. I’m just guessing based on photos I’ve seen though. Unfortunately, the specific places your body wants to store fat is usually up to nature and you can’t do too much to change that, but I still feel like with the correct diet and exercise choices you can definitely fight it. Keep an eye out for those hidden calories and try and keep your exercise levels up. Sometimes even small changes can add up significantly over time!

      Reply
  • July 25, 2017 at 1:18 am
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    It is sooo great to know that my condition has a name to it, for the longest time I always thought I just had the world’s worst muffin tops, even when I was a teenager and had very little fat on me. I never had these hip dips when I was a child, so when I started developing them as a pre-teen, I thought it was just fat. In high school I was so sub-conscious about my “muffin tops” I almost turned anorexic. But no matter how much weight I lost those dips were still their. And any time my school had a winter formal or a prom and I got to see all my friend in these pretty tight fitting dresses that accentuated that curve between the hip and thigh, I always felt like a deformed freak when I tried the same dress on. Currently I am 25 and a host of medical issues has caused me to gain weight, which accentuates the hip dip even more because of more fat storage on top of the hips. I hate anytime I have to wear a bathing suit or dress that is form fitting and accentuates that giant muffin on top of my hips. Especially since the rest of my family are super slim and have that perfect hour glass shape, it makes you stand out even more when you have this random bulge on your sides. However, thanks to your blog I know that this hip dip I had since I was 13 is just my body shape and that no matter how much weight I loose or gain it is always going to be there. It’s nice knowing that this dip is not because I’m fat or don’t do enough crunches too loose the fat reserves on top. Knowing that my condition has an actual term and that other women also suffer with the dip definitely helps bring my spirits up. I always thought I was the lone weird girl in school with bulging muffin tops. But I’m not alone in this anymore! 🙂

    Reply
    • July 27, 2017 at 7:51 am
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      Hi Marina, thanks for sharing your story here too! You are definitely not alone, come and join the rest of us! hahah
      x Jolie

      Reply
  • July 30, 2017 at 1:58 pm
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    I never knew what this was but I hate it. Of course more recently I have been slightly overweight and knew that was just fat. I was up to 145. I am now around 125 since April. Right now I am just to abnormal bmi according to my height but in have gained muscle. The fat has gone away some making it less prominent but I literally thought it was from my underwear I try to pull it up but it doesn’t work that way. Or when I go out in something tight I won’t wear any so you can’t see it as much. Hoping mine isn’t in the skeleton so I can get more rid of it but I literally have only seen myself with it. I always wonder why girls who have a lot more weight than myself can have more nicer looking bodies and figures than me.

    Reply
    • August 1, 2017 at 9:39 am
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      I know what you mean Lisa, I’ve always found myself wondering at how ‘normal’ hourglass shaped women’s bodies actually work! Keep at it with the exercising, only time will tell if things will smooth out in that area. I hope they do for you!

      Reply
  • November 28, 2017 at 1:58 am
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    Maybe this is not true for everyone, but my hip dints went away after my first pregnancy. My hip dents were never very prominent, but I noticed them and didn’t like it. Pregnancy definitely changed the shape of my pelvic girdle and my hips are far more feminine then they once were… now if I could get my pre-pregnancy boobs back, I’d love it. So it goes!

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    • November 28, 2017 at 1:59 am
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      Wow, that’s really interesting Gypset! Thank you for sharing this. I wouldn’t have thought that a change like that could happen, but it makes sense!

      Reply
  • February 13, 2018 at 1:04 pm
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    Wow- I am so grateful for finding this forum! I have forever struggled with my hip dips and it made me mentally ill at one or two points. I will share my experience.

    So at school around age 16, I noticed that girls were getting curvy and that the more curvy they were, the more popular! at the time I was patiently waiting for my hips to round up but I wasn’t so insecure as I used to dress quiet modestly anyway so there wasn’t much attention on my hips. When I was about 18, my hips still were ‘under developed ‘ and I researched into this to then classify myself as having a ‘boyish figure’. I genuinely thought I did not develop hips during puberty. I didn’t not know there was a term for them ‘hip dips’ until now. I called them flat hips!

    My hip dips really effected my confidence and still do, I feel really upset when I stand next to curvy women even if they are bananas but have abit of a curve. In my culture, we wear sarees to events which really I focus on the hip area and I always felt nervous wearing one because my saree would go straight down my body rather than around my hips! However I managed to find a way to wear it where my hips looks fuller. My husband first met me when I was 22 years old and I was wearing a saree. I knew he was attracted me but I felt so bad that he doesn’t know how my body really is!

    Around the time of being engaged, I become extremely sub conscious about my hips. I called my fiancé and told him that I am very conscious about my body, I was not comfortable to say to him that I virtually have no curves so talked about How I am so skinny! He reassured me that he felt attracted to me however I was still very worried and made my self ill. I started to enquire about my cosmetics surgery but did not go ahead as it goes against my religious views. I also went to see a counsellor and there was was diagnosed with bodily dysmorphia disorder (BDD) which is a condition where someone is extremely unsatisfied with their body . At the time I just kept saying to the therapist that I have no curves as I did not know of the term ‘hip dips’, if I knew that term I think she Would have understood me a bit better.

    So I dreaded my husband seeing me without clothes, but honestly he did not complain and finds me attractive. I still am very self conscious about my body around him even though we have been married 6 years. At age 27,I gave birth to my beautiful boy and pregnancy did not help push out those hip dips. My husband always tells me that I have beautiful body and that he doesn’t need to look at any other women because he is so attracted to me, but I am still heavily insecure and it’s things like not being able to wear a tight fitted dress that really get me down! I normally wear a line dresses or flowey dresses which make me feel really comfortable. I am trying to accept my body but it is so hard. I also now wear a waist trainer which helps to push my stomach and muffin top in and gives me much smoother silhouette.

    Sometimes I begins to feel better about my body and start loving it but doesn’t last long until someone with full hips stands next to me! I have been so negative, I’ll quickly end this with the positives! I have been told that I am generally a beautiful person so it does help take way the attention from my hips! My sisters who know about my insecurity tell me that i am over reacting and that they would love to have my body.Also, my lack of hips have helped me to focus on my inner beauty – so I am someone who is always making others feel better about themselves and try to give without expecting anything back! Most importantly , I focus on being a trophy wife and a supermum! My mum always told me to focus on my abilities over than my body image and it’s something that I try to do. Also, I read an article about how we are 20% more attractive than we think we are because when we look in the mirror we focus on our flaws. When I avoid looking too much into my hip dips I see my long slim legs and arms which boosts my body confidence.

    Reply
    • February 13, 2018 at 1:47 pm
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      Thanks for sharing your story Lorraine! It’s funny that we often tend to judge ourselves more harshly than any one else ever would. I hope you do take your husband’s advice on board and start believing that you are attractive in his eyes!

      I think we can all relate to feeling insecure at times, but it’s exactly like you said – we need to focus on the positives and what we do like about our selves instead! I honestly believe this is the answer.

      The more you focus on something, the bigger it seems. We all have a choice whether we choose to focus on things that empower us, or things that disempower us and take away our happiness. It’s not always easy to do the former, but practice makes perfect, and it does get easier! If you continually make a habit of shifting your focus to the positive, you can literally condition your brain to think in this new pattern all of the time without effort. It can be tough to begin with, but it’s definitely possible. Good luck, and keep thinking positive!

      Reply
      • November 23, 2020 at 12:23 pm
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        really appreciate the effort of creating the feature…

        Reply
  • February 14, 2018 at 9:02 pm
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    A real eye-opener, I just came from a workout for wider hips and stumbled upon this. I’m 13 and I’ve always had a figure eight. Although I don’t know about the muffin top making your hip dips more prominent, a larger butt certainly makes it seem worse. I’m a competitive swimmer and every time I wear a swimsuit I feel like I’d look perfect with less prominent hip dips. To make it worse people used to call me squatty square a**, cos I had a larger bum and hip dips.

    I can wear high-waisted jeans and their fine, but I agree with the underwear, spandex is a life saver.

    Love the site

    X
    Val

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    • February 16, 2018 at 9:29 am
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      Thanks Val! We’ve all been there, but I can’t believe in your case that people would be so cruel to call you nasty names like that >:( Ignore them, you certainly don’t need to listen to that rubbish.

      Sounds like your hip dips are different from mine, as the last few times I tried, I still can’t do high-waisted pants! Just goes to show you that there’s still even lots of variation between us gals with hip dips even 😛

      What wider hips workout have you been following; do you feel like you’ve had any positive results from following it? I have been planning on putting something together for a while, just haven’t got around to it yet!

      Reply
  • March 2, 2018 at 10:51 pm
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    i have always thought i was perfect but growing pass my teen age taught me otherwise as i began to notice i had hip dips, done lots of workouts but that thing still wont fill up. i have decided to ignore it but sometimes reality hits you on the face, especially when you see ladies with the hourglass shape…..looks like we would just have to embrace it, cos we are beautiful in our own different way…..love yourself.

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    • March 3, 2018 at 12:17 pm
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      I know what you mean Ola, I also decided to ignore my hip dips since I wrote this article (and even before)! Usually I don’t let mine affect me too much, but every now and then it’s easy for your self confidence to go downhill, fast, like you said. I’ve also had limited results with exercises because there doesn’t seem to be anything in the dip to fill out! But I have found that when I tense up my butt so the ‘meat’ of it lifts up a bit, it tends to fill in the gap some.

      Reply
  • March 6, 2018 at 5:09 am
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    This post has enlighten me. Thanks you. Mine are very deep. I will try to do the exercises. Now I don’t feel so bad.

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    • March 6, 2018 at 5:15 am
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      Hi Alecia,
      Mine are very deep too, so I know how you feel. These days I just try not to focus on things that make me unhappy, even if exercises don’t help then they surely can’t hurt!

      Reply
  • March 22, 2018 at 1:39 am
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    Thank you for writing this! I’ve been bothered by hip dips for over 20years and always wondered what was wrong with me. I feel a lot better now, finally. Definitely will try out those hip exercises! Thank you!

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    • March 23, 2018 at 4:28 pm
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      Thanks Geosh! Let us know if you see any improvements!

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    • July 28, 2022 at 3:52 am
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      I hate mine I don’t know about anyone less I look at my butt and it looks completely deformed and I’m em wrasses to wear jeans bc then I look like I’m missing meat bc I’m skinny as hell and my loved one says he adore me no matter what but I am kind of ashamed of why I have them it’s hard to praise them when a lot of ppl think they are weird compared to others

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      • August 1, 2022 at 11:10 am
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        I have felt similar to you in the past too Genesis, but later changed my thoughts about it. After all, if we can’t change something, it’s a waste of energy to spend time thinking about it.
        Some things that helped me feel less negatively about my hip dips were (1) Finding things that I liked about my butt to focus on instead; (2) Learn which jeans/clothing styles downplay my hip dips and switch to those; (3) Learn to accept what I can’t change about my body (this doesn’t mean you have to like it, but acceptance really helped me personally to experience less negative feelings); (4) Shifting my perspective – in the grand scheme of things, I am grateful to have a fully functional and working body, when I focus on that it helps me care less about how it looks and be more appreciative of what it does.

        Would love to hear if you think any of these would help you. x

        Reply
  • April 28, 2018 at 7:43 pm
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    i’m 20 years old and having struggled with accepting my bottom body shape has been almost consistent, i’ve tried on some really crucial diets, lost tons of weight and still the fat that’s being directly stored above and under my hip dents hasn’t budged an inch, it’s truly frustrating how it affects me on a daily basis and how much it u tervenes with myself esteem, but i’m still trying to fully accept it considering that’s just how my skeleton structure has been formed (sucks i know) and i can’t do much except for excersing on growing my glutes and eliminating the fat that tends to be stored around that area because there’s no way for me to fullfill that gap, but i’m working on making my glutes more rounder which has been going pretty great since the last few months, and no one can really understand what it’s like having hip dips and no like everyone else’s hourglass looking figure.
    anyways i’m really glad i’ve stumbled across this article and i do hope you accomplish whatever you set your mind into and learn to fully love and accept yourself, much love to every girl that has this issue and is struggling just as much as i do.

    Reply
    • April 30, 2018 at 5:28 am
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      Hi Atheer,
      Thanks for commenting! I relate to each and every comment that comes in and it always makes me feel great to know that this article has helped people in some way. I think we all seem to know what it’s like living with hip dips and not liking them; but I love that together we can all focus on the positives instead!

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  • May 2, 2018 at 6:36 am
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    Wow, reading all these comments is shocking. I had thought that the hip dip thing was only a thing of this era, but to see that so many women have been torn up about it for years is hurting my heart.
    I’m 22, and spent so much time hating my body because it’s not at all womanly.
    I have broad shoulders, AA sized boobs, thick ribs, no waist and hip dips. I really like my legs, however and feel they look great no matter if I’m underweight, muscular or a little chubby.
    To be honest girls, I really found that gaining weight helped even out my hips a little. I have no waist so I still don’t look good in a bodycon dress but my hips are more sloping than squared, now.
    I personally do believe that some women’s hip dips can look great and perhaps even better than rounded hips. Especially those spoon shaped women with smaller waists. Their bodies are more interesting to me.
    I’ve struggled with this stuff for so long… I’ve even jumped from doctor to doctor begging for genetic and hormone tests because at one point I genuinely thought I was meant to be a man and started to think about becoming transgender!!! Just so I could feel more normal in my body. I have nothing of a problem with trans people, but let me ask how horrible I must have felt to think that I was so disfigured, that changing my gender would make me feel “normal”?
    Seriously!
    I know how it can tear you apart, ladies. My heart goes out to all of you, and I so dearly hope that one day we can all look in the mirror and truly love what we see on the outside and the inside.

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    • May 4, 2018 at 12:42 pm
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      Hi Jess, thanks for sharing your story. I was really sorry to hear that you had such a negative self image that you would consider changing your gender, but I think many people will be able to relate on some level with this. It’s not easy to deal with your body looking a certain way that you don’t like, and if we focus too much on these things, its really easy to get into a deep negative self image and self-hate (to the point where drastic decisions/thoughts like yours can start to surface). I’m hoping exactly the same thing you are – that we can learn to love ourselves how we are. It’s not easy but it totally can be done!

      Reply
  • May 27, 2018 at 3:05 pm
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    Thank you for this!!! I also have very prominent hip dips; very, very long, too, I will try some of the exercises but know that my body is just built that way.
    It’s nice to know we’re not alone.

    Reply
    • May 28, 2018 at 5:02 am
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      Good luck Mary! Thanks for commenting 🙂

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  • June 20, 2018 at 12:03 am
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    Yes, I too suffer from this annoying anatomy. I see my teenage daughter having the body I only dreamed of having. She didn’t inherit the evil dip hips. Mine are so bad. It makes it even worst that I’m only a size 36b in the chest area too so when I try on dresses, it looks terrible! My hips are so wide and dip and my breasts are too small. My stomach is pretty flat looking but the way my hips are shaped plus having such a small Boob size isnt flattering. I usually end up wearing dress pants or bodysuits to cover my body when I go someplace nice. It’s horrible.

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    • June 23, 2018 at 9:56 am
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      Glad to hear your daughter was spared Bernice! 😛
      Although it’s frustrating to have dips when you don’t like the look of them, clothing choices really help. I read some advice recently that really resonated with me, it was something along the lines of: You can like certain fashions/clothing looks, but that doesn’t mean they will always look good on you. You can still enjoy them on other people.

      It helped me to realize that while I think body-con dresses can look amazing, I won’t consider them to look amazing on me because of my dips. And that’s okay, I just need to try other clothing styles that do work with my body. That being said, it minght be worth experimenting with other styles/clothing silhouettes if you don’t like your current solutions – maybe you’ll find something flattering that you would never have guessed would be!
      Thanks for posting!

      Reply
  • March 17, 2019 at 7:00 pm
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    I have them as well, I hated it as a teen always comparing myself to other “perfect” girls. However unlike some on here mine have been commented on. Two times stick out in my mind, the first and still think about punching him in the mouth for saying this even though he wasn’t trying to hurt my feelings, he did! My husband of 13 years now after a few months of dating compared me to his ex wife (whom at the time he was still in love with since they had only been separated about 6 months and I’m sure that helped add to the sting of what he said) he said that he loves my body and thinks I’m sexy but he had to get used to my hips because S*******a (ex wife or aka Cunt face as she’s labeled in my contacts) didn’t have big hips like mine. Mind you I was only 115lbs at the time with breast implants that weigh almost ten lbs so I was by no means a big girl. Second I was working as a dancer and a gentlemen commented saying he loved my “child bearing hips” uhhh…. really? Yeah that makes me sound sexy! But over the years I found that I care less and less about them I exercise regularly which building up muscle in that area definitely helps (helps not makes disappear) and I’m just older and more confident in myself and comfortable with my body. They can’t go away ever, but that is the key to it for me being comfortable with my body 10lbs higher or lower or slacking off on my weight training can throw me completely off and I no longer feel comfortable in my body. Everyone has that this, doesn’t matter if your 100 lbs or 300 lbs as long as you feel good about your body that’s all that matters, a hug part of it for me as well was my boobs! I looked like a 10 yr old boy at 18 yrs old and I was anorexic too because my chest or lack there of did not match my big hips so I starved myself so I would be more proportional.

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    • March 20, 2019 at 5:30 pm
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      Thanks for sharing your story Connie, the fact that you remember those incidents so clearly still just goes to show that sometimes even the most innocent or even well-meaning comments can sting when they’re focused on our insecurities. It’s funny though that in the second scenario you mentioned, this sounds really like it was a genuine compliment, but maybe at the time you had built up this mindset about your hips being ‘defective’ or ‘bad’ so much, that you couldn’t even believe that someone might actually find your hips attractive! That’s so crazy and I think many people have been in this same kind of position. When body image issues get to the point where they are causing harm, that’s when you know you need to try and address it… and self-love and acceptance is the best way in my opinion! I definitely agree with you that the older you get, the less you care/more confident you become with your body. That’s been my experience too!

      Reply
    • March 20, 2019 at 7:46 pm
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      I added this post to my website along with a few words! Sadly body image can be crippling for some especially in your teen years and though society says they are trying to tear down the so called “perfect body image” in the media it has done nothing accept change it from one image to another. From stick thin to voluptuous and curvy. All that’s done is make the thin girls insecure too, the plus size girls still insecure. What’s worse is we have all these editing programs now where we can take a picture of ourselves and change everything about us. Look like a super model and feel great about ourselves till we put down the table and look in the mirror once again. That’s not real, and the more people can hear and open up to other about these things the better!

      Reply
      • June 14, 2019 at 3:37 am
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        Thanks Connie! I’m flattered that this resonated with you enough for you to see value in sharing it! I totally agree that younger people can so easily get sucked into body image issues, it’s almost a rite of passage while we are finding our way in the world. You are so right that even though the ‘body acceptance’ movements are now starting to gain traction, the majority of media still does just change from one ideal to another. It’s definitely hard especially in this age of social media. Hopefully we can change things by talking about them more!

        Reply
  • March 20, 2019 at 3:07 pm
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    This has helped me tremendously as well! I ‘ve always felt ugly and ashamed, and this helps me to know, its really not my fault! Maybe one day, I’ll really see them as my unique thing. Thanks for all the research and work you’ve done on this!

    Reply
    • March 24, 2019 at 3:18 am
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      I hope so Morgan – just keep working on it and eventually your mindset can change!

      Reply
  • March 31, 2020 at 11:07 pm
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    Hi, I´m Joss from Mexico (sorry for my bad English).
    I have dip hips and I must admit that I don´t like how they look like when I use leggins or tight skirts, jeans or dresses.

    While reading this article I felt really identified with all the things you said… thank you! I thought I was the only one who felt like that. I must say that, a few minutes ago, I didn´t even know how they were called! I just didn´t like them. I was doing some research about my body type and I ended up here!

    Really… reading these cheered me up and helped me to find out ways to make them look precious… thanks!

    Reply
    • April 1, 2020 at 5:16 am
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      Thanks for the comment Joss, glad to hear that this has helped you! Oh, and your english is fantastic!

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    • December 18, 2021 at 3:39 am
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      I absolutely thank you for this article.
      I have felt the same way my entire life. And i would look at everyone’s hip shape and almost never would see one like mine. I avoided so many things in my life because of my damn hips. Especially swimming and i love swimming. Or anything to do with a swimming suit. Im not short but im not really tall. I would be if i had any kind of torso. But i don’t the bottom of my ribcage pretty much sits on my shelf hips. I have a small ribcage and larger chest thank god so i look like i have a waist and my top can proportion with my bottom. I have really long legs and a wide hip and ass area with hip dips. So i look like a violin. If i put on high waisted pants my butt in the back looks like it goes all the way up to my bra strap. And if i have on anything that is low waist I have muffin top even if im not over weight because my pants sit in the hip dip and my hips are right at my rib cage because i don’t have a damn torso. So this is how I have learned to hide it and look as proportioned as i can. Shape wear is my best friend!
      I put on a shapwear top that focuses on hips and back sculpting to flatten out as much as possible in my hip area. And i do not wear underwear because it only cuts into and makes my hip dip worse. So i wear shapwear shorts or leggings that focuses on my ass and hips. But they have to have a wide and long waist shaper on them. So between the tank top and the shorts or legging I can smooth and round out my hips. Then i find that any pants need to be low rise or mid rise so you can tell my ass stops instead of looking like it continues up. Then i will put on a regular tight fitting tank top and have it go over my waist band of my jeans or skirt and then whatever shirt i want to wear but have it a little shorter then the tank top. So i make it look like i have a longer torso and am more hourglass shaped. I make sure to never put on any clothes that are heavy or bulky in my waist or midsection. And also with this body shape tights or leggings that are shapwear to smooth and round out the hip area with a short skirt or a short dress form fitting or not will make violin hips look good. And i normally wear tops that are lower cut but not showing cleavage. So my top can look more proportioned to my hips. Also empire waist dresses but then goes straight down nothing fluffy or bulging at the hips. I also like to wear long broom skirts with a fitted top ( with shapwear always)
      It shows you have good curves but you cant tell that it’s not beautifully rounded all the way. Damn hip dips. Seriously though shapwear is my best friend. And wide waistband on any skirts.

      Reply
      • December 21, 2021 at 12:21 pm
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        Hi Elizabeth, thanks for contributing your valuable and detailed reply here about what you’ve found makes your hip dips appear minimized. This is super useful information that I know others will get a lot of benefit out of!
        Sounds like you’re already aware of a lot of the kind of clothing tips that can help to draw the eye away from the hip dip area, or otherwise help to visually smooth it out (or hide it).
        I hope you find the courage to stop hiding on account of your violin hips (it’s normal that some of us have this feature, just part of being human!). As someone who has hip dips, but also isn’t a fan of the hip dip shape, I have to say that life does get a lot easier and more fun when you just stop caring about what others will think as much. If you love swimming then go swim! Thanks for another post idea too – I can see there might be a need for a write-up on the best kind of swimwear to downplay hip dips!

        Reply
  • July 13, 2021 at 9:02 pm
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    Hi I’m a guy with them wide hips prominent bottom. just found out what they were? guess I’m a rarity lol nice to know they’re hip dips. Genetics ?

    Reply
    • July 16, 2021 at 11:09 am
      Permalink

      Hey Arturo, I’d hazard a guess that hip dips are pretty common for both men and women alike – though maybe slightly less prominent in men. Yep – genetics!

      Reply

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