Known as the “dimples of Venus,” the little indentations on the lower back have a special position in the realm of physical beauty. These dimples, which are formally called fossae lumbales laterales, are situated close to the top of the buttocks, directly above the junction where the spine and pelvis meet.
The term “dimples of Venus” refers to the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and desire, Venus. This moniker reflects the historical perception of these indentations as physical representations of attraction.
The sacroiliac joint’s anatomy, not muscles as one might assume, is what creates the dimples. The sacrum, the triangle bone at the base of the spine, and the iliac spine of the pelvis are joined by this joint. Where the skin is attached to these underlying ligaments, a shallow depression is formed, which is where the dimples appear.
They are completely genetically based, thus a person is either born with them or not, and no amount of deliberate exercise can cause them to manifest. Nonetheless, losing weight and doing specific body-sculpting activities that draw attention to muscle tone might draw attention to and intensify the dimples.
Though they are found in men less frequently, these dimples are more commonly seen in women, where they contribute to the hourglass figure ideal. Men may have what is known as “Apollo’s dimples,” named for the Roman deity of youth and physical attractiveness.
These tiny depressions, on either sex, are admired for their symmetry and uniqueness and have long been linked to an idealized conception of physical beauty.