Walk into any gym or scroll through TikTok for more than five minutes, and you’ll see someone selling a "fix" for your hips. They’re called hip dips. You know the ones—those little inward curves or indentations between your high hip and your thigh. People obsess over them. They try to "fill" them with targeted exercises or hide them with high-waisted leggings. But here is the thing: Can you get rid of hip dips? Honestly, for the vast majority of human beings, the answer is a hard no.
It’s just anatomy.
Think about your skeleton for a second. Your pelvis is the foundation. The "dip" happens because of the gap between your ilium (the top of your hip bone) and the greater trochanter of your femur (the top of your thigh bone). Depending on how your bones are shaped, that gap might be wide or narrow. If your pelvis is wide and your femur sits a bit lower, you’re going to have a visible indentation. No amount of squats or side-lying leg raises is going to move your bones. It's like trying to exercise your way into having longer fingers. It doesn't work that way.
Why Biology Makes Hip Dips Permanent
Most people don't realize that hip dips—scientifically known as trochanteric depressions—are actually a sign of a healthy skeletal structure. They aren't a flaw. They aren't a sign that you're out of shape. In fact, many professional athletes and high-level fitness models have them because they have low body fat, which makes the underlying bone structure more visible.
The appearance of these dips is largely determined by three main factors:
- The width of your hips.
- The position of your greater trochanter.
- The length of the femoral neck.
If you have a high "high hip," the distance between the top of your pelvis and your leg socket is greater. This creates more space for a dip to exist. Conversely, if your hip bones are vertically closer together, the skin and muscle might look smoother. Fat distribution also plays a massive role. Some people carry more subcutaneous fat around their hips, which naturally fills in the gap. Others don't. That’s just genetics.
We’ve been sold a lie. Fitness influencers often post "Before and After" photos claiming they deleted their hip dips through "glute medius training." Look closer. Usually, the "after" photo involves a different camera angle, better lighting, or—let’s be real—Photoshop. Muscle grows under the dip. It doesn't necessarily fill the dip itself. The gluteus medius and minimus sit higher up and further back than where the actual indentation occurs.
The Muscle Myth
Some people will tell you to "just build your glutes." While building muscle is great for your health and metabolism, it can sometimes actually make hip dips more prominent. Why? Because as you lose body fat and gain lean muscle, the structural shape of your skeleton becomes more defined. If your skeleton has a wide gap between the ilium and the trochanter, that gap will become more obvious as the "padding" of body fat thins out.
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It’s ironic. The fitter you get, the more your natural bone structure shows.
Can You Get Rid of Hip Dips Through Diet?
Diet is usually the first lever people pull when they want to change their body. But with hip dips, dieting is a double-edged sword. If you lose weight, you might lose the fat that was previously "filling" the dip, making it look deeper. If you gain weight, you might store fat in your "love handle" area (the iliac crest) and your outer thighs, which actually makes the dip in the middle look even more pronounced.
There is no "hip dip diet." You cannot spot-reduce fat, and you certainly cannot spot-gain fat. Your body decides where it stores energy based on your DNA. If your DNA says "store fat on the belly but not the outer hip," then that’s what’s going to happen.
We have to talk about the psychological toll here, too. The fitness industry thrives on creating problems only they can solve. Ten years ago, nobody even knew what a hip dip was. It wasn't a "thing." Now, it’s a multi-million dollar industry of targeted workout programs and "hip-enhancing" shapewear.
Real World Examples of Bone Structure
Look at professional swimmers or sprinters. These are people at the peak of human physical performance. Many of them have incredibly deep hip dips. Why? Because their bodies are built for power and efficiency, not for meeting an arbitrary aesthetic standard created on Instagram.
Dr. Mike Israetel, a well-known exercise scientist, often discusses how muscularity affects body shape. He notes that while you can "round out" the glutes, you cannot change the insertion points of those muscles. Your muscles attach to your bones at specific spots. You can make the muscle belly bigger, but the attachment point stays the same. If that attachment point is behind the hip dip, the dip stays.
The Role of Cosmetic Procedures
Since exercise and diet usually fail to "fix" the issue, many people turn to the medical world. This is where things get complicated and, frankly, a bit risky.
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Fat Transfer (The Brazilian Butt Lift)
Surgeons can take fat from your abdomen or back and inject it directly into the trochanteric depression. This is probably the most "effective" way to actually get rid of the dip. However, it’s a major surgery. The BBL has historically had one of the highest mortality rates of any cosmetic procedure, though safety protocols have improved significantly in recent years. Even then, not all the fat "takes." Your body might reabsorb 30% to 50% of the injected fat within a year.
Dermal Fillers
Some people use Sculptra or hyaluronic acid fillers to fill the indentation. It’s less invasive than surgery, but it’s temporary. It’s also incredibly expensive because the hip area is large and requires a lot of product. You’re looking at thousands of dollars for a result that might last 18 to 24 months.
Implants
Yes, hip implants exist. They are solid silicone pieces placed over the bone. They are rare, prone to shifting, and carry a high risk of infection. Most reputable surgeons advise against them for purely aesthetic reasons because the hip is a high-movement area.
Is it worth it? That’s a personal call. But it’s a lot of money and risk to fight against your own skeleton.
Shifting the Focus: What You CAN Actually Change
If you stop asking "can you get rid of hip dips" and start asking "how can I build a strong, functional lower body," the conversation gets much more productive. You can’t change your bones, but you can change your strength, your posture, and your muscle density.
Exercises That Actually Matter
Don't do these to "fix" a dip. Do them to build a powerful posterior chain.
- Weighted Hip Thrusts: This is the king of glute exercises. It targets the gluteus maximus, which provides the "shelf" look from the side.
- Romanian Deadlifts: These build the hamstrings and the lower glute tie-in.
- Side-Lying Clamshells & Abductions: These hit the gluteus medius. While they won't fill the dip, they are crucial for pelvic stability and preventing knee pain.
- Bulgarian Split Squats: Everyone hates them, but they are elite for unilateral leg strength and glute development.
Focusing on these movements will give you a "fit" look. You might still have dips, but you’ll have the strength to back up your physique. Strength is a much more satisfying goal than trying to fill a hole in your side that's literally supposed to be there.
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The Clothing Factor
Sometimes, the "fix" is just better styling. If hip dips bother you, look at fabric weights. Thin, tight leggings (especially in light colors) highlight every contour of the body. Heavier fabrics or skirts with an A-line cut completely bypass the hip area. High-waisted bottoms that cut off right at the dip can accentuate it; many people find that a slightly lower or much higher rise works better for their specific shape.
Why This Obsession is Relatively New
If you look at classical art—Renaissance paintings, Greek statues—hip dips are everywhere. Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus? She has hip dips. The statues of ancient goddesses? Hip dips.
For centuries, this was just considered a normal part of the female form. The idea that the hip should be a perfectly smooth, convex curve from the waist to the knee is a very recent invention, largely driven by the rise of "facetune" and edited social media imagery. We are comparing our 3D, moving, breathing bodies to 2D, static, edited images. It's a losing game.
Actionable Insights for Moving Forward
Instead of chasing a surgical or "magic workout" fix, try these steps to change your relationship with your hips:
- Audit your social media. Unfollow accounts that post "hip dip fixes." They are selling you a solution to a problem they invented. Follow athletes who have your body type.
- Focus on "Glute Max" growth. If you want a rounder look, focus on the largest muscle in the butt—the gluteus maximus. Growing this muscle creates a more "curvy" silhouette from the side and back, which often makes people feel better about their overall shape, regardless of the dips.
- Check your stance. Sometimes hip dips look deeper because of "anterior pelvic tilt" (where your pelvis tips forward). Working on core strength and hip flexor mobility can bring your pelvis into a neutral position, which changes how skin and fat sit on your frame.
- Accept the skeleton. Literally go look at a picture of a human pelvis. Notice the space between the bones. Realize that your body is doing exactly what it was designed to do—providing a space for your leg to move freely in its socket.
- Prioritize function. Can you squat your body weight? Can you run a mile without hip pain? Can you carry your groceries? If your hips are strong and functional, they are doing their job perfectly.
The reality is that "getting rid" of hip dips is mostly a myth unless you're willing to go under the knife for a temporary and potentially risky fix. Your time, energy, and money are better spent building a body that is strong, capable, and healthy. Your bones aren't a mistake. They’re the architecture of your movement.
Stop fighting your frame and start fueling it. Most people who seem to "not have them" are either posing in a specific way (one leg forward, hip popped) or are genetically predisposed to store fat in that specific hollow. Neither of those things is a reflection of your fitness or your worth. If you have hip dips, you're in good company—alongside millions of other humans, athletes, and literal works of art.
Focus on the heavy lifts. Eat enough protein. Let your bones be bones.