Hip Dips Guide: What They Are, Why They're Normal, and How Body Type Matters
Hip dips (also called "violin hips" or "trochanteric depressions") are the inward curves just below your hip bones. They're not a flaw, not a deformity, and not something you caused. They're simply your anatomy. This guide explains what they are, why body type influences their appearance, and what you can do if you want to minimize them.
What Actually Are Hip Dips?
Hip dips are the visible indentations on the sides of your body between your hip bone (iliac crest) and the top of your thigh bone (greater trochanter). Their appearance depends on:
- Bone structure: The width and angle of your pelvis determine how pronounced the dip appears
- Muscle mass: The size of your gluteus medius (upper glute muscle) fills the depression
- Fat distribution: Where your body stores fat affects whether the depression is visible or filled in
Hip dips are NORMAL anatomy. They appear in people of all weights, all fitness levels, and all body types.
Body Type and Hip Dips: The Connection
Your body type influences how hip dips look:
- Spoon body type: Hip dips are often more visible on spoon-shaped bodies because the high hip (iliac crest area) is prominent. The "shelf hip" appearance of spoons can accentuate the dip between the high hip and the thigh.
- Hourglass/Pear: Hip dips may be less visible because fat and muscle distribution around the hips and thighs smooth the transition.
- Rectangle: Hip dips typically appear as subtle curves in a straighter silhouette. They can actually add definition to a rectangular frame.
- Inverted Triangle: Hip dips are usually less noticeable because the upper body is the dominant feature.
Hip Dips vs Love Handles: The Difference
People often confuse these two completely different anatomical features:
| Hip Dips | Love Handles | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Side of upper hip | Above waist at sides |
| Cause | Bone structure | Fat distribution |
| Anatomy | Trochanteric depression | Suprailiac fat pad |
| Effect on measurement | High hip to thigh transition | Waist to high hip ratio |
Love handles sit ABOVE your hip dips and are soft tissue. Hip dips are BELOW your love handles and are bone structure. You can have either, both, or neither — they're independent features.
Can You Get Rid of Hip Dips?
You can't change your bone structure, but you can change the appearance of hip dips through:
- Building gluteus medius: The upper glute muscle that fills the depression. Exercises: side-lying leg lifts, clamshells, banded lateral walks, single-leg glute bridges
- Building gluteus maximus: A fuller glute smooths the entire hip-to-thigh transition. Exercises: hip thrusts, deadlifts, Bulgarian split squats
- Accepting them: Hip dips are increasingly celebrated in fitness and fashion. Many models and athletes proudly show theirs. The 2020s have seen a major shift toward embracing hip dips as a normal, beautiful feature.
Measurements and Hip Dips
If you're measuring yourself for body type classification, hip dips don't affect your standard measurements — you measure at the widest point of your hips, which is typically below the dip. However, if you want to specifically track the hip dip area, add a "high hip" measurement (at the iliac crest) alongside your standard hip measurement.
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