How to Get Rid of Hip Dips: What Training Can and Can’t Change

If you are trying to get rid of hip dips, here is the short answer: training can reshape the muscle and fat around them, but it cannot change the bone structure that creates the dip. Some people see the curve soften with consistent glute work; others see almost no change. The difference usually comes down to what your dip is made of.

Hip dips, violin hips: same thing?

Yes. Hip dips, violin hips and trochanteric depression all describe the inward curve on the side of the body, below the top of the pelvis and above the outer thigh. They are a normal anatomical variation, not a health problem and not a sign that you are out of shape.

Bone, muscle or fat? A quick mirror check

This is a rough guide, not a diagnosis:

1. Stand relaxed in front of a mirror and note where the curve starts and ends.
2. Squeeze your glutes. If the dip softens a lot, muscle plays a big role.
3. Do a half squat. If it looks the same or deeper, bone shape is probably the main factor.
4. Gently pinch the area. Very little tissue between your fingers means the curve depends mostly on your skeleton.

What an MRI study found about glute training

In a 2023 randomized trial, untrained young adults did nine weeks of either hip thrusts or back squats, and researchers measured their muscles with MRI before and after. Both groups grew the gluteus maximus by a similar amount. The gluteus medius and minimus, the muscles that sit over the side of the hip, showed little to no growth.

It is one short study in beginners, so it is not the final word. Still, it lines up with what many people notice: a glute program changes the back of the hips far more than the sides.

Exercises that target the side of the hip

If you want to train the lateral hip, these moves load it directly:

• Machine or cable hip abduction with progressive weight.
• Banded lateral walks.
• Side-lying leg raises and side planks.
• Hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts for the gluteus maximus and overall shape.

Train them for strength, stability and overall shape. No study has shown that they fill a hip dip, so treat any program that promises to "fix" them with caution.

Signs training has done what it can

• You have trained consistently for several months with increasing load, your glutes changed, and the side curve looks the same.
• Your weight is stable, and the dip does not change when you gain or lose a few pounds.
• The mirror check points to bone, not muscle.

Reaching that point does not mean you need to do anything else. Many people have hip dips and are perfectly happy with them.

Considering hip dip surgery?

When the dip really bothers you, the option a plastic surgeon usually evaluates is fat transfer: fat is harvested with liposuction from areas such as the abdomen, flanks or back and placed into the side of the hip, often as part of a Brazilian butt lift. Part of the transferred fat is usually reabsorbed, results vary from person to person, and you need enough donor fat to begin with. It is surgery, with anesthesia, a recovery period and its own risks, and every case is defined during the consultation with the surgeon.

If you are also weighing body contouring options, the guide to liposculpture in Colombia explains how liposuction and fat grafting are combined.

If you are traveling from the U.S.

• Plan your trip around the recovery, not the other way around. Your surgeon will tell you how many days to stay in Bogotá before your flight home, based on your procedure.
• Ask which post-op garments and restrictions apply during the flight.
• Make sure your surgeon is a plastic surgery specialist registered in Colombia’s official health workforce registry (ReTHUS).
• Ask how follow-up will work once you are back home.

Dr. Camilo Cañas is a certified plastic surgeon trained in Brazil under Dr. Osvaldo Saldanha, with a focus on body contouring, and he sees patients in Bogotá, Colombia. He and his team can assist you in English. Learn more about him.

Frequently asked questions

Can you get rid of hip dips naturally?

You can soften them if muscle plays a role, but no workout or diet changes the shape of your pelvis or thigh bone. Spot-reducing fat in one area is not possible, so losing weight may even make the dip more noticeable.

Do squats make hip dips worse?

There is no evidence that they do. Squats mainly build the gluteus maximus and thighs. If your thighs grow more than the side of your hip, the curve may look different, but that is not harm and not a reason to stop squatting.

Are hip dip fillers an alternative to surgery?

Some clinics offer injectable fillers for the hips. Their effect is temporary and they still carry risks. Discuss any injectable with a qualified physician, and ask which product is used and whether it is approved for that area.

Do men get hip dips?

Yes. The anatomy is the same. Men tend to have narrower pelvises and store fat differently, so the curve is talked about less, but it can be there.

Is hip dip surgery in Colombia safe?

Safety depends on the surgeon, the facility and your own health, not on the country. Check that your surgeon is a registered plastic surgery specialist in ReTHUS, that the procedure is done in a certified high-complexity clinic, and that you understand the risks and the recovery plan before you book your flights.

How much fat do I need for a hip dip fat transfer?

There is no fixed amount. It depends on the size of the dip, how much volume you want and how much fat you can safely donate. Very lean patients may not have enough, and the surgeon will tell you so during the consultation.

If training has not answered your question, schedule a consultation with Dr. Cañas in Bogotá, Colombia.