Are hip dips fat, and can injectables actually remove them?
Medically reviewed by
The LovMedSpa medical team, led by Dr. Ahmed Elsoury, MD and Mark Ennett, PhD, CRNA
Last reviewed: July 2026
Hip dips are skeletal geometry, not a fat deposit. The depression sits between the iliac crest and the greater trochanter, and its depth is set by pelvic width, femoral anatomy and muscle attachment. That changes what any injectable can honestly promise.
The trochanteric depression: anatomy, not fat
The indentation people call a hip dip is the trochanteric depression, the natural hollow between the top of the pelvis and the bony prominence at the top of the femur. Its depth is determined by the width of the iliac crest, the angle and prominence of the greater trochanter, and where the gluteus medius originates and inserts. Subcutaneous fat sits over that architecture and softens or accentuates it. It does not create it.
What weight loss, exercise, injectables and fat grafting can each do
This has consequences a general overview usually skips. Weight loss frequently makes the depression more visible rather than less, because the overlying fat layer thins while the skeleton stays exactly where it was. Hip abduction and glute work build the gluteus medius, which partially fills the hollow, but only to the extent that muscle can span a bony gap. An injectable can add subcutaneous volume over the depression to soften the transition, which is a real and worthwhile result. It cannot narrow the distance between two bones.
Skin quality overlays all of it. Where there is laxity, adding volume beneath loose skin softens the contour less predictably, and addressing laxity first often changes what the volume is being asked to do.
Fat grafting is the surgical alternative and it has the same ceiling for the same reason. It moves the soft tissue envelope, not the frame beneath it, and a proportion of grafted fat does not survive.
Photography, posture and setting honest expectations
It is also worth knowing that posture, stance width, camera angle and lens length change how pronounced the depression appears, sometimes dramatically. A great deal of what people compare themselves against online is a photographic variable rather than an anatomical one.
Knowing this before treatment is what separates a satisfied patient from one who spent significantly and expected the wrong outcome. A proper assessment looks at skeletal structure alongside soft tissue and says which part of the concern is addressable.
Common questions
Can exercise get rid of hip dips?
Not entirely. Hip abduction and glute work build the gluteus medius, which partially fills the hollow — but only to the extent that muscle can span a bony gap. The depression itself is set by pelvic width, the angle and prominence of the greater trochanter, and where the gluteus medius originates and inserts, so training can soften it without removing it.
Does weight loss make hip dips better or worse?
Weight loss frequently makes the depression more visible rather than less, because the overlying fat layer thins while the skeleton stays exactly where it was. Subcutaneous fat softens or accentuates the underlying architecture; it does not create it.
What result can injectables honestly deliver?
An injectable can add subcutaneous volume over the depression to soften the transition, which is a real and worthwhile result. It cannot narrow the distance between two bones. Where there is skin laxity, adding volume beneath loose skin softens the contour less predictably, and addressing laxity first often changes what the volume is being asked to do.
At LovMedSpa, hip dip and body contouring assessments look at skeletal structure alongside soft tissue, under the oversight of medical director Dr. Ahmed Elsoury, MD (New York and Connecticut) and Mark Ennett, PhD, CRNA (South Florida), available across our Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, Aventura, and West Farms locations. A consultation is the best way to find out which part of your concern is addressable — and what an injectable can honestly deliver for your anatomy.
This is general information, not medical advice; candidacy is determined by a licensed provider at an in-person assessment.