Muscles and Bones of the Face

Frontal bone

The main bone of the forehead and the upper part of the eye sockets

Frontalis

The broad muscle over the frontal bone that raises the eyebrows and wrinkles the forehead

Temporal bone

The bone forming part of the side of the skull around the ear and temple

Temporalis

A broad fan-shaped muscle over the temporal bone that helps close the jaw and contributes to the form of the temple

Glabella

The smooth central region of the frontal bone between the eyebrows above the bridge of the nose

Corrugator supercilii

A small muscle beneath the medial eyebrow that draws the eyebrows inward and downward and contributes to the compressed glabella form

Supraorbital ridge

The bony projection of the frontal bone forming the upper margin of the eye socket and supporting the underlying brow projection

Orbit

The bony cavity of the skull that contains and protects the eyeball

Orbicularis oculi

A circular muscle surrounding the orbit and eyelids that closes the eye and creates much of the soft-tissue form around the eye

Procerus

A small muscle over the lower forehead and bridge of the nose that pulls the skin downward and contributes to the glabellar and nasal forms

Nasal bones

Two small bones forming the upper bony bridge of the nose

Nasalis

A muscle of the nose that helps compress or widen the nostrils and contributes to the soft-tissue form of the nose

Ala

The fleshy rounded wing of the nose forming the outer wall of each nostril

Columella

The small vertical column of soft tissue between the two nostrils

Zygomatic bone

The cheekbone that forms the prominence of the cheek and part of the outer eye socket

Zygomaticus major

A facial muscle running from the zygomatic region toward the corner of the mouth that raises the mouth corner during smiling and contributes to the diagonal cheek-to-mouth form

Zygomaticus minor

A smaller muscle running from the zygomatic region toward the upper lip that helps elevate the upper lip and contributes to the cheek-to-upper-lip transition

Maxilla

The upper jaw bone that supports the upper teeth and forms much of the central midface around the nose and upper lip

Orbicularis oris

A circular muscle surrounding the mouth that closes and purses the lips and forms a major part of the lip mass

Buccinator

A deep cheek muscle that compresses the cheek and contributes to the soft-tissue wall between the mouth and lateral cheek

Nasolabial fold

A visible surface fold running from beside the nose toward the corner of the mouth

Mandible

The lower jaw bone that supports the lower teeth and provides the underlying structure of the jaw and chin

Masseter

A thick muscle running from the zygomatic arch to the mandible that closes the jaw and creates a major vertical mass along the back of the cheek and jaw

Depressor labii inferioris

A paired muscle beneath the lower lip that pulls the lower lip downward and contributes to the forms immediately beneath the lower lip

Mentalis

A muscle centered beneath the lower lip that raises or protrudes the lower lip and creates much of the rounded soft-tissue chin mass

Depressor anguli oris

A muscle running from the mandible toward the corner of the mouth that pulls the mouth corner downward and contributes to the lower cheek-to-chin transition

Sternocleidomastoid

A prominent neck muscle running from behind the ear toward the sternum and clavicle that turns and flexes the head and creates a major diagonal neck form

Trapezius

A large muscle extending from the neck into the shoulders that contributes to the broad sloping neck-to-shoulder mas