
The nose is a complex structure, consisting of skin, nerves, vascular tissues, and muscles. The muscles of the nose form a distinct subgroup within the muscles of facial expression. One of these muscles is the nasalis muscle, which covers the dorsum of the nose and consists of two parts: alar and transverse. The transverse part is responsible for compressing the nasal aperture and the wrinkling of the nose in response to a bad smell.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does the nose have muscles? | Yes |
| Muscle name | Nasalis |
| Muscle components | Transverse section and alar portion |
| Muscle function | Dilates nostrils, depresses the ala nasi (nostril wings) and wrinkles the nasal skin |
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What You'll Learn
- The nasalis muscle is a paired muscle that covers the dorsum of the nose
- The muscles of the nose form a distinct subgroup within the muscles of facial expression
- The nose contains soft tissue components including skin, muscles, nerves, and vascular tissues
- The muscles that dilate the nostrils are crucial to avoiding postoperative widening of the alar base
- The transverse part of the nasalis muscle is responsible for compressing the nasal aperture

The nasalis muscle is a paired muscle that covers the dorsum of the nose
The nose does indeed have muscles. One of these is the nasalis muscle, which is a paired muscle that covers the dorsum of the nose. It consists of two parts: the alar and the transverse. The alar part is also called the dilator naris posterior, and the transverse part is also known as the compressor naris. The transverse section merges with the procerus at the bridge of the nose and sits on the cartilaginous part of the nose. As the transverse muscle extends down the sides of the nose, it attaches to the maxilla just above the lateral incisive fossa. The transverse part is responsible for compressing the nasal aperture. It is also responsible for the expression that is made in the face of a bad smell. Some refer to the wrinkling of the nose in an upward fashion as "bunny lines". The nasalis muscle, along with the procerus, levator labii superioris alaeque nasi and depressor septi muscles, belongs to the nasal group of facial muscles. Like all facial muscles, nasalis is derived from the second pharyngeal arch and is therefore innervated by the facial nerve (CN VII). This muscle dilates the nostrils, depresses the ala nasi (nostril wings) laterally and wrinkles the nasal skin.
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The muscles of the nose form a distinct subgroup within the muscles of facial expression
The nose does have muscles. The muscles of the nose form a distinct subgroup within the muscles of facial expression. The nasalis muscle, for example, covers the dorsum of the nose and consists of two parts: alar and transverse. The alar part is also called dilator naris posterior, and the transverse part is known as the compressor naris. The transverse part is responsible for compressing the nasal aperture and for the expression made when smelling something bad. The transverse section merges with the procerus at the bridge of the nose and sits on the cartilaginous part of the nose. The muscle extends down the sides of the nose and attaches to the maxilla just above the lateral incisive fossa.
The soft tissue components of the nose include skin, muscles, nerves, and vascular tissues. Beneath the dermis lies the superficial fatty panniculus, and under the panniculus is a fibromuscular layer. The fibromuscular layer can thin naturally or iatrogenically, which may cause dorsal imperfections.
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The nose contains soft tissue components including skin, muscles, nerves, and vascular tissues
The muscles of the nose form a distinct subgroup within the muscles of facial expression. One of these muscles is the nasalis muscle, which covers the dorsum of the nose and consists of two parts: alar and transverse. The alar part is also called the dilator naris posterior, and the transverse part is known as the compressor naris. The nasalis muscle dilates the nostrils, depresses the ala nasi (nostril wings) laterally and wrinkles the nasal skin. It also contributes to the expression made when smelling something bad, sometimes referred to as the 'bunny lines'.
The orbicularis oris muscle is another muscle that plays an important functional role in the nose. It has fibres that are attached to the nostril, thus contributing to the dilatation of the nares. Paralysis of these muscles will also allow the collapse of the external valve.
Beneath the dermis of the nose lies the superficial fatty panniculus, and under the panniculus is a fibromuscular layer. Thinning of the fibromuscular layer, occurring iatrogenically or naturally as a result of senescence, would reveal any dorsal imperfections and may cause the collapse of the external valve.
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The muscles that dilate the nostrils are crucial to avoiding postoperative widening of the alar base
The nose does indeed have muscles. The nasalis muscle, for example, covers the dorsum of the nose and consists of two parts: alar and transverse. The alar part is also called dilator naris posterior, and the transverse part is known as the compressor naris. The dilator naris posterior is responsible for dilating the nostrils, depressing the ala nasi (nostril wings) laterally, and wrinkling the nasal skin.
The transverse part of the nasalis muscle, on the other hand, is responsible for compressing the nasal aperture. It is also involved in the expression made when smelling something unpleasant. This wrinkling of the nose in an upward fashion is sometimes referred to as "bunny lines".
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The transverse part of the nasalis muscle is responsible for compressing the nasal aperture
The nose has muscles, nerves, and vascular tissues. The nasalis muscle is a paired muscle that covers the dorsum of the nose. It consists of two parts: alar and transverse. The transverse part of the nasalis muscle is responsible for compressing the nasal aperture. It also closes the nostril and is responsible for the wrinkling of the nose in response to a bad smell. This wrinkling is sometimes referred to as 'bunny lines'. The transverse section of the nasalis muscle merges with the procerus at the bridge of the nose and sits on the cartilaginous part of the nose. As the transverse muscle extends down the sides of the nose, it attaches to the maxilla just above the lateral incisive fossa. The transverse part of the nasalis muscle is also known as the compressor naris.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the nose has muscles. The muscles of the nose form a distinct subgroup within the muscles of facial expression.
The muscles in the nose are called the nasalis muscle. This muscle has two components, the transverse section and the alar portion.
The muscles in the nose are responsible for dilating the nostrils, depressing the ala nasi (nostril wings) and wrinkling the nasal skin.











































