Dominic Stone
The human face is made up of about 20 facial muscles, which are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. One such muscle is the mentalis, a short conical muscle located in the chin area. The mentalis muscle originates from the mental protuberance of the mandible near the midline and inserts into the soft tissue and skin of the chin. It is sometimes referred to as the pouting muscle due to its ability to raise the lower lip and cause chin wrinkles. The mentalis muscle is involved in shaping the lips during drinking and creating facial expressions to convey feelings such as sadness, contempt, and doubt.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the chin muscle | Mentalis |
| Location | Center of the chin |
| Origin | Mental protuberance of the mandible near the midline |
| Insertion | Soft tissue and skin of the chin |
| Action | Controls the lower lip, causes chin wrinkles |
| Synonyms | Pouting muscle |
| Blood supply | Inferior labial branch of the facial artery |
| Nervous supply | Mandibular branch of the facial nerve (CN VII) |
| Disorder | Geniospasm |
| Treatment | Haloperidol, Benzodiazepines, Botulinum toxin |
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What You'll Learn
The mentalis muscle
The human face has about 20 main facial muscles, including the mentalis muscle, which are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. These muscles work together to control the parts of the face and are located throughout the face, including the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes. Facial muscles originate from bone or fascia and insert into the skin.
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Depressor labii inferioris
The human face has about 20 facial muscles, which are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. One such muscle is the depressor labii inferioris, a muscle in the chin region of the face. It is a paired facial muscle, and due to its quadrangular shape, it is also called quadratus labii inferioris. It belongs to a broad group of muscles of facial expression, called the buccolabial group. The function of this muscle group is to control the position, shape and movement of the lips. The depressor labii inferioris specifically controls the lower lip, depressing it inferolaterally. It originates from the oblique line of the mandible, between the symphysis menti and mental foramen, and inserts into the skin and submucosa of the lower lip. The mandibular end of the depressor labii inferioris is continuous with the platysma, while the labial attachment fuses with its counterpart and inferior fibres of the orbicularis oris muscle. The inferolateral portion of the depressor labii inferioris lies deep to the depressor anguli oris, while its superolateral segment partially overlaps the mentalis muscle.
The depressor labii inferioris is innervated by the cervical branch of the facial nerve (CN VII). Vascular supply to the depressor labii inferioris comes from the inferior labial branch of the facial artery and the mental branch of the maxillary artery. When contracting, this muscle pulls the lower lip inferomedially, helping to produce facial expressions associated with sadness, doubt and melancholy.
The depressor labii inferioris muscle can be weakened or removed to correct an asymmetry of the lower lip when smiling. This asymmetry can be caused by paralysis of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve on one side, so the healthy side may be weakened or removed to create symmetry. Botulinum toxin (Botox) can be injected to temporarily weaken the muscle, typically lasting 3-6 months. Alternatively, surgery can be used to permanently weaken or remove the muscle, with local anaesthesia being used to block the mental nerve.
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Depressor anguli oris
The human face has about 20 facial muscles, which are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. One of these muscles is the depressor anguli oris, which is responsible for pulling down the corners of the mouth, which occurs when a person frowns. This muscle is also referred to as the "sadness muscle" because of its association with frowning and expressing sadness or anger. The depressor anguli oris is a paired triangular muscle that extends from the mental tubercle of the mandible to the angle of the mouth. It sits on either side of the mouth and pulls the mouth downwards and slightly laterally.
The depressor anguli oris is supplied by the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve and receives motor innervation from the marginal mandibular and buccal branches of the facial nerve. It is one of the "frowning muscles", along with the corrugator supercilii, procerus, and orbicularis oris muscles. When the depressor anguli oris muscle is overactive or weak, it can result in a persistent frown-like appearance, even when the person is not frowning. This can be corrected through cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections, which block the nerve signals that cause the muscles to contract.
Inferiorly, the depressor anguli oris is continuous with the platysma muscle and cervical fascia. It is also one of the muscles that attach at the angle of the mouth to form a fibromuscular structure called the modiolus. The anatomy of facial muscles can be complex, and it is not entirely clear which muscles attach to the modiolus, but some of the certain ones include the depressor anguli oris, buccinator, risorius, zygomaticus major, and orbicularis oris muscles.
The depressor anguli oris is part of the buccolabial group of facial muscles, which also includes the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, levator labii superioris, zygomaticus major, zygomaticus minor, levator anguli oris, risorius, depressor labii inferioris, mentalis, orbicularis oris, incisivus superior, incisivus inferior, and buccinator muscles.
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Geniospasm
The human face has about 20 main facial muscles that enable essential functions such as chewing and making facial expressions. One such muscle is the mentalis muscle, a thin muscle in the chin that helps control the lower lip. The mentalis muscle is sometimes referred to as the "pouting muscle" due to it raising the lower lip and causing chin wrinkles.
Botulinum toxin injections are the most effective treatment for geniospasm. The toxin can be used to partially paralyse the mentalis muscle to reduce wrinkling of the skin of the chin for cosmetic purposes. Certain medications may also be used to treat geniospasm, such as haloperidol and benzodiazepines.
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Chin muscle functions
The human face has about 20 main facial muscles, which are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. These muscles are located anywhere behind the skin of your face, from your scalp to your forehead, down to the skin on your neck.
One of the muscles located in the chin area is the mentalis muscle. This is a short, conical muscle that arises from the incisive fossa of the mandible and inserts into the soft tissue and skin of the chin. The mentalis muscle acts to depress and evert the base of the lower lip, causing a weak upward-inward movement. This muscle is sometimes referred to as the "pouting muscle" because it raises the lower lip and causes chin wrinkles. In conjunction with the orbicularis oris muscle, the mentalis muscle allows the lips to "pout". The contraction of the mentalis muscle also causes wrinkling and dimpling of the skin on the chin, which can be used in expressions of doubt, displeasure, or sadness.
Another muscle found in the chin region is the depressor labii inferioris. This is a short, quadrangular muscle that originates from the oblique line of the mandible and inserts on the skin and submucosa of the lower lip. It is the main tractor of the lower lip, responsible for pulling it downwards and inferomedially.
The depressor anguli oris is a muscle situated lateral to the chin on each side of the face. It is a triangular muscle that arises from the oblique line and mental tubercle of the mandible and attaches at the modiolus. This muscle acts to depress the angle of the mouth, contributing to expressions of sadness or anger. It also assists in opening the mouth during speaking or eating.
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Frequently asked questions
The chin muscle is known as the mentalis muscle. It is a short, conical muscle located in the chin area.
The mentalis muscle controls the lower lip, depressing and everting the base of the lower lip, and creating wrinkles on the skin of the chin. It is sometimes referred to as the "pouting muscle" as contraction of the mentalis muscle raises the lower lip and causes chin wrinkles.
Geniospasm is a genetic movement disorder of the mentalis muscle. It involves the repetitive contraction of the muscle, with episodes lasting between seconds and hours. It can be treated with certain medications or by injecting botulinum toxin to temporarily paralyse the muscle.
