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The human face has about 20 main facial muscles, which are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. One of these muscles is the frontalis muscle, which is responsible for raising the eyebrows. It is considered the sole elevator of the brow. The frontalis muscle is a pair of large, fan-like muscles that extend from the eyebrow region to the top of the forehead. Its contraction causes horizontal wrinkles on the forehead. The antagonist muscles to the frontalis muscle, which lower the eyebrows, are the procerus muscle, the corrugator supercilii muscle, and the orbicularis oculi muscle.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of muscle | Frontalis muscle |
| Location | Forehead, from the eyebrow region to the top of the forehead |
| Shape | Large, fan-like, thin, quadrilateral |
| Function | Raises eyebrows, causing horizontal wrinkles on the forehead |
| Blood supply | Supraorbital and supratrochlear arteries |
| Nerve supply | Facial nerve, specifically the frontal nerve (superior branch of the facial nerve) |
| Antagonist muscles | Procerus, corrugator supercilii, orbicularis oculi |
| Role in facial expressions | Conveys emotions and nonverbal communication, e.g., surprise, shock, or fright |
| Number of facial muscles in the human face | Approximately 20 |
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What You'll Learn
The frontalis muscle raises the eyebrows
The frontalis muscle is a large, thin, quadrilateral-shaped muscle that covers the forehead. It is the only muscle that raises the eyebrows, lifting them up to 2mm. This muscle is also responsible for wrinkling the forehead and conveying emotions.
The frontalis muscle is located at the scalp and is considered part of the occipitofrontalis muscle group, which includes the occipitalis muscle. The frontalis muscle originates from the galea aponeurotica and inserts into the skin around the eyebrows and nose. This muscle has no bony attachments and is broader than the occipitalis muscle. Its fibres are longer and paler in colour.
The frontalis muscle is essential for day-to-day social interactions as it helps convey emotions and non-verbal communication. For example, according to Western medicine, raising the eyebrows and wrinkling the forehead is a sign of fright, shock, or surprise. In Chinese medicine, it is considered a sign of disturbed Shen, characterised by fire and heat rising to the forehead.
The frontalis muscle is also important in brow rejuvenation procedures. Its position and movement are determined by several factors, including its paired nature and definitive midline separation. The absence of the frontalis muscle over the tail end of the brow can lead to brow hooding, often seen with age.
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The corrugator supercilii muscle enables frowning
The corrugator supercilii muscle is an antagonist to the frontalis muscle, which is the sole elevator of the brow. The frontalis muscle is a pair of large, fan-like muscles that extend from the eyebrow region to the top of the forehead. When contracted, the frontalis muscle raises the eyebrows and causes horizontal wrinkles on the forehead.
The corrugator supercilii muscle, on the other hand, pulls the eyebrows downward, resulting in a frowning expression. This muscle is also involved in depressing the medial head of the brow, along with the depressor supercilii muscle.
The position and movement of the brow are influenced by several muscles working together and against each other. The balance between these muscles determines the eyebrow's position and shape, contributing to our ability to convey emotions and communicate nonverbally through facial expressions.
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The procerus muscle pulls eyebrows downward
The human face has about 20 facial muscles, which are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. These muscles are located throughout the face, including the ears, mouth, forehead, nose, and eyes. They run underneath the skin from the scalp down to the neck. The position and movement of the eyebrows, in particular, are determined by several muscles.
The procerus muscle, located between the eyebrows, is one of four brow depressor muscles. It pulls the eyebrows downward and helps flare the nostrils. The other three depressor muscles are the corrugator, depressor supercilii, and the orbital portion of the orbicularis oculi. The corrugator supercilii muscle, located near the eyebrow, enables frowning.
The frontalis muscle, on the other hand, is the sole elevator of the eyebrows. It is a pair of large, fan-like muscles that extend from the eyebrow region to the top of the forehead. When it contracts, it raises the eyebrows and causes horizontal wrinkles on the forehead. The frontalis muscle is considered a weak retractor of the upper eyelids. Its contraction can result in a 2 mm elevation of the upper eyelid.
The frontalis and procerus muscles work in tandem to determine the eyebrow position and shape.
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The orbicularis oculi muscle inserts into the eyebrow dermis
The orbicularis oculi muscle is a thin, sphincter-like muscle that surrounds the eye socket and extends into the upper and lower eyelids. It is responsible for eyelid closure and performs both involuntary (blinking) and voluntary (squinting) muscle activity. The muscle arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone, from the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and from the anterior surface and borders of a short fibrous band, the medial palpebral ligament.
The orbicularis oculi muscle has three distinct parts: the orbital orbicularis, palpebral orbicularis, and lacrimal orbicularis. The palpebral portion of the muscle is thin and pale and arises from the bifurcation of the medial palpebral ligament. The orbital portion is thicker and of a reddish colour, while the lacrimal part is a small, thin muscle that draws the eyelids and the ends of the lacrimal canals medialward and compresses them against the surface of the globe of the eye.
The orbicularis oculi muscle is inserted into the eyebrow dermis. It passes between the orbital and palpebral portions of the orbicularis oculi muscles to insert on the skin of the eyebrows. The palpebral portion of the muscle is inserted into the lateral palpebral raphe at the outer canthus (corner) of the eye. The upper and lower lid preseptal orbicularis have a superficial head that inserts into and augments the medial canthal tendon (MCT).
The orbicularis oculi muscle is one of the superficial muscles of facial expression. It is innervated by the facial nerve and receives blood from the supraorbital and supratrochlear arteries. The muscle is also involved in the corneal reflex, which is part of the assessment of the function of the facial nerve. This can be used to examine the facial nerve even in unconscious patients.
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The depressor supercilii is located on the medial arc of the orbicularis
The depressor supercilii is a facial muscle that acts as a depressor of the eyebrow. It is located medial to the orbits, in the eye region between both eyebrows. The depressor supercilii originates from the lateral aspect of the nasal bridge and the medial part of the orbital rim, inserting on the medial side of the bony orbit, in the skin below the eyebrow and intercanthal region.
There is some debate regarding the exact designation of this muscle. Some anatomy sources consider the depressor supercilii to be part of the orbicularis oculi muscle, located on its medial arc. However, other sources suggest that it is a distinct muscle with its own origin and insertion. The orbicularis oculi muscles, into which the frontalis muscles insert, are then inserted into the eyebrow dermis.
The depressor supercilii blends with the superficial dermal layers of the face, approximately 1.5 cm superior to the medial canthus (or angle) of the eye. It is not routinely described as a separate muscle, but histological evidence suggests that it may be distinct from the surrounding corrugator supercilii and orbicularis oculi muscles.
Medially, the orbicularis muscles cover the depressor supercilii, and inferiorly, they travel between the superficial and deep suborbicularis oculi fat (SOOF) pads of the cheek. The inferomedial extent of the lower eyelid orbicularis muscles covers the levator labii superioris and the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscles.
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Frequently asked questions
The procerus muscle, located between the eyebrows, pulls the eyebrows downward.
The frontalis muscle is responsible for raising the eyebrows. The corrugator supercilii muscle, the depressor supercilii muscle, and the orbicularis oculi muscle are also involved in eyebrow movement.
The frontalis muscle is involved in facial expressions, particularly in conveying emotions and non-verbal communication. It is also necessary for raising the eyebrows and causing horizontal wrinkles on the forehead when contracted.
The frontalis muscle is a pair of large, fan-like muscles that extend from the eyebrow region to the top of the forehead. It is located at the scalp and is supplied by the facial nerve.
Yes, the human face has approximately 20 main facial muscles that are essential for chewing and making facial expressions. These muscles enable us to smile, pout, or raise our eyebrows in surprise, among other expressions.
