The muscles of the face are innervated purely by the seventh cranial nerve - facial nerve (CN VII).

The facial nerve leaves the posterior cranial fossa via the internal acoustic meatus. It then passes through the temporal bone, giving off several branches, and emerges from the base of the skull through the stylomastoid foramen.

After exiting through the stylomastoid foramen, the facial nerve gives off the posterior auricular nerve, which then passes upward behind the ear and innervates the occipital belly of occipitofrontalis muscle, as well as the posterior auricular muscle.

The facial nerve then gives off another branch which innervates the posterior belly of the digastric muscle as well as the stylohyoid muscle. The facial nerve passes through the parotid gland and then divides into several terminal branch groups:

Temporal branches - exit from the superior border of the parotid gland to supply muscles in the area of the temple, forehead, and supra-orbital area;
Zygomatic branches - emerge from the anterosuperior border of the parotid gland to supply muscles in the infra-orbital area, the lateral nasal area, and the upper lip;
Buccal branches - emerge from the anterior border of the parotid gland to supply muscles in the cheek, the upper lip, and the corner of the mouth;
Marginal mandibular branch - emerges from the antero-inferior border of the parotid gland to supply muscles of the lower lip and chin;
Cervical branches - emerge from the inferior border of the parotid gland to supply the platysma.

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Motor innervation of face