The facial artery arises from the external carotid artery at the level of the angle of the mandible. It crosses the submandibular triangle of the neck and ascends forward beneath the digastric muscle and the stylohyoid muscle, over which it arches upwards and grooves to emerge on the posterior surface of the submandibular gland. Then the artery curves around the base of the mandible, anterior to the masseter muscle, and emerges on the face.