The facial muscles (also known as the muscles of facial expression) are situated within the subcutaneous tissue of the face and responsible for the movements of skin folds, providing different facial expressions.

• The facial muscles originate from bones of the facial skeleton (viscerocranium) and insert into the skin.
• The facial muscles are mostly grouped around the natural orifices of the face (eyes, nose and mouth), taking part in the closing or widening of these orifices.
• All muscles of facial expression are innervated by branches of the facial nerve (CN VII).

Facial muscles in the calvaria:

• Occipitofrontalis muscle
  • Frontalis muscle (frontal belly)
  • Occipitalis muscle (occipital belly)

Facial muscles around the orbital opening:

• Orbicularis oculi muscle
• Corrugator supercilii muscle
• Depressor supercilii muscle

Muscles around the oral opening:

• Orbicularis oris muscle
• Depressor anguli oris muscle
• Depressor labii inferioris muscle
• Levator anguli oris muscle
• Levator labii superioris muscle
• Mentalis muscle
• Risorius muscle
• Zygomaticus minor muscle
• Zygomaticus major muscle
• Buccinator muscle

Muscles around the nose opening:

• Compressor narium minor muscle
• Dilator naris anterior muscle
• Levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle
• Nasalis muscle
  • Transverse part of nasalis muscle
  • Alar part of nasalis muscle
• Procerus muscle
• Depressor septi nasi muscle
  

Note: There are also muscles found around the ear - anterior auricular muscle, posterior auricular muscle and superior auricular muscle, which are generally considered insignificant in human anatomy, therefore, these facial muscles are not represented in this section.