3.5 Muscles of the Head, Face & Neck
Key Takeaways
- The epicranius (occipitofrontalis) covers the top of the skull and joins the frontalis at the forehead to the occipitalis at the nape via the epicranial aponeurosis.
- The orbicularis oculi is the ring muscle that closes the eye, and the orbicularis oris is the ring muscle that puckers and contracts the lips.
- The masseter and temporalis are the chewing (mastication) muscles, and both are engaged during facial massage over the jaw and temple.
- The sternocleidomastoid runs from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid process and rotates and lowers the head; the platysma extends from the chest and shoulder to the chin.
- Massage is generally directed from the insertion toward the origin — from the movable attachment toward the fixed attachment — to avoid stretching and loosening tissue.
3.5 Muscles of the Head, Face & Neck
The NIC content outline requires candidates to identify muscles and joints and their functions related to the head and face. This is not memorization for its own sake: massage direction, contouring placement, and the reason a scalp manipulation feels different at the frontalis than at the occipitalis all follow from muscle anatomy.
Vocabulary First: Origin, Insertion, Belly
Myology is the study of muscles. Every skeletal muscle has three parts:
- Origin — the fixed attachment, to an immovable section of bone or another fixed muscle. It does not move when the muscle contracts.
- Insertion — the movable attachment. This is the end that moves.
- Belly — the thick middle part between the two.
The rule that follows: massage movements are generally directed from the insertion toward the origin, that is, from the movable attachment toward the fixed one. Working in the opposite direction over time stretches and loosens tissue. There are named exceptions in facial protocols, but this is the default and it is the answer to the classic examination item.
Muscles respond to seven kinds of stimuli, and cosmetologists routinely use several: massage (manual), electric current, light rays, heat rays, moist heat, nerve impulses, and chemicals.
Muscles of the Scalp
| Muscle | Location | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Epicranius (occipitofrontalis) | Broad muscle covering the top of the skull | Consists of two parts joined by a tendon |
| Frontalis | Front portion, over the forehead | Raises the eyebrows, draws the scalp forward, causes horizontal forehead wrinkles |
| Occipitalis | Back portion, at the nape | Draws the scalp backward |
| Epicranial aponeurosis (galea aponeurotica) | Flat tendon across the crown | Connects the frontalis and occipitalis |
This is why a scalp massage that starts at the hairline and works to the nape traverses one continuous muscle-tendon-muscle unit rather than three unrelated structures.
Muscles of the Eyebrow and Eye
| Muscle | Function |
|---|---|
| Orbicularis oculi | The ring muscle surrounding the eye socket; closes the eyelid |
| Corrugator | Located beneath the frontalis and orbicularis oculi; draws the eyebrow down and inward, producing vertical lines between the brows |
| Levator palpebrae superioris | Lifts the upper eyelid |
The corrugator is the muscle behind the "eleven" lines between the brows, which is why brow-area work is done with light pressure and outward direction.
Muscles of the Nose
The procerus covers the bridge of the nose, lowers the eyebrows and causes horizontal wrinkles across the bridge. The remaining nasal muscles contract and expand the nostril openings.
Muscles of the Mouth
This group is the largest and the most examined, because it drives expression and is central to both facial massage and corrective makeup.
| Muscle | Function |
|---|---|
| Orbicularis oris | The ring muscle encircling the mouth; puckers and contracts the lips |
| Buccinator | The thin, flat muscle of the cheek between the upper and lower jaw; compresses the cheeks and expels air, as in blowing |
| Levator anguli oris (caninus) | Raises the angle of the mouth and draws it inward |
| Levator labii superioris (quadratus labii superioris) | Elevates the upper lip and dilates the nostrils, as in expressing distaste |
| Depressor labii inferioris (quadratus labii inferioris) | Depresses the lower lip and draws it to one side |
| Mentalis | Elevates the lower lip and raises and wrinkles the skin of the chin |
| Risorius | Draws the corner of the mouth out and back, as in grinning |
| Triangularis (depressor anguli oris) | Pulls down the corner of the mouth |
| Zygomaticus major and minor | Draw the mouth upward and backward, as in laughing |
Memory hook: the "levator" muscles lift, the "depressor" muscles pull down, the "orbicularis" muscles are rings around an opening, and "risorius" shares a root with risible — laughter.
Muscles of Mastication (Chewing)
Two muscles do the chewing, and both are worked during a facial:
- Masseter — the thick muscle of the jaw angle. Coordinates chewing; closes the jaw. You can feel it harden if you clench.
- Temporalis — fan-shaped, over the temple. Also raises and closes the jaw.
Clients who clench or grind carry tension in both. These are also the muscles that determine jawline width, which is why contouring the lower face targets the masseter region.
Muscles of the Neck, Shoulders and Back
| Muscle | Location | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Platysma | Broad sheet extending from the chest and shoulder muscles to the side of the chin | Depresses the lower jaw and lip |
| Sternocleidomastoid | From the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid process behind the ear | Rotates and lowers the head, as in nodding or turning |
| Trapezius | Covers the back of the neck and upper/middle back | Draws the head back, shrugs the shoulders, swings the arms |
| Latissimus dorsi | Broad, flat muscle covering the lower back | Controls shoulder blade movement and swinging of the arms |
The sternocleidomastoid is the one to know cold. It is the prominent cord that appears when a client turns their head, it is a landmark used to position the neck during a shampoo, and it is directly relevant to shampoo-bowl comfort and safety.
Putting It to Work
During a facial or scalp massage, the sequence is not arbitrary. Working the forehead means working the frontalis — so the direction is outward and slightly upward toward its origin. Working around the eye means respecting the delicate orbicularis oculi with light pressure and no dragging. Working the cheeks means the zygomaticus and buccinator groups, and pressure directed up toward their fixed attachments. Working the jaw means the masseter, where firmer pressure is tolerated. Working the neck means the platysma and sternocleidomastoid, where you follow the muscle line rather than crossing it.
Makeup uses the same map in reverse: shadow narrows what it covers and highlight advances it, so contour placement is chosen relative to the underlying masseter, zygomatic and temporalis regions to alter apparent facial structure.
Which muscle runs from the sternum and clavicle to the mastoid process behind the ear and rotates and lowers the head?
A cosmetologist performing facial massage should generally direct movements in which direction, and why?
Which pair of muscles is responsible for chewing and closes the jaw?