Facial appearance changes with age are inevitable. Aging change not only happens on the surface of the skin, but also underneath the skin surface such as fat muscle and bone etc. With age, features that were previously round may sink ; skin gets loose and sags. Loss fat volume and muscle mass on the face makes the face loss its fullness. Fat pulls downwards and the skin becomes loose and sagging due to gravity and muscle force. Bone also losses its mass and muscles are shortened and straightened. Corners of the eyes and mouth drop, tip of the nose drops as well and ears become longer.
Facial muscles
Muscles on the face contracting pulling the face downwards
The temporal muscle is the muscle at the temples on both sides of the head. This muscle lifts the jaw and retracts the jaw.
The orbicularis oculi muscle is the muscle surrounding the eye. It causes the eye to close or blink. It draws the skin of the forehead, temple, and cheek toward the medial angle of the orbit, and the eyelids are firmly closed. If the muscle contracts constantly, it causes the appearance of folds or crow's feet that radiate out from the outer corner of the eye.
The corrugator supercilii which means wrinkler of the eyebrows in Latin, is a small, narrow, pyramidal muscle at the medial end of the eyebrow. It draws the eyebrows downward and medially,
The procerus muscle is the pyramid-shaped muscle running from the lower part of the nasal bone to the middle area in the forehead between the eyebrows. It pulls the skin between the eyebrows down.
These three muscles including the levator labii superioris alaque nasi muscle, the levator labii superioris and the zygomaticus minor working togetherform the nasolabial furrow from the side of the nose to the upper lip.The zygomaticus major is larger than the minor, but it also lies in the cheek area and extends down to the mouth. It raises the corners of the mouth in smiling.
The risorius muscle draws the angle of the mouth outward and produces smile.
The depressor anguli oris is a muscle that goes from the mandible to angles of the mouth. It depresses the angle the angle of the mouth associated with frowning.
The depressor labii inferioris muscle is a muscle below the lips and it draws the lower lip down.
The mentalis muscle elevates and protrudes the lower lip and wrinkles the skin of the chin.
The masseter muscle is a thick muscle in the cheek. It is for chewing and for closing the jaws.
Facial acupuncture helps to relax these facial muscles to stop the pulling force and lift the face up.
