Part of the way we smile is of course based on our personalities. Some people laugh easily, while others maintain an unbreakable poker face. Some people’s smiles light up their whole faces, spreading from ear to ear and changing the shape of their eyes. Others are less dramatic, even if their smiles are sincere.
Another component is our genes. We inherit facial features and even some of the shapes of our facial muscles (which control our expressions) from our parents.
THESE ARE THE MAIN MUSCLES USED TO SMILE.
Because honestly, if you smile one extra time today, I call it a win (and we all love anatomy). The muscles of smiling are: levatorlabiisuperioris (pulls up corner of lip and mouth), levatorangulioris (raises angle of mouth), zygomaticus major and minor (draws cheek back and raises upper lip), risorius (pulls corner of mouth to side of face), and orbicularis oculi (pulls eye and causes crinkling - darn crow’s feet). These are also the muscles you want to keep in mind when injecting botox into facial nerve paralysis or Bell’s Palsy patients! Scroll through for anatomy photos and an explanation on what each muscle does. ❤️ And yes, it is easier to smile then frown.
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