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Do You Really Use Fewer Facial Muscles When You Smile?
Do You Really Use Fewer Facial Muscles When You Smile? Find out which muscles are hardest at work when you're smiling, and when you're not.
SKIN HEALTHSKIN 101
1/22/20262 min read
Do You Really Use Fewer Facial Muscles When You Smile?
You’ve probably heard the saying “It takes more muscles to frown than to smile.” But is that actually true—and does it matter for your skin and overall health?
The short answer: smiling and frowning activate different muscle groups, not simply more or fewer muscles. What does matter is how those muscles behave, how often they contract, and what they signal to your nervous system.
The Muscles Used When You Smile
A genuine, relaxed smile primarily engages muscles that lift and soften the face:
• Zygomaticus major & minor – Lift the corners of the mouth upward and outward • Orbicularis oculi – Softly engages around the eyes in a genuine (Duchenne) smile • Levator anguli oris – Helps elevate the mouth corners
These muscles work in a coordinated, upward motion, creating openness in the face. When smiling is natural (not forced), these muscles engage gently and release easily, allowing the face to relax fully afterward.
The Muscles Used When You Frown or Hold Tension
Frowning, squinting, clenching, or holding stress in the face activates muscles responsible for compression and downward pull:
• Corrugator supercilii – Draws the brows downward and inward (the “11 lines”) • Procerus – Pulls the skin between the brows downward • Depressor anguli oris – Pulls the corners of the mouth downward • Mentalis – Causes chin tension and puckering, contributing over time to wrinkles around the mouth and lip area • Orbicularis oris – The circular muscle around the lips that tightens with frowning, tension, and habitual expressions, contributing to vertical lip lines • Masseter & temporalis – Jaw clenching and grinding
These muscles are often overused and held chronically, especially during stress, concentration, or emotional strain.
The Real Difference: Tension vs Lift
It’s not about using more muscles—it’s about which muscles dominate and how long they stay contracted.
• Smiling muscles tend to lift and release • Frowning and stress muscles tend to compress and stay engaged
Chronic contraction restricts blood flow, limits oxygen delivery, impairs lymphatic drainage, and contributes to:
• Deep expression lines • Jaw pain and headaches • Dull, congested skin • Increased facial asymmetry
Smiling and the Nervous System
Smiling doesn’t just affect your face—it affects your brain.
Engaging smile-related muscles sends feedback to the nervous system that signals safety, relaxation, and parasympathetic activation. This lowers cortisol, improves circulation, and supports cellular repair.
Even gentle, intentional smiling can help shift the body out of stress mode.
What This Means for Skin Health
Your skin sits on top of muscle, fascia, and lymphatic pathways. When facial muscles are tight or overworked, the skin above them reflects that tension.
A relaxed, lifted face supports:
• Better oxygenation • Improved lymphatic flow • Softer expression lines • Healthier skin tone
The Takeaway
Smiling isn’t about vanity—it’s biology.
This is why smiling should be a consistent part of your healthy skin routine and overall wellness: it supports relaxed facial muscles, balanced nervous system function, improved circulation, and skin that looks as good as it feels.
Your face—and your skin—thrive when they’re allowed to soften, lift, and breathe.
