This image illustrates the path of the facial nerve which innervates the muscles of facial expression. After exiting from the stylomastoid foramen of the skull, the facial nerve passes inferiorly then anterior-laterally to the posterior belly of the digastric muscle and lateral to the external carotid artery, the styloid process and posterior facial vein. The facial nerve then enters the parotid gland. Lying between the medial and lateral lobes of the parotid gland, the facial nerve splits into two main divisions, the temporalfacial and the cervicofacial portions. The two main divisions sub-branch into five main branches: temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, and cervical.

This image illustrates the SMAS or the superficial muscular and aponeurotic system of the face, an important structure in the recent developments of face lift surgery. The SMAS extends and invests the muscles of facial expression involving fibers of the frontalis, the risorius, the peripheral part of the orbicularis oculi, and the platysma. The SMAS is a sheet of fascia to which the muscles of facial expression are attached. It extends from the fontalis and temporal fascia to the platysma. It is attached to the zygomatic arch and posteriorly to the fascia of the tragus. This aponeurotic structure acts as a tensor of the facial muscles and is important in the face lift operation. However branches of the facial nerve lie just below the SMAS and are vulnerable to injury. As can be seen in the illustration, the safe areas for sub-SMAS  dissection are over the parotid and temporal area posterior to the temporal branch of the facial nerve.