Striated cutaneous muscle

Striated cutaneous muscles are voluntary skeletal muscles located in the subcutaneous tissue, directly attached to the skin rather than to bones. They are responsible for movements of the skin and produce facial expressions.

These muscles are striated (showing alternating light and dark bands microscopically) and are under voluntary control via the somatic nervous system. Unlike most skeletal muscles, which move bones, striated cutaneous muscles move the overlying skin.

Examples include the muscles of facial expression (e.g., orbicularis oculi, orbicularis oris, frontalis, platysma, and so on) — innervated by the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII). Facial nerve lesions (e.g., Bell’s palsy) cause paralysis of these muscles, leading to loss of facial symmetry and inability to close the eyes or mouth properly.