When most people think of orofacial myology, they focus on the mouth, the tongue, lips, and jaw working together to shape speech, swallowing, and breathing. But communication doesn’t stop there. The muscles above the eyes, the ones that move the eyebrows, play a vital role in expressing emotion and intent. When these muscles stay still, expression flattens, emotion fades, and the message loses clarity. The face and the voice fall out of sync, leaving the listener unsure of what’s really being said.
Research shows that eyebrow movements serve as important communicative signals, helping listeners recognise confusion, emphasis, and engagement in conversation (PMC).
In clinical practice, we often focus on oral placement, but coordinated movement across the whole face, from brows to jaw, gives communication its depth. These are the forgotten facial movements of orofacial myology, and they deserve a place in every therapist’s awareness.
With just a raise, a lower, or a pinch of your eyebrows, you can say so much. We put such little thought into eyebrows, but these small parts of our body have a big impact on communication. Our eyebrows are key to communicating our emotional life and to enhancing our relationships. Here’s why.
The human face is the most subtle and expressive tool of communication.
Paul Ekman
At Speech & Language Support Services, we see this every day. Some clients can articulate beautifully, but their message still feels flat. Others speak confidently, yet listeners sense a mismatch between tone and expression. It’s not about articulation or phonology, it’s about the face’s missing cues.
When the eyebrows don’t move, emotion has nowhere to go.
“The face is the canvas of emotion, and the muscles paint what words can’t say.”
Orofacial myology restores balance and coordination to the oral musculature, but communication flourishes when we also retrain the forgotten facial movements that give words emotional clarity.
When the Upper Face Is Silent
We often focus on what’s said but sometimes, the message begins in the brow.
When upper-face movement is absent, facial expressions lose their nuance. A raised brow that signals curiosity never appears; a lowered one that conveys “no” stays neutral. Without those micro-movements, listeners misread the message, and clients feel unseen.
I’ve met many children and teens whose words improved but whose intent was still misunderstood.
As psychologist Amy Cuddy shares in her TED Talk, even subtle body and facial language can shift how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves (watch here).
The Impact When Eyebrows Don’t Move
There are some people who, despite their best efforts, can’t use their eyebrows to convey their emotions. While this might have the unexpected benefit of fewer wrinkles, it often leads to missed and challenging communication moments. When a person’s facial expression doesn’t match their verbal message, it creates a sense of dissonance or confusion for those around them. This disconnect can result in misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and even missed opportunities for connection—all because the subtle, yet powerful, movements of the eyebrows are absent.
Case 1. The Boy with the Stutter:
I worked with a young boy who had a severe stutter. Despite his difficulty speaking, he was often chosen by his group to present their ideas to the class. His mother believed he was a confident, happy child, unafraid to stand in front of his peers. However, the reality was that his “no” often came across as a “yes” because his facial expression didn’t match his words. His eyebrows didn’t lower or come together to support his refusal, making it difficult for others to understand his true intentions. He also struggled to raise his eyebrows to show surprise, further complicating his ability to communicate effectively.
Case 2. The Ballet Dancer:
One of my most endearing clients, a talented ballet dancer, faced challenges in her performances. Her ballet teacher mentioned that she struggled to change her facial expressions to reflect the emotions of the dance. Although she always appeared happy, it became clear that she was unable to move her eyebrows to express those emotions. This limitation not only affected her dancing but also her daily interactions, teachers didn’t intervene when she was being bullied because she seemed fine, with no visible signs of distress.
Case 3. The Contorted Face:
Another client had difficulty using her eyebrows to communicate. One day, she came out to reception and, when asked a question, answered “no” with a contorted expression, wrinkling her nose and mouth in a way that made her look uncomfortable. Because she wasn’t able to use her eyebrows to clearly convey her disagreement, her response led to confusion and miscommunication.
All of these clients learnt to raise, lower, and bring in their eyebrows, once we reactivated the brow muscles, helping them to align their facial expressions with their verbal messages. The transformation was remarkable, enabling them to communicate more clearly and confidently, with facial expressions that matched their emotions and message.
The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.
Peter Drucker
Beyond the Mouth: Integrating Orofacial Myology with Expression
Traditional orofacial myology addresses the oral muscles: lips, tongue, jaw, and cheeks. They’re essential for clear speech and functional swallowing.
But communication isn’t powered by movement alone, it’s animated by emotion.
When the forehead and brows don’t move in sync with the mouth, something feels off. The words may be right, but the meaning is missing.
That’s why our clinical approach integrates orofacial myology with facial expression awareness. We’re not only strengthening muscles; we’re rebuilding self-perception and emotional congruence.
Because orofacial myology is about more than placement, it’s about presence.
“In speech therapy, we often teach children how to say the words, but not always how to show them.”
The Three Core Movements of the Eyebrows
For clinicians exploring the upper-face connection, understanding the three primary eyebrow actions can transform both observation and intervention.
1. Raising the Eyebrows
It’s a sign of surprise and curiosity, but it can also express excitement and interest, a desire to pay attention and hear more. The skin around our eyes attaches to our eyebrows, which we can lift to look more engaged. If we lift our eyebrows, it’s as if we open our eyes further. With this simple act, we look and feel more interested in what’s going on around us – it invites someone to share more and feel heard. We can connect and gain more from that person as a result.
2. Lowering the Eyebrows
Furrowing the brow can convey concentration, confusion, or displeasure, as a dip in the eyebrow muscles can signal seriousness and concern. When we see these cues, we can respond in ways that help us steer a conversation on track, or to address people’s trouble.
3. Bringing the Eyebrows Together
When our brows come together, it is usually a sign of worry or frustration, of deep thought, of a difficulty, an obstacle, or a cause for concern. Recognising that someone has made this expression in themselves and in others can inform us of when we ought to be more patient, to support them.
Training these subtle distinctions refines nonverbal congruence and helps clients coordinate internal feeling with external expression. A key step in social communication therapy.
Eyes are the windows to the soul, but eyebrows tell the story.
Anonymous
Assessing and Treating Eyebrow Movements
When someone struggles to use their eyebrows to convey emotions, it’s crucial to assess the underlying causes. Identifying whether the issue comes from muscle weakness, neurological factors, or learned behaviour is the first step. Therapy can then target improving eyebrow movement.
Studies have found that eyebrow movement is closely aligned with voice pitch and rhythm, reinforcing how facial expression and speech timing work together to enhance understanding (PMC).
Assessment may include:
- Observing spontaneous expression during conversation or play.
- Request the client to scrunch their face, raise their eyebrows in surprise, show frustration or annoyance
- Using video to analyse symmetry and timing of movement.
- Evaluating awareness: Can the client identify when they look surprised or serious?
- Checking tone and endurance in the frontalis and corrugator supercilii muscles.
Treatment then targets:
- Awareness: helping clients feel when brows are active or still.
- Stimulation: helping clients feel when brows are active or still.
- Mobility: isolated and combined eyebrow exercises (lift, lower, draw together).
- Integration: pairing movement with emotion words and sentences.
- Generalisation: using expressions in role-play, conversation, and performance tasks.
Even long-standing immobility can improve through consistent practice and feedback like a recent client, who was fifteen. As clients rediscover these movements their verbal and nonverbal communication finally work together to clearer and more effective communication.
Facial expressions are the universal language of emotion.
Paul Ekman
The Face of Connection
At its core, orofacial myology isn’t just about correcting function, it’s about restoring identity.
When the face moves freely, communication becomes authentic. A child who once appeared blank begins to light up. A teen who hid behind a monotone expression starts to show pride, humour, and empathy.
That’s what true progress looks like.
Nonverbal communication forms a social language that is in many ways richer and more fundamental than our words.
Leonard Mlodinow
At Speech & Language Support Services, we believe therapy should empower the whole communicator, mouth, face, and message. Because when we remember the forgotten facial movements, we don’t just improve articulation; we give expression back its meaning.
Let’s raise an eyebrow to that.
Ready to Raise Some Eyebrows?
Let’s make your facial expressions as dynamic as your words! Contact us today to start mastering the art of eyebrow communication—because your face has a lot more to say than you think!
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If this topic intrigued you, you might also enjoy:
- The Power of Belief – how what we believe shapes what’s possible
- The Power of Connection – the heart of every transformation
- Severe Speech Difficulties – Why Words Sound the Same– See how motor planning and coordination affect speech clarity in severe speech difficulties.