View source for Forehead

{{short description|Area of the head between the eyebrows and the hairline}}
{{Infobox anatomy
| Name        = Forehead
| Latin       = sinciput
| Image       =
| Image2      = Male forehead-01 ies.jpg
| Caption2    = Male forehead
| Precursor   =
| System      = Multiple
| Artery      = [[Supra-orbital artery|Supraorbital]], [[supratrochlear artery|supratrochlear]]
| Vein        = [[supraorbital vein|Supraorbital]], [[frontal vein|frontal]]
| Nerve       = [[Trigeminal nerve|Trigeminal]], [[facial nerve|facial]]
}}
In [[human anatomy]], the '''forehead''' is an area of the [[Human head|head]] bounded by three features, two of the [[human skull|skull]] and one of the [[scalp]].  The top of the forehead is marked by the '''hairline''', the edge of the area where hair on the scalp grows.  The bottom of the forehead is marked by the [[supraorbital ridge]], the bone feature of the skull above the eyes.  The two sides of the forehead are marked by the [[temporal line|temporal ridge]], a bone feature that links the supraorbital ridge to the [[coronal suture]] line and beyond.<ref name=KnizeDrisko>{{cite book|title=The Forehead and Temporal Fossa: Anatomy and Technique|author1=David M. Knize|author2=Mel Drisko|name-list-style=amp|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|year=2001|isbn=9780781720748|pages=4}}</ref><ref name=Nouri1>{{cite book|pages=523|chapter=Reconstructive surgery of Skin Cancer defects|author1=Valencia D. Thomas|author2=Wendy Long Mitchell|author3=Neil A. Swanson|author4=Thomas E. Rohrer|author5=Ken K. Lee|name-list-style=amp|title=Skin Cancer|editor=Keyvan Nouri|publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional|year=2007|isbn=9780071472562}}</ref> However, the eyebrows do not form part of the forehead.

In ''[[Terminologia Anatomica]]'', ''sinciput'' is given as the Latin equivalent to "forehead" (etymology of ''sinciput'': from ''semi-'' "half" and ''caput'' "head".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/sinciput#etymonline_v_48687|title=Origin and meaning of sinciput|website=etymonline.com}}</ref>).

==Structure==
The bone of the forehead is the [[squamous part of the frontal bone]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Radiographic anatomy & positioning: an integrated approach|author=Diane H. Gronefeld|publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional|year=1998|isbn=9780838582381|pages=321|url=https://archive.org/details/radiographicanat0000corn/page/321}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|pages=204|title=Human anatomy & physiology|author1=Elaine Nicpon Marieb|author2=Katja Hoehn|name-list-style=amp|edition=7th|publisher=Pearson Education|year=2007|isbn=9780321372949|url=https://archive.org/details/humananatomyphys0000mari_r3o8/page/204}}</ref> The overlying muscles are the [[Occipitofrontalis muscle|occipitofrontalis]], [[Procerus muscle|procerus]], and [[Corrugator supercilii muscle|corrugator supercilii]] muscles, all of which are controlled by the temporal branch of the [[facial nerve]].<ref name=Nouri1 />

The sensory nerves of the forehead connect to the ophthalmic branch of the [[trigeminal nerve]] and to the [[cervical plexus]], and lie within the subcutaneous fat.  The motor nerves of the forehead connect to the [[facial nerve]].<ref name=Nouri1 /> The ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve, the supraorbital nerve, divides at the orbital rim into two parts in the forehead.  One part, the superficial division, runs over the surface of the occipitofrontalis muscle.  This provides sensation for the skin of the forehead, and for the front edge of the scalp. The other part, the deep division, runs into the occipitofrontalis muscle and provides frontoparietal sensation.<ref name=KnizeDrisko />

Blood supply to the forehead is via the left and right superorbital, supertrochealar, and anterior branches of the [[superficial temporal artery]].<ref name=Nouri1 />

==Function==

=== Expression ===
The muscles of the forehead help to form [[facial expressions]].  There are four basic motions, which can occur individually or in combination to form different expressions.  The occipitofrontalis muscles can raise the [[eyebrow]]s, either together or individually, forming expressions of [[surprise (emotion)|surprise]] and [[Aporia|quizzicality]].  The corrugator supercilii muscles can pull the eyebrows inwards and down, forming a [[frown]].  The procerus muscles can pull down the centre portions of the eyebrows.<ref name=PalastangaFieldSoames>{{cite book|pages=645–646|title=Anatomy and human movement|author1=Nigel Palastanga|author2=Derek Field|author3=Roger Soames|name-list-style=amp|edition=5th|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|year=2006|isbn=9780750688147|chapter=Head and Brain}}</ref>

=== Wrinkles ===
The movements of the muscles in the forehead produce characteristic [[wrinkle]]s in the skin. The occipitofrontalis muscles produce the transverse wrinkles across the width of the forehead, and the corrugator supercilii muscles produce vertical wrinkles between the eyebrows above the nose. The procerus muscles cause the nose to wrinkle.<ref name="PalastangaFieldSoames" />

==Society and culture==
In [[physiognomy]] and [[phrenology]], the shape of the forehead was taken to symbolise intellect and intelligence.  "Animals, even the most intelligent of them,", wrote Samuel R. Wells in 1942, "can hardly be said to have any forehead at all, and in natural total idiots it is very diminished".<ref>{{cite book|title=New Physiognomy Or Signs of Character as Manifested Through Temperament and External Forms and Especially in the Human Face Divine|author=Samuel R. Wells|edition=reprint|publisher=Kessinger Publishing|year=1998|isbn=9780766103573|chapter=The Forehead|pages=260}}</ref>

[[Pseudo-Aristotle]], in ''[[Physiognomica]]'', stated that the forehead is governed by [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]].<ref name=Aristotle>{{cite book|title=The Works of Aristotle|author=Aristotle|editor=William Salmon|pages=71|location=New England|year=1828}}</ref>  A low and little forehead denoted magnanimity, boldness, and confidence; a fleshy and wrinkle-free forehead, litigiousness, vanity, deceit, and contentiousness; a sharp forehead, weakness and fickleness; a wrinkled forehead, great spirit and wit yet poor fortune; a round forehead, virtue and good understanding; a full large forehead, boldness, malice, boundary issues, and high spirit; and a long high forehead, honesty, weakness, simplicity, and poor fortune.<ref name=Aristotle />

In fighting, slamming one's forehead into one's opponent is termed a [[headbutt]].<ref name="AdamecMai2011">{{cite journal|last1=Adamec|first1=Jiri|last2=Mai|first2=Vera|last3=Graw|first3=Matthias|last4=Schneider|first4=Klaus|last5=Hempel|first5=John-Martin|last6=Schöpfer|first6=Jutta|title=Biomechanics and injury risk of a headbutt|journal=International Journal of Legal Medicine|volume=127|issue=1|year=2011|pages=103–110|issn=0937-9827|doi=10.1007/s00414-011-0617-y|pmid=21922302|s2cid=9117512}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Artificial cranial deformation]]
* [[Bindi (decoration)|Bindi]]
* [[Forehead lift]]
* [[Highbrow]], [[Lowbrow (disambiguation)|lowbrow]], and [[middlebrow]]
* [[Squamous part of the frontal bone]]
* [[Third eye]]
* [[Tilak]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commonscatinline|Foreheads}}
{{Commons category|Foreheads}}

{{human anatomical features}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Human head and neck]]
[[Category:Facial features]]