Early Development of the Human Face

The face is the viscerocranium that, together with the neurocranium, forms the skull. Its developmental anatomy is a complex process and must be easily understood so that surgeons and public health practitioners can recognize and manage it properly with ease. In this short article, we aim to review facial development in a simple way that can be easily followed by medical and health professionals. Facial development begins early in the fetus's life in the womb with the appearance of 5 mesodermal ridges (processes) surrounding the stomodeum. These processes include a frontonasal process, two maxillary processes, and two mandibular processes. These processes fuse together to form the cheek on each side and leave an opening for the mouth. Any error in fusion can lead to various congenital facial deformities which must be treated as soon as possible.