When Someone You Love Has Bell's Palsy

This article is part of our Bell’s Palsy Recovery Series, where we explore every stage of healing. Each post is designed to give you hope, clarity, and practical tools for recovery.

👉 Explore the full series here: Bell’s Palsy Master Post

When someone you love is facing Bell’s Palsy, it affects both of you. You see them grappling with the changes — the uneven smile, the hesitation before a photo, the quiet frustration when their face doesn’t cooperate — and you want to help. But you might not know how.

Bell’s Palsy can create a ripple of emotion that reaches beyond the person experiencing it. Partners often feel a mix of empathy and helplessness, wanting to comfort without drawing more attention to what already feels so visible. You may wonder: Should I bring it up? Should I pretend not to notice? Should I encourage them more, or give them space?

The truth is, what they need most isn’t fixing — it’s presence. The small, ordinary gestures matter most: laughing at their jokes, inviting them into photos, holding their hand, or simply treating them as you always have. Those moments say, you’re still you, and that reassurance can be profoundly healing.

Periods of uncertainty can create emotional distance, even when care and love are still present.

You might notice they hesitate to smile in photos, avoid video calls, or withdraw from social events. You may catch them covering their mouth when eating, or see the frustration in their eyes when they can’t whistle, sip from a straw, or lean in easily for a kiss. Beneath the surface, many people with Bell’s Palsy quietly wonder if they’ll ever feel like themselves again.

For partners, the instinct is often to do something. To fix it. To make it easier. You’re googling things like “should I encourage exercises.”  “How do I support them without making them feel self conscious?”  But the truth is, the most powerful support you can offer is simple: be there, and treat them as you always have. Take the focus off the paralysis and keep the focus on the person you love. Laugh together. Share meals. Include them in pictures. Hold their hand. Don’t let the condition become bigger than they are.

Some spouses wonder: Should I ask about it? Should I pretend it’s not there? The answer is often both/and. Acknowledge the frustration when they bring it up, but don’t make it the centerpiece of every interaction. Encourage them when they’re discouraged, but also keep weaving in the normal, everyday rhythms of your life together. That balance—of compassion and normalcy—is what many people living with Bell’s Palsy say they value most.

One of my patients that had significant mouth deviation said that she and her husband called it her crooked kisses.  This suited their humor and put her at east to know that they were in it together, could still have fun together, and that kisses would continue: crooked or not.

If you’re a partner reading this, please know that your steadiness matters. Your presence, your patience, and your willingness to keep seeing the whole person, not just the condition, can be one of the most healing forces in their recovery.

This is the last entry in our Bell Palsy Recovery Series. To check out all the topics we covered, check out the master post linked below.

Previous Post: The First 72 Hours After Bell's Palsy Onset
Master Post Bell’s Palsy Master Post