This prospective controlled study included 51 patient with Bell's palsy evaluated within two days of onset. To determine the natural history of the disease, the patients were followed for six months at which time the amount of facial motor recovery was measured. Sixty‐three percent of the patients had complete return while 37 percent had incomplete return. The age of the patients, the presence of pain, and the alteration of taste had no prognostic value. The progression of the palsy, the response to the maximal stimulation test and the results of the salivary flow test were useful prognostic indicators, being approximately 80 percent accurate in predicting the ultimate return of facial function.