'I tried the viral hack that's meant to give you an "instant facelift". The results were surprising.'

Mamamia’s Tried and Tested series is your review of the latest to hit our desks in beauty, health and wellbeing. You won’t find any #sponsored content here, just honest, relatable and independent advice. This week, Mamamia's Senior Health and Beauty Writer trials the viral 'instant facelift' hair hack.

Intrigued? Excited? Maybe a wee bit terrified?

SAME.

But, we tried it so you don't have to. Because my goodness, there's an awful lot of Very Terrible 'hacks' out there. 

And as Mamamia's beauty editor and co-host of You Beauty podcast, I've come across more than a few dodgy ones (ahem, that time Kelly McCarren and I tried the foundation-in-water hack).

Watch: Speaking of trends... we tried the lube makeup hack and here's what happened. Post continues below.

In saying that, there are some beauty hacks out there that are genuinely really great (looking at you, 'dot method' makeup hack).

So, I'm always hopeful of discovering golden nuggets that'll work their way into my makeup routine and make it easier, quicker and dare I say... fun.

This one is called the 'instant facelift' hack.

While high ponytails have long been touted as the most effective celebrity hairstyling hack for an 'instant facelift', another hack has been doing the rounds on TikTok — and it gives the same lifted look while allowing you to wear your hair down.

In fact, the results look similar to the look you can get by using face tape (our over 50s beauty writer Teresa McNamara actually tried face tape to lift her hooded lids).

So, on this week's episode of You Beauty news, I decided to put the hack to the test and see if the results were as good as they looked on TikTok.

Listen: Want to get this episode in your ears? Check out the latest episode of You Beauty news below.

Here's exactly what happened when I tried the 'instant facelift' hair hack.

What is the 'instant facelift' hair hack?

While the hack isn't necessarily a new thing (it's a technique that's been kicking around for a while now), it was most recently posted by content creator Julianna Fresko on TikTok — and it went OFF. 

In a nutshell, it involves strategically using your hair to sweep up and lift your facial features. 

You start by sectioning your hair at the front, and plaiting two tiny braids on either side of your face (above your ears/near your temples).

You're then supposed to pull each side back tightly, securing them at the back of your head (you can just use a hair elastic).

As mentioned, this particular method is supposed to give you a smoother, tighter forehead/whole face.

Anyway, it's kinda hard to explain (what am I, a writer or something?), so please see below:

@juliannafresko The difference 🤌🏼 #lifehackstiktok #beautyhack #facelift #facelifthack ♬ Ultimate life hacks - Kelly - The Life Bath

If you look past the fact that the content creator looks about... 15 years old... you gotta admit, it's kind of genius. 

The best part? It looks quick and easy and you literally just need a comb/brush and some hair elastics.

We love easy!

How did you go with it?

Loosely following the method, I started by sectioning the two sections of hair at the front of my face, just above my ears. Or, as I ever so eloquently described it on the podcast, "the hair near your sideburns".

You're doing great, sweetie x

I didn't have time to braid the two sections (I had to record — rude), but ended up pulling back both sections, securing them at the back of my head (tightly) with an elastic band.

Bella Hadid, is that you?

And look, it was giving Legolas from Lord of The Rings, which wasn't promising.

I then ended up trying to brush the rest of my hair over the sections at the back (to cover it up) and it turned into... this...

Okay, NIIIICE.

An actual bird's nest. (You can't see it, but our wonderful producer Talissa Bazaz is shaking her head in disappointment behind me).

After I correctly brushed my hair over the sections of hair (you just gotta be careful not to upset your tight sections!), this was the final result:

So taut! So smooth!

The verdict.

Okay, but it definitely worked. And I didn't even do the full tight braid thing. 

Kelly said I looked "mean" (lol), but I think it lifted my features without looking too hectic. It pulled everything up and back, making my forehead look taut and smooth.

The only drawback? The potential headache. And the hair pulling. I had it up for about five minutes and it already felt kinda ouchy.

While it's an easy hack to do for going out somewhere fancy, I don't think it's something I would do every day. 

I'd be too worried about the impact it would have on hair breakage in that area (see: traction alopecia), and for me, the hair around my hairline feels quite fine already.

Also, when I pulled out my hair elastic, I somehow managed to rip out half my head of hair with it.  ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ 

But look, I'd definitely try again — just because I really liked the 'sweeping' result and feel like it really accentuated my cheekbones and jawline. 

Next time, I'd test it out with the actual braids to see if it made a bigger difference — and I'd definitely take a bit more care with brushing my hair over the section to avoid the bird's nest situation.

So, there you have it!

What do you think of the 'instant facelift' hack? Would you try it? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: TikTok/@juliannafresko/Supplied.