Professional hairstylist Justin Hickox has been doing hair since 1995 — so he has picked up more than a few tricks in his time to help make his clients look and feel younger and more vibrant. One category of hacks that he’s happy to share with us on his YouTube has an interesting name: the “Five Minute Facelift.”
If you’re used to wearing your hair in the same way, styled toward your face, consider making a small and subtle change that will have a great impact on your overall look. These five hair hacks are so easy to do at home and don’t require the skills of a pro like Hickox. But, as Hickox explains, they will instantly give your face the appearance of a lift and more defined bone structure.
1. Style Your Hair Back Off Your Face
If you prefer your hair in your face because you feel the softness softens you up or that it suits your face shape, Hickox isn’t saying this is a bad move. But styling hair off of your face can emphasize your cheekbones and facial structure and make your face look more lifted.
2. Tight Ponytail
Similar to the first hack, this hack involves pulling your hair back but into a tight ponytail that looks sleek and chic. This creates the "illusion of o facelift," according to Hickox, because it pulls the skin back. If you don’t love the way your hair feels when it’s pulled back tightly, or you have thin and fragile hair that could be negatively affected by a tight hairstyle, Hickox has an alternative hack that will work just as well.
3. Loose Ponytail
Create a loose ponytail that tapers the sides around the ears and creates slight volume at the roots. This accentuates the cheekbone, while also giving the face an illusion of a lift. It’s an excellent option for anyone with thinning hair that is prone to shedding and damage, as it won’t pull and tug at your roots.
4. Add Volume Around the Temple Area
As we age, the temple area loses volume and can appear more hollow. This isn’t an area that we often give attention to, but wearing the hair in ways that provides an illusion of volume in this area can be very helpful in lifting the eye upward. One way you can quickly add the illusion of volume around the temples is to cut curtain bangs — bangs that start off shorter in the front and gradually get longer until their meet with the layers of your hair.
5. Creating the Right Angles on the Sides
You can alleviate volume at the sides of the face while also emphasizing cheekbones and giving the illusion of a lift by cutting your angles shorter and framing them toward your face. This styling technique can help keep longer faces from looking like they’re being dragged down.
