If you’ve spent more than five minutes on TikTok recently, you’ve probably come across the latest beauty trick promising a more lifted look: the hidden braid facelift hack. The technique, which involves securing two tightly braided sections of hair beneath the rest of your hairstyle, is designed to create subtle tension around the temples. The result? Eyes that appear slightly more lifted, cheekbones that look a little more defined, and a jawline with a touch more sculpt—all without a single contour stick in sight or surgical procedure booked.
While the hack has been circulating among hairstylists for years, it recently found a new audience after Anne Hathaway’s longtime hairstylist, Orlando Pita, revealed the technique in an Instagram video. The video came after months of speculation surrounding Hathaway's appearance—beginning at the Ralph Lauren Fall 2025 show and continuing at what felt like every event thereafter. (The Devil Wears Prada actress previously told Elle that she did not have a facelift and her lifted appearance is because of these "two little braids.")
