Facelift bungee: A guide to the $25 Botox alternative

The combined forces of gravity and Father Time can do unkind things to your face, and those pining for a cost-effective alternative to facelift surgery or botox may finally have an easy, pain-free answer. The Facelift Bungee, a simple $25 device that tightens the skin around your face, promises to reduce the appearance of wrinkles instantly. But does it really make you look younger? Here's what you should know:

How does it work?

The Facelift Bungee is literally a stretchable cord with a small comb on each end. To use it, first you make two small braids at each temple, the tighter the better. Then attach the first comb to one braid, wrap the cord around the back of your head, and attach it to the second braid. (Watch a video demo below.) This pulls the skin taut like when you wear a ponytail, but the advantage here is that women can hide it underneath their hair. Its creator promises the Facelift Bungee will take "10 years off your face." "It's easily inserted, it's easily removable," inventor Kimberly Aschauer tells ABC News.

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How does it feel?

It's said to cause no more pain than a "ponytail headache," says Rebecca Adams at The Huffington Post, but maybe Aschauer "has a higher pain threshold than we do because we're pretty sure we've never worn a casual hairstyle that gave us a headache."

How did Aschauer come up with the idea?

Shortly before her son's wedding, Aschauer created the Facelift Bungee after walking away from a plastic surgery consultation shocked by the "outrageous" cost of the procedure. "I created this out of pure panic," she says.

Are there any problems when wearing it?

There's always the possibility of one of the combs falling out, or someone spotting the contraption when you flip your hair. "We're not plastic surgeons," says The Huffington Post's Adams, "but it seems like stretching your skin for hours on end would only make your skin looser." Hey, it could work, says Madeleine Davies at Jezebel, but you'll have to accept "that your face has been jerry-rigged with ropes and pulleys."

Do people like it?

"It was great," Melissa Wexler, a mother and boutique owner, tells ABC News. "I'll hear, 'Oh, your skin looks great,' or 'Oh, you cut your hair,' or 'Something's different, is it your makeup?' So it feels good."

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Sources: ABC News, Huffington Post, Jezebel