Best Ways to Tease Your Hair
Teasing your hair can be such a tease. It looks seductively simple to do, but with improper technique, you could end up looking like an extra in a Motley Crue video. Worse yet, you could cause severe breakage that will leave your hair kind of motley, too.
So if your knowledge of teasing extends only to “pick comb + hairspray,” put down your weapons, we shouldn’t be afraid to tease. It’s a great way to build volume and give shape to your look he explains.
Teasing 101
Teasing involves moving your comb in both directions across hair, up and down, to build texture. If you have finer hair, you’ll want to be careful—teasing can cause major breakage if you’re too rough. I’d recommend backcombing as a gentler alternative. So what’s the difference? When backcombing, you work in one swift motion and direction, combing down toward the root.
The right tools
For teasing, you want one of two types of combs: a rat-tail comb, which has the extra-long pick handle that’s ideal for backcombing, or a teasing comb, which has multiple lengths of bristles to help build volume. You can also opt for a brush if you ultimately want a softer look.
How to tease, step by step
1: Once hair is dry, part it where you want to add volume. Start by sectioning hair into 4-inch pieces, and then subdivide each section into two smaller, 2-inch sections. Clip one of these to the side. This will be the hair you use to cover the teased area.
2: Take one of the sections of hair, and pull it taut and away from your head.
3: Starting at the root, brush against the grain toward the scalp using short strokes. How tightly you pull will help determine how much tease you get (the tighter you pull, the more friction you create). For extra oomph, move your comb back and forth in both directions.
4: Spritz that area with hair spray and release the hair you clipped to the side so that it falls over the teased hair.
5: Repeat steps 1 through 4 anywhere you want to build extra volume.
6: Once you’ve teased all sections, lightly brush out hair for a more natural look.
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