How to Tease Your Own Hair

Readying Your Hair for Teasing

Wait for second day hair. Your hair is easiest to tease when it has some texture and grip to it. That’s why it’s best to tease it when it hasn’t been freshly washed because there is some oil and product buildup to help with the process. If possible, wait until the day after you’ve shampooed -- or even two days -- to tease your hair. Having oils and product build up on your tresses makes it easier for your hair to hold the shape that teasing requires.

Wash with a volumizing shampoo. You can wash your hair before you tease, but it’s important to use the right product. Use a volumizing shampoo that will add texture and body to your hair so you can tease it more easily. Be sure not to use a moisturizing shampoo. It usually contains emollients that coat your hair and give it too much slip, so it’s more difficult to tease.

Skip the conditioner. While conditioning is an important step in keeping your hair smooth and soft, it can interfere when you’re teasing your hair. Conditioner is loaded with hydrating ingredients and emollients that leave your hair extremely smooth. As a result, it doesn’t have the grip necessary for effective teasing. If you have extremely dry hair that requires extra moisture, use a conditioner -- but apply it only to the ends of your hair, which you’ll be less likely to tease.

Avoid silicone-based styling products. If you normally add styling creams, serums, or other anti-frizz products to your hair after you’ve washed it, make sure that they don’t contain silicone. Silicone coats the hair and gives it a smooth surface that doesn’t lend itself to teasing.

Sectioning Your Hair

Decide how you want to part your hair. Start the teasing process by choosing where to part your hair for the overall look that you’re going for. If you plan to brush your hair straight back, you don’t need to part it. Comb your hair into place following the part. If you’re having trouble deciding where to part your hair, choose the area where you want to add the most volume.

Apply a texturizing spray. Once you’ve parted your hair, use a texturizing or teasing spray. It helps add volume to your hair without damaging it, so apply it to the areas where you plan to tease and work it through gently with your fingers. If you don’t have a texturizing or teasing spray on hand, you can substitute dry shampoo. EXPERT TIP Arthur Sebastian Arthur Sebastian Professional Hair Stylist Arthur Sebastian is a Professional Hair Stylist based in San Francisco, California. He is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon, a studio offering Hair Styling, Color & Brazilian Blowout services. Arthur has 30 years of experience styling hair. His career began with apprenticeships at Wayne’s Beauty College in Santa Cruz, California Miss Marty’s School of Beauty in San Francisco, California. After receiving his Cosmetology License in 1998, he rented his first station at Wack Shack Hair Salon in San Francisco, going on to hold positions at Posh Hair Salon, Acabello Hair Salon, and Red Union Salon before opening his own studio. With over 500 online customer reviews, Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon has a 5 star average rating on Yelp and 4.9 average review on Google. Arthur Sebastian Arthur Sebastian Professional Hair Stylist Try using dry pomade instead of texturizing spray or dry shampoo. Arthur Sebastian of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon says: If you put a little pomade on the tips of your fingers and work it into your roots, it will create a texture similar to hair that's already been teased. You can still help by delicately combing your hair, but you don't have to do it as vigorously."

Separate your hair into two sections. Before you tease your hair, divide it into two sections, a top layer and a bottom layer. The bottom layer is the hair that you’ll be teasing, while the top layer is the hair that you’ll brush over the teased section to hide it for a smooth, polished look. The bottom layer of hair should be larger than the top. However, make sure that there’s enough hair in the top layer to smooth over the teased sections when you’re finished.

Clip the top section out of the way. When you’re teasing your hair, the top layer can easily get in the way. To make the process easier, use a clip or bobby pin to separate the top layer from the bottom layer and keep it out of the way.

Teasing Your Hair

Pull a section of hair away from the scalp. Once the top layer is clipped out of the way, take a small section of hair that’s approximately ½-inch (13 mm) wide from the bottom layer. Lift the hair away from the scalp, pulling it so it’s taut. Keep in mind that the tighter you pull the hair away from the scalp, the more friction that you’ll create. That will give you more volume when you tease.

Brush against the grain of the section toward the root. With the section of hair still lifted, take a long tail comb and brush the hair against the grain toward the root. Start approximately 2-inches (51 mm) from the root when you backcomb, and gradually move further away if you want even more volume. Use short strokes when you’re backcombing your hair. Moving the comb back and forth as you tease can add even more texture and volume.

Spray the section with hairspray. When you’re finished teasing a section of hair, you’ll want to lock in the volume with hairspray. Apply a firm hold hairspray to the teased hair before moving on to tease the next section.

Continue teasing the entire bottom section. After you’ve finished teasing your first section, move on to the next ½-inch (13 mm) section and repeat the process. Continue backcombing and applying hairspray until you’ve finished teasing all of the hair that you want to. Depending on the look that you’re going for, you may not need to tease the entire bottom layer of hair. Consider your finished style to determine where you need the extra volume.

Unclip the top section and comb it over the teased hair. Once you’ve finished teasing your hair, remove the clip that’s holding the top section out of the way. Comb the hair smooth, and lay it back over the teased section to hide it. Style your hair as you desire. You can pull your teased hair back into a ponytail, bun, French twist, or add a headband. You can also lightly brush out the teased sections to soften them and make the volume appear more natural

Apply more hairspray. When you’re happy with the way your hair looks, you’ll want to add more hairspray to lock the style in place. Use a flexible hold spray, though, to avoid weighing your hair down with too much product.

Undoing Your Hair

Gently brush out the teased sections. When you’re ready to get your hair back to normal, use a natural bristle brush to gently brush it out before washing it. You’ll want to start brushing your hair at the ends and gradually work your way up to the roots. Don’t worry if you can’t work all of the teased sections out of your hair by brushing them. The next step will help unmat them.

Apply a conditioner before washing your hair. Get into the shower, and wet your hair as you normally would to wash it. However, instead of applying shampoo, saturate your hair with conditioner. Allow it to sit for 2 to 3 minutes before rinsing it out. The conditioner will moisturize and soften your hair, so it’s slippery enough to brush out the teased sections.

Wash your hair as normal. After you’ve rinsed the conditioner from your hair, use your usual shampoo to wash your hair. Follow up with a normal amount of conditioner, and rinse your hair completely. Blot your hair dry with a clean towel. If you hair still feels at all matted or rough, apply a leave-in conditioner to help moisturize and soften it further.

Comb out your hair. After towel drying your hair, use a wide tooth comb to detangle your hair. Be especially gentle when you’re going over the areas where you teased. Continue working until your hair is completely smooth. Don’t use a brush on your wet hair. It can easily snag your hair and cause breakage.