How to Tease Your Hair in 6 Steps

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Knowing how to tease your hair is one of the basic skills for mastering vintage hairstyles. Hair that’s been teased is much easier to roll and pin into 1940s victory rolls and teasing is the key to creating a big 1960s beehive. Teasing is handy for anytime you want more volume, whether it’s an updo hairstyle or everyday style. If your goal is bouncy waves but your roots are falling flat, a little teasing can balance a voluminous look.

Teasing hair isn’t difficult but there are a few techniques to know for a more effective tease.

Hair teasing tools

When it comes to teasing, there are a handful of different tools you can use:

Rat tail comb – This has a fine-tooth comb on one end and a long pointed pick on the other. Use the pick to create a part and to section hair, and the comb end to tease.
Teasing comb – A teasing comb looks similar to a rat tail comb, but has dual-layered teeth, both wide and fine, to make teasing easier and reduce hair breakage. It also has a tapered tail to part hair.
Teasing brush – A teasing brush looks like a long, narrow brush with dense bristles. The handle is pointed so you can use it to create a part and section out hair for teasing. These work especially well for fine hair.
Styling comb – A styling comb is a versatile tool that works on pretty much every hair type. They’re used for both cutting and styling hair.
Standard hairbrush – You can tease hair with a standard hairbrush if the brush isn’t too wide or large, though you will likely get better results from a teasing brush.

Which tool for teasing hair is best for your? It can depend on your hair texture and other factors like convenience and price. I find that a teasing brush creates the quickest results for my type of hair.

If you’re not wanting to purchase a tool that’s created specifically for teasing quite yet, a standard comb costs less and is a more versatile tool. You can use it to comb through and de-tangle wet hair after showering, part hair and tease it. These are also easy to put in a purse or tote for on-the-go touch-ups. If I’m traveling and not wanting to pack my whole arsenal of hair tools, I may leave the teasing brush behind.

Once you’ve chosen your tool, follow these step-by-step instructions for teasing hair:

How to tease your hair

1. Use a comb or the pointed end of a teasing brush to separate a section of hair near your part, starting from your forehead and moving toward the back of your head. Hold the section taut, upright.

2. Push the comb all the way through the section of hair and pull down toward your head. Start closer to your head and work your way up the section as far as you’d like to go. The more you tease, the more volume you’ll have.

3. Lightly spray the teased section with hairspray. Move this section to the other side and clip out of the way.

4. Continue teasing layers of hair down the side of your head as far as you’d like to go.

Now that we’re halfway through, here’s a comparison of how one side of my head looks when my hair is teased versus not teased.

Once you’re satisfied with the level of tease on this side, repeat the process on the other side of your head (if your hair is parted).

5. Use the comb or a brush to very gently brush over your hair to smooth it and conceal any visible teased areas. Don’t brush too hard or you’ll brush out the teasing.

6. Lastly, spray on a light mist of hairspray to seal the style.

Here’s the final look. I usually don’t do too much teasing. For me, it’s more to give a little more volume at my roots. Teasing too often can cause hair breakage as well. But there are styles that require a lot more teasing, for example, if you’re aiming for a big bouffant.

Tips for teasing your hair

Start with dirty hair – Teasing hair when it’s a little dirty is easier than teasing freshly washed hair. This is because the buildup of any product on your hair helps the tease hold.

Hold hair taut – Hold each hair section taut as you tease. Holding your hair loosely as you tease won’t give you the same volume.

Set the tease with hairspray – Lightly spray each teased section before releasing it for more hold. I like Nexxus Maxximum Firm-Hold Hairspray.