UpDo Continued (The Big Tease)

Daley, Yet again you've raised great questions! And you caught me trying to write a less than thorough post - plan foiled again!

Daley asked about the right kind of hairspray and comb to use for pre-updo teasing, which I'll elaborate on just below. I'll also say a word about teasing-technique.


Products: Appropriate Hairspray and Comb

Use a salon-quality (and -price), aerosol, hard-hold hairspray. The two that I most highly recommend are HardHead by TIGI's BedHead or the hardhold hairspray that BigSexyHair makes. If you're experiencing that your hair is more difficult to tease because of the hairspray, there a three bits of advice I'll offer: 1) Don't skimp by using a cheap hairspray. When you switch to the good stuff you'll notice the difference!, 2) tease before you spray, and 3) don't spray too close to your scalp. You want to create a net of strength (not an Aqua Net of strength...) so that bobby pins, hair ties, or whatever the hell else you're putting in your hair to hold it will hold, hold, HOLD!

As for the comb, this becomes a matter of preference, but over time, I have come to prefer a standard haircutting comb. These are also the combs that 60+ men keep in their back pockets, as well as the comb that Kiniki whips out in his big ensemble solo "Grease Lighting." Yes, that comb.

I find that "rat tail" combs, which have two or three different levels of bistles, are just over-kill in their knotting-capability. I've actually gotten these combs stuck in my hair. No good.

You'll also benefit from a small, soft bristle brush, to use after the teasing and spraying are finished. You'll use it to persuade the hair into place after deciding what kind of shape you're creating - be that a sleek ponytail, a classic chignon or french twist, or even something much more complicated.


A Word on Technique

That's right, Ladies: There is a right way to be a tease. Wah-Wah.

In step-one (teasing), you'll want to lift a sheath of hair that is 1-2 inches thick, depending upon the weight of your hair. Hold the hair straight up, and tease the first half of its length with about 3 soft, firm strokes. You'll do this by holding the comb at about a 30-degree angle to the hair above where you're teasing. Put another way, when the comb comes down on the hair below it, the comb and the sheath of hair running to the scalp will roughly form a 150 degree angle. Now tease the hair once, twice, three times, each successive brush stroke farther from the scalp.

This is where you say: Oh my goodness, Amanda! My hair is literally standing on end!

Bingo. That's what you want.

Now you can spray (step two).

Repeat all over your head - yes, you will look like a swamp-thing - and when you are through, you can use the soft bristle brush to coax the thicket into place like a well-groomed garden.


I believe that pretty much does it. Daley...did I miss anything? ;)