A teasing brush will tease your hair by gently fluffing it up and styling it into the desired position, giving your hair more dimension and that exciting and stylish look.
Brushes Used To Produce Volume Are Known As Teasing Brushes
According to Stacey our in-house hair care analyst, “Teasing brushes are specifically used to create volume usually on the top of your head and are great for folks who have thin hair. By using a back combing technique (root teasing) you can create greater volume for thinning hair and it also add a lot of lift to your hair.”
Certain hairstyles like the beehive or bouffant styles in the 1960s and 70s were achieved using a teasing comb or brush and a little hairspray. The construction of the brush made so that it has many teeth or bristles and a rat tail or pick on the handle end. The rat tail end is used in separating hair into sections for teasing. In addition to teasing brushes round brushes can also give you a nice blowout style.
And if you are a man and interested in a great backcombing teasing brush Spornette make a great one called the Spornette Little Wonder. And depending on your hair type you might be able to use a vent brush to add volume and replace your teasing brush. Just keep in mind this is not an ideal situation and there are of course much better options. You may want to know more about boar brushes you can check out my article on choosing a boar brush.
According to Paul Mitchell, “Give hair volume and lift with the Teasing Brush, a slim, densely-packed bristle brush with a pointed handle for sectioning hair.” Before teasing make sure your hair is tangle free, Start by using a wide tooth comb or paddle brush to detangle your hair.
Is a teasing comb or brush better? Your hair texture makes a difference in whether or not you should choose a teasing comb or a teasing brush. For example, a teasing comb will be more effective on thick and curly textured hair. A teasing brush will be better for fine and shorter hair.
Does teasing hair make it thin? The answer is no, but it does cause hair breakage and damage if overdone. Teasing leads to broken hair shafts and follicles and eventually leads to hair that is weakened. In the later case it could also lead to hair loss. If you have very fine hair there are teasing alternatives.
Do Teasing Combs Work?
Teasing combs are an easy way to add extra lift to your hair. They gently grip your hair, adding texture and volume. They have a lot of bristles which set them apart form other hairbrushes.
How To Use A Teasing Brush Or Comb
Hair is separated using the pick end of the brush then held upright using the free hand. Hair is then brushed down in the opposite direction while being help upright. While the hair is being held upright short brush strokes are used working from the tips to the scalp. This is the process that creates the volume.
What Are Hairstyles You Can Create Using A Teasing Brush?
My top 8 hairstyles created with a teasing brush:
- Big, voluminous curls: Backcomb your hair at the crown of your head with a teasing brush. Then, using a curling iron, create large curls in your hair.
- Sleek, smooth updo: Backcomb your hair at the crown of your head with a teasing brush. Then, using a brush or comb, smooth the top section of your hair and secure it into an updo.
- Teased ponytail: Backcomb the top section of your hair with a teasing brush. Then, pull your hair back into a ponytail and tie it with a hair tie.
- Textured braid: Backcomb your hair at the crown of your head with a teasing brush. After that, braid your hair and tie it up with a hair tie.
- Voluminous blowout: Backcomb your hair at the crown of your head with a teasing brush for a voluminous blowout. Then, using a round brush and a blow dryer, add volume and body to your hair.
- Beachy waves: Backcomb your hair at the crown of your head with a teasing brush. Then, spritz your hair with sea salt spray and scrunch it to create beachy waves.
- Retro waves: Backcomb your hair at the crown of your head with a teasing brush to create retro waves. Then, using a curling iron, make retro waves.
- French twist: Backcomb your hair at the crown of your head with a teasing brush to create a French twist. Then, twist your hair into a French twist and pin it in place with bobby pins.
How To Tease Fine Hair And Make It Stay
- Wash your hair with a good voluminous shampoo
- Make sure your hair is fully dry – do not tease wet fine hair, you can cause damage
- Separate you hair into sections and clip in place – this will make it easier to work with
- Spray your hair with a good heat protecatant
- Use your favorite tool to straighten your hair – pin straight is best
- To get a bigger lift spray your hair underneath with your favorite hair spray
- Grab your hair and hold it upright and start brushing, short strokes from tips to scalp
- After teasing to make you hair look even brush or comb over gently focusing on the ends – otherwise you will end up having to teas all over again if you comb or brush too much
- At this point you can apply more hair spray holding the spray about 6 inches or 15 to 16 cm from your hair
- Apply a hair gel if you want maximum staying power – this often helps making the tease stay in your hair all day
Does Teasing Fine Hair Cause Damage?
Yes, try to avoid teasing your hair every day. Teasing is not good for your hair because all the cells on the hair strands are pointing downward toward the tips. By holding your hair upright and brushing downward you are brushing against the gain. This action can strip cuticle cells from the hair shaft. This leaves your hair unprotected. Never tease your hair while it’s wet.
Tip: Save your hair by not spending too much time under the blow dryer.
In addition, try to avoid using lots of hair spray. Using lots of hair spray can cause your hair to become brittle and break. An alternative to teasing your hair would be to use hair styling products while using blow-drying brushing techniques to create lift rather than teasing. This is much better and less damaging for your hair in the long run.
Is A Teasing Comb Better For Your Hair Than A Brush?
Teasing combs and brushes work in similar ways but it’s believed that a teasing brush is less damaging.The reason is that most combs often pull and rip at the hair thus causing damage where the softer bristles are much gentler.
Tip: Pick the right tools to save your hair. A brush is better for adding shine and distributing your hair’s natural oils.
Check out my article on “Should you brush fine hair“. Did you know damaged, thin hair can benefit from an extra-soft boar bristle brush? Check out my best brushes for fine hair recommendations in this article and more…
Fine Hair Teasing Comb
Teasing comb choice for fine hair is very important. Too often, women grab a fine tooth teasing comb as their hair styling tool of choice. But many do not realize a fine toothed teasing comb can be more damaging to fine hair if not used properly. Your best bet is a teasing brush for fine hair. A teasing brush has serrated boar bristles for teasing without breaking or causing damage to fine hair.
| Teasing Brush Product Description | Teasing Brush Pros | Teasing Brush Cons |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Salonchic 8″ Deluxe Triple Teasing Comb | Price | Sharp teeth |
| 2. Cricket Amped Up Teasing Brush | Made in the United States | Bristles fall out |
| 3. Revlon Perfect Style Softness and Shine Teasing Brush | Easily add volume | Bristles are very stiff |
| 4. Phillips Brush Teaze 2 Concave Bristle Shape Teasing Brush | Mixed boar bristle | Plastic beads break off |
| 5. Tease Me Baby Teasing Comb Brush (4-Pack) Assorted Colors | Amazing price | Bristles too long |
| 6. Conair Slim Teasing Hair Brush, Mixed Boar Bristle | Does the job | Bristles too stiff |
| 7. Phillips Brush Teaze Concave Bristle Shape Teasing Brush | Mixed boar bristle | Plastic beads break off |
| 8. Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Teasing Brush | Does the job | Handle uncomfortable |
| 9. GranNaturals Teasing Boar Bristle Hair Brush for Women – Teasing Comb | Helps to add volume | Bristles too weak |
| 10. Marilyn Brush Teasing and Backcombing Brush | Elevated center row | Not for thick hair |
| 11. Olivia Garden Style-Up Teasing Foldable | Foldable | Not gentle on hair |
| 12. Spornette Little Wonder | Lightweight | None |
| 13. WOLINSPRING Little Wonder Boar | Mixed boar bristle & tipped nylon | None |
| 14. Wet Brush Teeze W/eez | Stainless Steel | None |
| 15. Drybar Texas Tease Teasing Brush – My Number #1 Pick | Adds instant volume | None |
Pros and Cons of Top Teasing Brushes and Combs for Fine Hair
1. Salonchic 8″ Deluxe Triple Teasing Comb
The Salonchic teasing comb is a comb, so it’s going to be a little harder on your hair as compared to a teasing brush. However, it has some very good advantages. This biggest advantage is the price. Plus, you get 3 rows of teeth. A real bargain for the price. Because of the really pointed rat tail handle, end it going to excel at sectioning hair. My biggest complaint is the handle. It’s just harder to hold a rat tail style handle as compared to a teasing brush handle that has a thicker handle like the Drybar teasing brush. This one has a very tapered tail handle.
Salonchic 8″ Deluxe Triple Teasing Comb Pros and Cons
| Salonchic Pros | Salonchic Cons |
|---|---|
| Price | Sharp teeth |
| 3 Rows of Teeth | Plastic teeth |
| Great for backcombing | Hard to hold |
| Great for teasing | |
| Great for sectioning |
Cricket Amped Up Teasing Brush
They make the Cricket teasing brush in the USA, which makes it a good buy if you are looking for a teasing brush made in the USA. another thing the Cricket has going for it is the handle. The teasing brush handle has a rat tail end, but they also incorporated a thumb hold. the handle is curved and has a place for your thumb to rest while teasing your hair. This is an immense advantage over other teasing brushes with a plain rat tails style handle.
Cricket Amped Up Teasing Brush Pros and Cons
| Cricket Amped Up Pros | Cricket Amped Up Cons |
|---|---|
| Price | Bristles fall out |
| Made in USA | Weak plastic handle |
| Great for backcombing | Hard to hold |
| Great for teasing | Weak penetration |
| Great for sectioning |
Revlon Perfect Style Softness and Shine Teasing Brush by Revlon
The Revlon teasing brush has a lot going for it. It has a sturdy plastic handle that is not too thin for griping and it’s a brush as opposed to a comb. The only thing I am not a big fan of is the stiff bristles. I feel the bristles are a little too stiff.
Revlon Perfect Style Teasing Brush by Revlon Pros and Cons
| Revlon Perfect Style Pros | Revlon Perfect Style Cons |
|---|---|
| Great for backcombing | Bristles are very stiff |
| Sturdy plastic handle | |
| Easily add volume |
Phillips Brush Teaze 2 Concave Bristle Shape Teasing Brush
love the handle, nice and comfortable but it a little hard to hold. The bristles are a mix of boar and nylon bristles which is great for backcombing and teasing. Everything sounds superb and if you stopped reading right now, you would think this is my first choice. But fortunately it’s not. It has plastic beads on the ends of the bristles. And the plastic ball ends are prone to come off. If it weren’t for that, this brush would be on my impressive brush list.
Phillips Brush Teaze 2 Concave Bristle Shape Teasing Brush Pros and Cons
| Phillips Brush Teaze 2 Pros | Phillips Brush Teaze 2 Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | Bristles fall out |
| Mixed boar and nylon | Plastic beads break off |
| Great for backcombing | Hard to hold |
| Great for teasing | Not great for sectioning |
| Wooden handle |
Tease Me Baby Teasing Comb Brush (4-Pack) Assorted Colors
What I love about the Teas Me Baby teasing brush set is that you get a set. Yes, that is right, you get a 4 pack of teasing brushes for the price of one bush. What a great value. These brushes come in different colors, which is cool and they all penetrate hair very well without being too stiff. The handle is not great for sectioning, but hey, it’s not what I’m buying the brush for. I’m buying to use as a teasing brush not a sectioning tool. the biggest downfall is there is no brand name.
Tease Me Baby Teasing Comb Brush Pros and Cons
| Tease Me Baby Pros | Tease Me Baby Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | Not great for sectioning |
| Price | Not a major brand |
| Great for backcombing | |
| Great for teasing |
Conair Slim Teasing Hair Brush, Mixed Boar Bristle
Conair Slim Teasing Hair Brush Mixed Boar Bristle Pros and Cons
| Conair Slim Teasing Hair Brush Pros | Conair Slim Teasing Hair Brush Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | Not great for sectioning |
| Wooden handle | Not for really thick hair |
| Great for backcombing | Bristles too stiff |
| Great for teasing | |
| Alternating bristles |
Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Teasing Brush
Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Teasing Brush Pros and Cons
| Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Pros | Paul Mitchell Pro Tools Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | Handle uncomfortable |
| Great for teasing | Price |
| Great for backcombing | |
| Good sectioning |
GranNaturals Teasing Boar Bristle Hair Brush for Women – Teasing Comb
GranNaturals Teasing Boar Bristle Hair Brush Comb Pros and Cons
| GranNaturals Pros | GranNaturals Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | Handle uncomfortable |
| Great for teasing and volume | Weak bristles |
| Great for backcombing | Not great for sectioning |
| Boar bristles | Bristle loss |
Marilyn Brush Teasing and Backcombing Brush
Marilyn Brush Teasing and Backcombing Brush Pros and Cons
| Marilyn Brush Teasing Pros | Marilyn Brush Teasing Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | Not for thick hair |
| Great for teasing and volume | Bristle loss |
| Great for backcombing | Not great for sectioning |
| 100% Boar bristles |
Olivia Garden Style-Up Teasing Foldable
Olivia Garden Style-Up Teasing Foldable Pros and Cons
| Olivia Garden Style-Up Teasing Foldable Brush Pros | Olivia Garden Style-Up Teasing Foldable Brush Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | Not gentle on hair |
| Great for teasing and volume | |
| Great for backcombing | |
| Foldable |
Spornette Little Wonder
Spornette Little Wonder Pros and Cons
| Spornette Little Wonder Pros | Spornette Little Wonder Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | None |
| Great for teasing and volume | |
| Great for backcombing | |
| Lightweight |
Teasing Comb For Fine Hair WOLINSPRING Brush
WOLINSPRING Little Wonder Boar Pros and Cons
| WOLINSPRING Brush Pros | WOLINSPRING Brush Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | None |
| Great for teasing and volume | |
| Great for backcombing | |
| Mixed boar bristle & tipped nylon | |
| Wood handle |
Wet Brush Teeze W/eez
Wet Brush Teeze W/eez Pros and Cons
| Brush Teeze W/eez Pros | Brush Teeze W/eez Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | None |
| Great for teasing and volume | |
| Great for backcombing | |
| Mixed boar bristle & tipped nylon | |
| Stainless Steel |
Drybar Texas Tease Teasing Brush
 |
| Drybar Teasing Comb For Thin Hair |
Drybar Texas Tease Teasing Brush Pros and Cons
| Drybar Texas Tease Teasing Brush Pros | Drybar Texas Tease Teasing Brush Cons |
|---|---|
| Good penetration | None |
| Great for teasing and volume | |
| Great for backcombing | |
| Mixed boar bristle & tipped nylon | |
| Adds instant volume |
The Drybar teasing comb is one of my favorites because it combines the right combination of boar and nylon bristles that provides the right amount of tension to your hair as you tease. Tension is very important. You want just the right amount. Too much and you could (cause split ends) damage your hair. Too little and the brush is then not effective.
All teasing brushes have a very slim tapered handle for sectioning hair. Having a styling tool that can section hair while teasing is a must. With the Drybar brush just flip it around in your hand and section the next area to be teased. Once you get good you can do flip the brush around with one hand easily. The key to doing this is having the right handle. A handle that is slim enough to section but good enough to get a good grip and the Drybar does. If you have long hair then this feature is a must because you have to section your hair for teasing.
References
How to add fullness – https://youtu.be/hRFk9TyuZR4
How to get volume in fine hair without teasing – https://youtu.be/SGzG7ceLiHw
How to Drybar holiday hair – https://youtu.be/_FGCBWb5-hA
Beehive teased hairstyle image courtesy of pin.it/muxoffp2xomq5d