Teased highlights are ALL the rage. Teasing or backcombing the root automatically creates diffused color, diminishing a line of demarcation. These are sometimes called Teasy-lights, backcombed balayage or other versions of the same concept. While this creative way of creating a shadow root and softening lines is quite effective for professional colorists, there are some keys that colorists should adopt to perfect results.

MODERN met with balayage expert Mickey Colon (@mickeycolonjr), Truss Professional International Ambassador and owner of On-Site Studio, Orlando, Florida to get his tips.

How-to teasy-light properly (with bonus tips on how-to brush them out!):

“It’s very important that you tease properly,” Colon says. “It must not be forced. It’s about bringing the hair upwards in a slow, gentle motion. That way when you comb it out, it doesn’t break through the hair.” Colon’s motion is really quite superficial and he almost “skips” over the hair from mids to root. The hair is not PACKED to the scalp, but tenderly brushed up.

Colon points out prepping the hair for this type of coloring is unique. “Don’t think of it as if you are doing an updo,” Colon adds. “That style of teasing the hair is way too aggressive and tight. Trying to remove those knots after you color the hair will only lead to damage. The goal is to make the hair beautiful."

When it comes time to combing out the hair, Colon advises that the colorist hold the brush vertically to remove any knots. “And remember to use a brush designed for wet hair. It makes your job so much easier.”

 -

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.