How To: Rat your hair

Who said the eighties were dead? Well, they might be, but that doesn't mean you can't still rock the hairstyles. Take your hair to new heights by ratting it, which is simply another way of saying backcombing.

You Will Need:
• A blow dryer
• A flat iron
• A boar bristle brush
• Hair clips
• Hair spray
• A rattail or metal comb
• A headband
• A coated elastic band

Step 1: Blow dry
Blow-dry your hair completely straight and follow with a flat iron. Ratting wavy or curly hair may tangle or damage it.

Step 2: Detangle
Brush your hair thoroughly with a boar bristle brush to remove tangles. Make sure your hair is cool before styling.

Step 3: Start at the crown
Section your hair into 2-inch sections at the crown and clip the rest back out of the way. Spray hairspray on the sections to be teased.

Step 4: Backcomb
Hold the section straight up in the air with one hand. With the other hand, use a rattail or metal comb to comb hair near the roots downward toward the scalp in short strokes along the backside of hair. Repeat for all sections.

Step 5: Smooth and spray
Smooth the teased sections with the brush and set with a generous amount of hairspray.

Step 6: Style
Play with different styles. Curl the ends and wear a headband for a 60s, retro look or pull it back into a more modern and glamorous low ponytail with a coated elastic band.

Trivia: High hair was all the rage in the sixties. The 1760s, that is. Marie Antoinette took it to new heights, wearing elaborate hairstyles that lifted her hair 3 feet.