A technique used to increase height and control form by creating a cushion or mesh at the base is called:

• A. Backcombing
• B. Backbrushing
• C. Teasing
• D. Sectioning

Answer: (A)

Creating height and control in a style comes from building a cushion at the base. Backcombing does this by taking small sections of hair near the scalp and combing toward the scalp, which causes the hair fibers to tangle against themselves and form a dense mesh right at the roots. That mesh acts as a foundation you can lift and shape, giving the style its height and keeping the form in place. When you need a clean, controlled lift at the base for updos or voluminous looks, this cushion is exactly what you’re aiming for. After the cushion is in place, you can lightly smooth the surface to refine the shape while preserving the base’s lift. Backbrushing, by contrast, smooths and adds volume more evenly without creating the tight base mesh, and sectioning is simply dividing hair into parts to work on—none of that alone builds the base you need for height. Teasing is often used synonymously with backcombing in salons, but the technique that creates the base cushion is backcombing.