Doll Hair Care
Tips and instructions for routine and advanced doll hair care...
When it’s all about the hair, we’re here for you. Below you’ll find just about all the information you need to give your dolls a hair salon rejuvenation session, and more!
- General doll hair care
- Techniques and supplies recommended for washing and restyling doll hair
- Hair trimming and cutting tips
- Hair color change methods
- Hair fiber guide and rerooting tips plus sources for doll hair for rerooting
Click on the tab links below to get started!
Time for a Doll Hair Salon Makeover? Start Here... ↓
General Hair Care Tips for Dolls
WHEN DOLLS HAVE A “BAD HAIR DAY”
Under normal circumstances, your doll’s hair should not need washing or restyling. However, if a shampoo and set becomes necessary, it’s time for your doll to visit a “salon” for some specialized treatment. Generally a trip to the salon is required when:
- Doll has been displayed or kept in an environment for a long time without cleaning or dust protection
- Doll has suffered some hairstyle disarray due to rough play or some other mishap
- Unboxed secondhand doll comes from a questionable/unknown environment (yard sale, EBAY, thrift shop, etc.), and needs a thorough cleaning
- Doll’s hair elastic has snapped or has deteriorated and fused with hair fibers
- Doll has “Helmet Head” – severe application of gel or stiffening product in hair needs to be removed to freshen the style or make the hair manageable and look more realistic
- Deboxed doll has “Box Hair” and needs hair reshaped or refurbished
- Hairstyle is unflattering or doll could use a makeover/restyle
- Ends of doll’s hair are frayed or stretched from excessive brushing and need reconditioned.
- Doll is suffering from “Glue Head” (oily or greasy-looking hair) and needs to be treated
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE BEGINNING SALON TREATMENT
Before restyling your doll’s hair, you should consider the following:
- Know your doll’s hair type before attempting to style it. Success with hair-styling techniques used on a specific doll depends entirely on knowing what type of hair the doll has. Different fiber types can vary widely in their ability to be styled and maintained under various conditions such as heat and moisture. One fiber type might require very high heat or boiling water temperature to hold styling, while a different fiber might actually melt at the same temperature. Processing hair fiber the wrong way can damage the fiber and ruin your doll’s hair. Therefore it is extremely important to know what type of fiber you’re dealing with before attempting any kind of styling technique on your doll. Determining doll hair fiber type is discussed in more detail in the separate tab section titled HAIR CARE – FIBER GUIDE.
- Understand your styling objectives and start simple. Planning a specific hair style for a doll requires you to assess the doll’s hair capabilities as well as your own capabilities. If you’ve never styled a doll’s hair before, the best option is to start with something simple, like straightening a doll’s hair in order to become more familiar with working with doll hair fiber. Once you know how it is likely to behave and what you are able to do with it, you can graduate to more ambitious styling like updos or braids.
- Choose an appropriate style for the doll hair you’re working with. Always keep in mind what kind of doll hair you’re dealing with. Certain types of hair fiber will not hold curls well over time, and if you try to restyle this type of hair, you may find your time and effort go unrewarded when you see the style fall out as the hair fiber returns to its original manufactured state. Saran hair is typically difficult to hold a restyle and often requires repeated hot water boiling and cooling to maintain the style over time. Also the doll’s existing hair style will dictate what you can do with it. You can’t expect a doll with shoulder-length hair to be styled with a long sleek ponytail, because the hair is not there for that type of style. Be realistic about what you have to work with and plan your styling efforts accordingly.
- Evaluate your skill level/capability for styling doll hair. Depending on the complexity of the style you choose, styling doll hair can be highly detailed and complex. In doll scale, you may end up working with small strands of hair fiber manipulated in various twists and turns that requires a high level of manual dexterity and patience. If you have problems with your hands, you may find intricate styling difficult. Sometimes tools can help. Fine and intricate styling takes practice and a little bit of know-how. If you have no idea how to style doll hair, do some research to find out what skills and tools may be required. Watch some video tutorials to see how it is done. Your first attempt may not be what you expect, so be prepared to redo an unsatisfactory styling job until you can get it the way you want.
- Allow yourself adequate time. Because you’re working with dolls on a smaller-than-human scale, the work can be not only tedious, but time-consuming. You must reserve a reasonable amount of time to do the kind of work that is required to get the results you are hoping for. Don’t try to rush yourself, especially when you are first starting out with doll hair styling.
- Prepare your work space. Assess your needs before you begin and gather all the necessary tools and supplies you expect to use. Reserve a clean uncluttered workspace so you can easily maneuver and find what you’re looking for quickly. Nothing destroys concentration like stopping to look for something you suddenly realize you need while you’ve got strands of doll hair twisted around your fingers.
- Vintage doll hair requires special styling treatment. This HAIR CARE section offers general information that may be of help when styling doll hair. Because vintage doll restoration is a topic deserving its own website, we urge anyone looking for serious restoration information to investigate other resources better equipped to address the unique issues of vintage dolls. In this discussion we are going to focus most of our attention on information and processes regarding “modern” dolls that are from the 80’s and newer.
A NOTE ABOUT DOLL HAIR
Not all doll hair is the same. Most commercially made fashion dolls and play-line dolls have synthetic hair fibers. But not all doll hair is the same, and not all dolls have the same type of hair. There’s no guarantee that every doll in a particular brand will have the same hair fiber. For instance, a Barbie doll and Monster High doll (both made by Mattel) could each have Saran, Kanekalon, or Nylon hair fibers. And not all dolls in the same line will be rooted with the same type of fibers. For example, not all Monster High dolls are rooted with the same kind of hair fiber. Dolls of the exact same type could be rooted with different hair fiber types. Even identical dolls from the same line could have different hair fibers, depending on where the dolls were made. Two identical-looking 2004 Barbie Fashion Fever dolls might have different hair types – one Saran, and one Kanekalon – because one doll was made in China, while the other was made in Indonesia. Manufacturing materials may differ by region or from factory to factory in a region. And an older doll manufactured in the 60’s or 80’s might have a hair fiber type very different from anything available in recent commercial doll-making. This is because manufacturing changes over the years caused a change in materials used to make dolls. Some changes were implemented for health and safety reasons, and others for purely aesthetic or cost-saving reasons.
How to tell what kind of hair a doll has. While different hair fibers might look similar on different dolls, it’s oftentimes easy to tell by the texture and appearance what kind of hair fiber a doll has. However, sometimes it’s not so easy to tell, and as a last resort in determining hair how specific hair fiber may react to various processes, it might be necessary to perform a test on a lock of the doll’s hair in the back at the bottom of the head where the test strand would normally be hidden from view. It’s better to mess up a hidden strand of hair rather than the whole head.
For more in-depth information about hair fiber, see our HARE CARE – FIBER GUIDE section.
A TRIP TO THE HAIR SALON
There are several styling options available, depending on the condition of your doll’s hair. Doll restyling can be a bit messy and time-consuming, so if you have several dolls to restyle, it’s best to do them in batches for the sake of efficiency.
Spritz styling. If your doll’s hair doesn’t need to be shampooed and conditioned, but simply has a few flyaways that need tamed, you can dampen the hair with a small misting spray bottle filled with room-temperature water and run a fine-tooth comb through the hair. It’s always a good idea to keep a spritz bottle of water and a comb handy to touch up your doll’s hair while redressing, before and during photography, or when preparing the doll for display. Of course spritz styling only works on straight or wavy hair.
Extremely curly locks can be spritzed and “crunched” by grabbing the bulk of damp curls in the palm of your hand and gently squeezing to compress the curls. This will press flyaways or loose curls back into the main volume of curls. It is not recommended to heavily comb extremely curly or kinky hair unless preparing to totally restyle the hair with a shampoo and possibly a boil-wash. Excessively combing or brushing tightly curled hair will destroy the curl cohesion and make the hair a big fuzzy mess that will definitely require restyling.
Preparing for salon treatment. If your doll needs a routine shampoo and conditioning treatment to remove dirt and dust or stiff hair product, or in preparation for further styling, here are some basic things you’ll need:
- Sink or basin with warm running water
- Bowl or pan deep enough to dunk doll head and swish hair in mixture of water and hair product
- Plastic or metal fine-tooth hair comb (human-size, not doll-size)
- Dish soap (not electric dishwasher soap, but liquid soap intended for washing dishes by hand)
- Liquid fabric softener or cheap hair conditioner
- Cheap liquid hair styling gel (if desired)
- Small spray/misting bottle containing room-temperature water
- Towels for drying the doll
- Cling-wrap (also called food-wrap, kitchen-film, plastic-wrap, plastic-film, or Saran wrap – not to be confused with the slightly different material called shrink-wrap used with heat to partially melt and shape-conform the wrap to objects)
Basic shampoo and conditioning. Follow these steps to complete the routine wash and straight style:
- Remove clothing and accessories. Remove the doll’s clothing and accessories, including hair accessories like elastic bands or threads sewn into the head to keep portions of the hairstyle intact. Snip threads with scissors and pull them out, being careful to avoid cutting hair strands. It’s important to remove metal accessories to prevent metal reactions with the vinyl or staining due to metal corrosion.
- Mix water with softener. Set aside a small bowl of warm water mixed with a couple teaspoons of liquid fabric softener. Use a mixture of up to 50/50 water and softener if doll hair is extremely matted or tangled. Add a squirt or two of liquid hair gel if desired to tame flyaway hair for a smoother, glossier finish.
- Wash hair with soap. Wet the hair and massage in a dab of dish soap to suds up the hair. Gently massage the hair with fingers to thoroughly wash it.
- Rinse. Rinse the hair with clean water.
- Dip washed hair in softener mixture. Dunk the hair, including entire scalp, into the bowl of water and softener (and gel, if added). Swish the hair around in the solution until thoroughly saturated. For extra conditioning, prop the doll in position to allow hair to soak in the solution for a couple minutes.
- Comb hair. Remove doll hair from solution and squeeze out excess. Gently comb hair, a section at a time, from the bottom up, holding onto the top of each section near the doll’s scalp to prevent pulling hair fibers from doll’s head. Comb until hair is smooth. Repeat the solution-soak-and-comb steps as many times as desired until satisfied with the hair quality.
- Final rinse and comb. Once hair is combed and softened satisfactorily, rinse the hair with clean water and comb again with a clean comb to arrange the hair in the desired style. If the doll needs additional styling to make its hair drape smoothly or to set the hair to add curls, the usual approach is to perform additional styling procedures while the hair is wet.
- Set for curly or wavy styling. If a curly or wavy style is desired, section off damp hair and apply curling apparatus to style hair as desired. Braiding hair, twisting hair in pipe cleaners, or rolling hair around plastic drinking straw curlers or permanent wave curlers can create various types of waves or curls. Soft curls can be achieved by removing curling apparatus before hair is completely dry, depending on hair type. Tiny numerous braids will create tighter waves or curls. If the curling apparatus is left in hair until completely dry, style will likely hold better. NOTE: Saran hair may not hold style without boil-perm. See BOIL-PERM instructions in our HAIR CARE – STYLING section for more information on curling hair.
- For straight styling, cover to set smoothness. If a straight style is desired but doll hair has any raised areas or humps in it from previously being in a ponytail, or won’t lie down smooth on the doll’s head, place cling-wrap or an absorbent cloth over the doll’s head to hold the hair in place as desired. A loose elastic band or tied string can be placed around the doll’s neck to hold the cling-wrap or cloth in place. Make sure not to create a crease in the hair with the elastic band or string. A strip of scrap cloth can be used instead of an elastic or string, to help prevent creasing the hair.
- Alternatively, smooth hair using an iron over a damp cloth. For a quicker method of smoothing and flattening the hair close to the scalp, instead of cling wrap, place a damp terry washcloth over the doll’s head. Apply a warm low heat clothes iron carefully to the head and leave for a few seconds, then lift and apply evenly around the top of the head to iron down errant hair fibers and remove unwanted kinks or waves.
- Set aside to dry. Set the doll aside to dry, usually 24 hours, then remove the cling-wrap or other cover, and comb the hair again. It should be smooth and shiny. If the hair type can withstand it, a flat iron can be used to make the hair even smoother. Do not comb or brush newly curled hair – see specific instructions for boil-permed or heat-curled hair.
Reconditioning hair that is severely matted or tangled. Severely tangled hair takes time and patience to comb through, and that process is easier when the hair is wet and conditioned with fabric softener in a basic shampoo treatment. Gently comb out matted or tangled hair by starting from the bottom up in small manageable sections. Don’t dig the comb teeth deep into a tangle; instead, try picking at it with the comb teeth a little at a time to loosen knots and tangles. Once a sufficient number of strands are released from a tangle, the comb-through will be easier. Rewet hair as need to proceed through the hair sections until the comb runs smoothly through the hair. During this long process, spritzing the hair with tepid water mixed with a few squirts of hair conditioner, or redunking the hair in water mixed with softener may help. Once all the hair is detangled, comb through again and rinse out any lingering products used to soften or smooth the hair. Then run a clean comb again through the hair and arrange it into desired style.
Cleaning flocked hair. Flocked hair is achieved by gluing tiny cut hair fiber particles onto an area of the doll’s vinyl head. Some glues used in flocking may be dissolved by water; however most modern commercially flocked doll hair is glued with water-resistant glues. If you are not sure what kind of glue was used to flock your doll, it’s best not to get the hair overly wet and possibly dissolve the glue. Care should always be taken with any attempt to clean flocked hair. DO NOT SCRUB WITH PRESSURE OR BRISTLES ON ANY AREAS WITH FLOCKED HAIR. Scrubbing the area with hard bristles or with a lot of pressure could dissolve or soften the glue and dislodge the flocking, causing it to slide around or peel off.
- Dampen hair by dunking in a bowl of tepid soapy water. If you don’t want to chance getting the glue wet and dissolving it, then use a damp soapy cloth to dab the hair rather than dunk the hair in water.
- Pat or dab with a soft damp and soapy cloth to wash the flocked hair, taking special care not to dislodge the glue that holds the flocking in place.
- Give extra attention to any especially soiled areas. Note that some fading/discoloration due to age or staining may not be correctable with washing.
- Rinse the soap away by dunking the head in tepid clean water. Change water if necessary and re-immerse head until all soap residue is gone. If you don’t want to chance dissolving the glue by getting the flocking too wet, then use a damp clean cloth to absorb and remove soap residue. Rinse and squeeze cloth then continue dabbing hair to absorb more soap. Repeat until soap is gone.
- With clean dry towel, pat dry the flocking and set doll aside to thoroughly air-dry.
Repairing or redoing flocked doll hair. You can reflock your doll’s hair if it is missing patches of flocking or is discolored. This can be done by taking a similar hair fiber color (or similarly colored acrylic yarn) and cutting it into very fine pieces, then applying waterproof glue to the bald area and dabbing flocking over the area, allowing it to dry completely. Gently brush off any loose/excess hair fibers. This may require a second application to completely cover the area.
For more information about repairing flocked hair, click the link below to watch a YouTube video in a new browser tab:
Cleaning intricately styled hair. If you don’t want to wash the doll’s hair because it has an intricate hairstyle or attached headdress, avoid getting the doll’s hair wet and instead try gently smoothing or dusting the hair and accessories with a duster (feather duster or Swiffer duster) or a damp soft cloth. Follow the direction of hair strands in the hairstyle when rubbing down the surface of curls or other intricacies. If curls become untidy, you can gently comb and coax the hair strands to curl in the same direction. If the hair is frizzy or flyaway, you can add a dab of hair gel on your fingertips to smooth the curls. Buns or ponytails with hair strands that are pulled or snagged away from elastic can sometimes be tucked back in place with a pointed instrument like the end of a small artist’s paint brush or rat-tail comb. If there is too much disarray, the hairstyle may need to be taken down and redone. A basic shampoo treatment would then be in order.
Video tutorials. There are many styling tutorials available on YouTube and elsewhere to help you find the courage and patience to approach the task of restyling doll hair. We recommend you practice styling hair on dolls of less consequence to get familiar with the process of handling doll hair.
Click a link below to open in a new page and check out these YouTube video tutorials
- Doll Tips & Tutorials by A Thousand Splendid Dolls (curated playlist)
- Hair Styles by Sam & Mickey
- Pipe Cleaner Crafts B – 10 hairstyles
More to come, but that’s all for now!
As always, any aggregated information we present on this site comes from our own experience and general research of experiences of other hobbyists, and is offered with no guarantee that suggested activities will work as expected or desired. Follow any crafting advice or suggestion at your own risk.
Hair Styling Tips for Dolls
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE BEGINNING SALON STYLINGThe focus of this guide. We’ve compiled some basic styling techniques from various sources to help you customize or recondition your doll’s hairstyle. Some of these techniques are to be used in addition to regular hair care (see our HAIR CARE – GENERAL section). These are just basic suggestions to get you started. If you want to do some creative or complicated styling, such as cutting doll hair, we recommend you do further research, watch some doll hair-cutting video tutorials, and practice on less valuable dolls before trying your hand at restyling an expensive or favorite doll. Check out our section on HAIR CARE – TRIMMING/CUTTING and HAIR CARE – COLOR CHANGE for some tips on advanced hair style modifications.
Vintage dolls. Because vintage doll restoration is a topic deserving its own website, we urge anyone looking for serious restoration information to investigate other resources better equipped to address the unique issues of vintage dolls. In this discussion we are going to focus most of our attention on information and processes regarding “modern” dolls that are from the 80’s and newer.
Know your doll’s hair type before attempting to style it. Success with hair-styling techniques used on a specific doll depends entirely on knowing what type of hair the doll has. Not all doll hair is the same. Different dolls in the same line could have different hair fiber types, and dolls from different eras could have different fiber types. Hair fiber types can vary widely in their ability to be styled and maintained under various conditions such as heat and moisture. One fiber type might require very high heat or boiling water temperature to hold styling, while a different fiber might actually melt at the same temperature. Processing hair fiber the wrong way can damage the fiber and ruin your doll’s hair. Therefore it is extremely important to know what type of fiber you’re dealing with before attempting any kind of styling technique on your doll.
If you are unsure what kind of hair your doll has, we strongly advise you to review our HAIR CARE – FIBER GUIDE section before attempting to style your doll’s hair.
SALON STYLING TECHNIQUES
Basic preparations. There are several styling options available, depending on the condition of your doll’s hair. For instructions on basic shampooing and after-shampoo styling, see our HAIR CARE – GENERAL section.
Doll restyling can be a bit messy and time-consuming, so if you have several dolls to restyle, it’s best to do them in batches for the sake of efficiency. Depending on what type of styling you plan to do, you may need or want to keep on hand a variety of tools and supplies. Some are optional and may not be needed for every styling process. Below we’ve listed the most commonly used tools and supplies:
- Sink or basin with warm running water
- Microwave or hotplate or stove top burner to heat water
- Metal saucepan (optional if heating water on stove or hotplate)
- Microwave-safe bowl for hot water, large enough to submerge doll hair and head
- Large bowl with icy water (for high-heat hair like Saran)
- Sharp pointed scissors
- Fine-tooth hair comb, preferably with a rat-tail end
- Hair clips, pelican styling clips (hinged claw-slide clips), or chip clips for sectioning hair while styling
- Bobby pins
- Straight pins to hold hair configurations in place (optional)
- Small hair elastics in different colors (like loom elastics)
- Pipe cleaners
- Plastic straws (various diameters)
- Commercial permanent wave hair curlers
- Toothpicks
- Round dowel rods (various widths) or old artist paintbrush handles
- Long needle-nose pliers to curl very short hair (tips can be heated with a candle or other heat source and used to grab hair and twist around to create a curl or wave)
- Drip-style coffee filters or permanent wave end papers
- Small hair scrunchies or knitted bands
- Small decorative hair clips or barrettes
- Cheap hair conditioner or liquid hair styling gel (if desired)
- Small spray/misting bottle containing room-temperature water
- Nozzle-tip squeeze bottle (like a hair-color bottle)
- Towels for drying the doll
- Cling-wrap (also called food-wrap, kitchen-film, plastic-wrap, plastic-film, or Saran wrap – not to be confused with the slightly different material called shrink-wrap used with heat to partially melt and shape-conform the wrap to objects)
BASIC RESTYLING HAIR
Spritz styling. If your doll’s hair doesn’t need to be shampooed and conditioned, but simply has a few flyaways that need tamed, you can dampen the hair with a small misting spray bottle filled with room-temperature water and run a fine-tooth comb through the hair. It’s always a good idea to keep a spritz bottle of water and a comb handy to touch up your doll’s hair while redressing, before and during photography, or when preparing the doll for display. Of course spritz styling only works on straight or wavy hair.
Extremely curly locks can be spritzed and “crunched” by grabbing the bulk of damp curls in the palm of your hand and gently squeezing to compress the curls. This will press flyaways or loose curls back into the main volume of curls. It is not recommended to heavily comb extremely curly or kinky hair unless preparing to totally restyle the hair with a shampoo and possibly a boil-wash. Excessively combing or brushing tightly curled hair will destroy the curl cohesion and make the hair a big fuzzy mess that will definitely require restyling.
You can “finger-comb” long curly or wavy hair by spritzing the hair with water mixed with a bit of gel or leave-in conditioner. This will moisten the hair fibers to help them stick together to form more cohesive locks, and running your fingers gently through the locks with guide them in a similar direction to give a more finished and natural look while helping to separate large clumped locks. Do not separate curled or waved locks if you want a very structured and defined look for the curls. Instead gently comb or coax the damp hair together in formed strands that curl or wave together in the same direction to form larger locks.
Recreating specific styles. Doll hair will have to be restyled if the hair elastic used in factory styling has deteriorated, or the style has been ruined or disrupted by play or other activity, or the doll has had an intricate style dismantled in order to shampoo the hair. If you are attempting to restyle a doll’s hair in an intricate or complicated coif, it’s advisable to watch a few hair-styling tutorial videos to get an idea how complicated styles can be accomplished. Before starting, it’s important to have necessary tools and accessories on hand, such as:
- Rat-tail fine-tooth comb
- Hair elastics, scrunchies, barrettes and other desired accessories
- Misting spray bottle filled with water
- Hair gel
- Straight pins to hold hair configurations in place (optional)
Simple half and full ponytails. Making a ponytail involves combing the hair back evenly and smoothly and gathering it at the point where the ponytail is desired to start. Dolls with bangs/fringe can maintain their bangs while the rest of the hair is styled into a ponytail. To form a ponytail, the hair length must be sufficient to remain bound by an elastic band. Ponytails can be formed high on the top of the head, or low in the back, or off to one side. Double ponytails can be formed by parting hair in the back and then sectioning and binding the hair off to form different ponytails. Ponytails can be asymmetric or evenly spaced, depending on the look desired.
Hair strands around the doll’s face can be left out of the ponytail and curled or waved to add more visual interest to the style and soften the severity of pulling back the hair from the face. Curly hair as well as straight or wavy hair can be pulled up in a ponytail. Curly styled hair might be best confined in a loose ponytail and combed very little, if at all, depending on the desired look. After combing hair back to desired point, open elastic with fingers and wrap around hair held with other hand. Pull the hair bundle through the elastic and then twist the elastic and wrap around the hair again until the desired tightness is achieved. This process is easier if the doll is anchored between your knees.
A lock of hair from the underside of the ponytail can be wrapped around the elastic to hide it, with the tip of the lock tucked under the last wrap of the elastic or tucked into the hair wrap itself. Half-ponytails can be styled by pulling back front and/or side portions of the doll’s hair and securing with elastic or barrette at the back of the head, leaving the majority of the hair in the back hanging loose out of the ponytail.
Interesting waterfall layering can be created by pulling strands of hair from either side of the doll’s head in the front and pulling them back and fastening them together to make a half-ponytail. The ponytail end can be tucked into/under successive strands pulled back to form more half-ponytails. Flowers or other ornaments can be tucked into the area where the hair strands meet.
A “bump” in the pulled-back portion of the hair can be created by placing a small shape (a roll of cloth or tissue, or a piece of Styrofoam) under the hair being pulled back so the hair conceals the item used for the bump while conforming over its general shape.
Styling buns. Buns can be fashioned similarly to ponytails. Secure the end of the ponytail with elastic and roll the end under and inside the bulk of the ponytail to form a bun, keeping the sides of the rolled hair even and held together. Alternately, the ponytail can be rolled from the end upward by rolling it on top instead of under. To create a variation in bun look, the edges of the roll of hair can be coaxed backward to meet at the back.
Other looks can be created by twisting the ponytail or braiding it before securing the end and rolling it. The bun can be secured in place by holding onto the last wrap of elastic around the ponytail end while rolling the hair into a bun, then using that to wrap around the bun at the base of the ponytail. Alternately, a colored pipe cleaner can be used to secure the ponytail end by twisting the middle around the hair to secure the end and keeping the remainder of the pipe cleaner sticking out on either side as the ponytail is rolled into a bun. Once the bun is in place, wrap the ends of the ends of the pipe cleaner around the ponytail base and trim off the ends with scissors or tuck them in under and around the bun base so the layers of wrapped pipe cleaner look like a decorative hair band.
Partial or small buns can be created almost anywhere on the doll’s head, like two ear-like top knots, or a tall twisted or braided bun off the top of the head or to one side. Configurations are limited only by your imagination.
Braiding. There are many methods of braiding hair: fishtail braiding, French braiding, cornrow braiding, etc. A braid is also known as a plait or a pigtail. Hair can also be twisted to resemble braiding, or made into dreads. Braiding requires a comb and some hair elastics and manual dexterity. Rather than explain how to do all of the various types of braids, we are going to describe only the simplest braiding style and recommend that you search for and review tutorials on whatever other styles of braiding you’re interested in.
Simple braiding involves separating hair into three equal segments and then weaving those segments together. The entire head of hair can be braided, or just a strand of hair can be braided. You can make large braids or small braids, controlled by the amount of hair per braid and how tightly the hair is woven. You can also braid smaller braids into larger braids, or tuck the ends of two opposite-side braids fastened together into successive fastened braids to get interesting layered looks. Straight hair that is all the same length will be the easiest to braid and will give the smoothest finished look.
Start by selecting what portion of the doll’s hair you want to braid. Separate that segment into three equal sub-sections, and clip all the rest of the hair back out of the way if necessary. Comb all the hair sections as smooth as possible. To weave the hair together, hold two of the three separated sections securely in your fingers by clamping each section between crossed or closed fingers. With your other hand, cross the third segment between the other two segments and hold all of it tight while you grab the segment on the opposite side and pull it between the other two segments. Then grab the third segment and cross it between the other two. Make sure to weave the hair in the general direction you want it to lie or drape by pulling the hair segments down to the direction you want them to go as you weave them. Repeat this process by alternating each segment and pulling it between the remaining segments evenly while holding the woven hair tight so it does not unravel. When you reach the point where there are no more full sections of hair to weave, wrap an elastic around the end of the braid to hold it in place.
Thatching parts. When making micro-braids or pigtails or other hairstyles that require sections of the doll’s hair to be pulled away from other sections of hair, the resulting part can expose areas of the doll’s scalp that show unsightly rooting gaps. To minimize this, you can try thatching the hair, which involves taking strands of hair from each parted section and crossing them over to the opposite section in regular intervals. These crossed hair strands will help cover the scalp. A small pointed instrument like the tail of a rat-tail comb, or an artist’s paintbrush handle or similar object can help separate hair strands evenly so the thatching pattern is more uniform.
HOT WATER STYLING TREATMENTS
If your doll’s hair is frazzled, or the ends are frayed, or the curly style is frizzy and out of control even after a basic shampoo and conditioning treatment (see our HAIR CARE – GENERAL section), more serious styling methods may be necessary to reclaim your doll’s hair.
The boil-wash treatment. If a shampoo/conditioner treatment was not enough to render doll hair smooth and manageable, the boil-wash method can be used to straighten unruly or curly hair and prepare it for restyling. (Boil-washing is not recommended for Acetate hair, which should only be styled using warm water.) Many doll collectors recommend boil-washing nearly all types of modern synthetic hair fibers (except Acetate, which should be styled using water that is barely warm).
The supplies needed are similar to those used in a regular shampoo:
- Fine-tooth comb
- Shampoo or mild dish soap
- Hair conditioner and/or fabric softener
- Cheap liquid hair gel (optional)
- Spritz/misting bottle
- Nozzle-tip squeeze bottle (like a hair-color bottle)
- Cling-wrap (also called food-wrap, kitchen-film, plastic-wrap, plastic-film, or Saran wrap)
- Towels
- Microwave-safe bowl for hot water, large enough to submerge doll hair and head.
- Large bowl with icy water (for high-heat hair like Saran)
- Metal saucepan (optional if heating water on stove or hotplate)
- Microwave (or hotplate or stove top burner if not using microwave to heat water)
Some of the items listed above are optional or alternative. Here’s a basic boil-wash method used by many doll enthusiasts, with a few alternatives included. Choose the equipment and methodology that works best for your needs.
- Basic shampoo. Shampoo and condition the doll’s hair as instructed in the GENERAL HAIR CARE section.
- Heat water. Prepare bowl of water, either heated to boil in the microwave or on stove or hotplate in a metal pan.
- HOT OBJECTS SAFETY NOTE: If heating bowl of water in microwave, heat on high about four minutes, or as required until boiling. Use oven mitts to remove bowl to avoid burns from steam or hot water. If heated on a burner, transfer the water to a bowl to prevent burning or scarring doll on edge of hot pan. Avoid splashes of hot water when pouring from pan to bowl.
- Dip the hair. Once the water is heated, carefully dunk your doll’s head into the bowl. Use a fine-tooth comb to smooth out any tangles so the hair will be sleek from root to tip.
- Batch boil-washing. Don’t place more than four dolls in one boil-wash bowl at a time. The more dolls in the bowl, the more the heat from the water will be dispersed between them. If you’re boil-washing several dolls, sort them by type of treatment needed. For dolls that do not need much heat, you can boil-wash them together in small batches. For dolls that need high-heat treatment because of the type of hair fiber or the terrible shape it’s in, put them in their own bowl.
- Refresh/reheat water as needed. Water may cool down and need to be reheated during the boil-wash process. It’s always a good idea to use fresh water and rinse the bowl when renewing heated water for the boil-wash process. This will help avoid accumulation of shampoo or conditioner residue in the water. Also, if you’re dealing with some older dolls, dunking them may make the water smelly, even when they’ve just been washed. Renewing with clean water is the best practice.
- Kanekalon and low-heat nylon. For low-heat Kanekalon or nylon hair, depending on the type and quality of hair fiber, the water should be very warm but not boiling hot. When dunking low-heat Kanekalon or nylon hair, leave doll in no more than a minute or less if water is very hot, and then comb out hair. Always test a hidden strand or tip before dunking entire doll hair in hot water.
- Saran and high-heat nylon. For Saran or high-heat nylon hair, the water needs to be very hot and may need to be reheated if dunking the doll’s head several times over a couple minutes. The doll’s hair will need to be left in the bowl for several minutes before combing out.
- Cool rinse. Once satisfied with the results, run the doll hair under cold tap water to set or seal the hairstyle. Saran or high-heat nylon may need ice water for cool-setting.
- Repeat boil/cool cycle as necessary. Sometimes Saran and high-heat nylon can be very stubborn and may need two or three entire boil washes to get the hair to a satisfactory condition.
- Note about styling bangs (fringe): If you want to maintain curly bangs, do not dip them in hot water because the hot water will make them straight and flat. Only dip the bangs/fringe with the rest of the hair if you want to straighten your doll’s bangs. To make curved straight bangs neater without completely flattening them down to the doll’s forehead, dip comb in hot water and comb through the doll’s bangs from the scalp. This will smooth out the fuzzy hairs without flattening the bangs entirely.
- Short-cycle boil/cool for high-heat fibers. For Saran and other hair fibers requiring high-heat styling, dunk the doll hair in boiling water for about 15 seconds, then comb out and dip in a bowl of icy water for five seconds to set the hair. That process needs to be repeated at least three times.
- Optional gel application. Take squeeze bottle with one or two tablespoons of hair gel diluted in warm water and drizzle it all over doll’s hair. Use a zigzag motion starting at the top of the scalp and continuing all the way down the length of hair. Also do the underside of the hair in the same manner. If doll has bangs, put extra gel on them. Comb the gel through the doll’s hair. NOTE: The more gel in the mixture, the more likely the doll’s hair will get sticky or stiff, so use gel sparingly to tame the flyaway hairs and to lightly hold the style. If you prefer a very stiff style (Helmet Head), then put as much gel on your doll as desired.
- Let the hair air dry. Set the doll propped up in a sitting or standing position to allow the hair to completely dry in its normal styled position. (Laying the doll flat may crinkle or skew the hair.) Blow-drying the doll’s hair is not recommended because it may cause heat damage or create flyaways. The doll can be placed near a fan on low speed to assist the drying process.
Many doll enthusiasts use the boil-wash and boil-perm methods to style doll hair of different types. The methodologies offered here are aggregated from statements and recommendations by various doll enthusiasts, based on their own experiences. The main differences in methods are the means of achieving water temperature, and time limits for leaving hair in hot water. If you’re new to this technique, we recommend watching various video tutorials or doing your own research online, then starting with the minimum temperature and time to test the success of your results to see if you may want to increase the temperature and time for desired results. As always, we recommend safety precautions to avoid burns.
Boil-Perm Styling Method. The boil-perm method is the most popular method for adding curls to a doll’s hair. As stated before, we recommend using safety precautions to avoid burns, and to use hot-water styling treatments only on hair types that can withstand boiling water temperatures.
Depending on the doll’s hair type, boil-perm styling may yield different results. Boil-washing will soften Saran hair, but the hair has a tendency to keep its original factory style and is very resistant to being styled differently. Therefore if the style was originally straight, it’s best to keep it straight. When curly, it can be dunked in hot water and it will retain its curly style. To straighten curly Saran or curl straight Saran, you’ll need to repeatedly dunk the hair in boiling-hot water and then in ice-cold water to set the changed the style. Kanekalon hair, on the other hand, is more pliable, and usually will straighten after being submerged just once in hot water. But it is also more sensitive to heat, so if the water is too hot, it might cause the hair to ball up. This is easily reversed by dipping the hair again and combing it out. Kanekalon is generally easier to maintain in straight styles rather than curly.
The method for boil-perm is exactly the same as boil-wash, except curlers or curling methods are applied to the hair before performing the boil-wash. Methods commonly used by doll enthusiasts to curl hair include:
- Braiding. Hair can be braided in as few or as many sections as needed to achieve the desired curl or wave. Large loose braids formed in the general direction the hair is rooted will produce loose wavy curls. Numerous small tight braids will produce small tight curls. Braiding up and out from the scalp will produce an Afro effect.
- Twisting pipe cleaners. Wrapping and twisting pipe cleaners around hair segments will create waves and secure hair to keep it from unraveling during the dunking process. Curl or wave patterns will depend on the way the pipe cleaners are twisted around the hair, and the amount of hair allocated to each curled section.
- Using end papers. When perming human hair, water-resistant end papers are wrapped around the hair segment ends to prevent them from unraveling from curlers. Papers can be obtained from a beauty supply store, or clean unused coffee filters for a drip coffee maker can be cut up and used as end papers to wrap doll hair segments to keep the hair strands in place while rolling around curlers.
- Using permanent wave curlers. Along with end papers, some doll enthusiasts like to use the smallest size human hair perm curlers to boil-perm doll hair. The curlers are plastic tubes narrow in the middle and wider on the ends to accommodate hair wrapped around the middle. Elastic bands attached to one end and secured on the other end keep hair in place. Some curlers may have a snap-lock mechanism.
- Using plastic drinking straws. Plastic drinking straws of various widths can be cut into sections and used similar to human hair curlers. Some doll enthusiasts secure the hair by using bobby pins on the ends of the straw. Others use toothpicks or thick dowel rod sections to wrap hair, then cover the wrapped hair with section of plastic drinking straw split lengthwise down the middle. A small elastic secured around the top of the dowel or toothpick, twisted once, then looped around the bottom end of the dowel or toothpick will help secure the hair inside the drinking straw section. End papers from coffee filters can help keep the hair wrapped around the rods. Another way to hold the hair in place, along with end papers, is to cut additional straw sections and split them lengthwise so they can be wrapped on the outside of the inner straw sections wrapped with hair. Additionally, straight pins can be run through the hair wrapped around plastic straws to keep it from unrolling, but care must be taken not to get pricked by pins when styling the hair or unrolling the curlers.
STYLING DOLL HAIR WITH HEATING INSTRUMENTS
Various heating instruments can be used to style extremely stubborn hair or give more control over styling results. If more smoothness is desired, flat-ironing the doll’s hair can produce stunning results. Curling doll hair can dramatically change the look of the doll’s style. It’s important when using any heat-styling instrument on your doll to first test a hidden hair strand and make sure heated portions of styling instruments do not touch the doll’s head or other parts of the vinyl body. Some of the styling accessories that may come in handy include:
- Fine-tooth comb with rat-tail end
- Hair clips
- Mister/spray bottle filled with water and a squirt or two of diluted hair gel
- A bottle of hair gel
Flat iron styling. Some doll enthusiasts use a flat iron to straighten hair that still needs extra attention after a successful boil-wash. For dolls with hair that’s been stretched or frayed from over-brushing or just general wear, carefully applied heat with a flat surface can help restore the doll’s hair to satisfactory condition, sometimes even better than original factory condition. A flat iron on very low temperature (no hotter than 180 F) can be used on damp doll hair. Again, test a hidden strand to make sure damage will not occur. It’s best to secure the doll body either between one’s knees or in a small sturdy container on the table packed with paper or other filling to make sure the doll doesn’t move or tip over. Hair clips are ideal to hold the doll hair back so it can be worked on in sections. Comb a section straight out from the doll’s head and pull the flat iron quickly and evenly over the section. Repeat as needed, making sure hair remains damp through this process. A small water-filled misting spray bottle can help keep hair damp. Flat-iron remaining sections one at a time to get the desired smooth look. Take care not to burn the doll with flat-iron.
Ironing long hair. Dolls with very long hair can be laid out flat on an ironing board and the hair can be ironed using a damp towel placed over the hair to protect it from direct contact with the clothes iron. Always start with the lowest heat setting and increase gradually as needed until desired results are achieved. Note that ironing all the hair in one complete pass may not be as effective as ironing smaller sections of the hair individually. This is due to the fact that the heat from the iron is less likely to penetrate through upper layers to reach the lowest layers of hair. If the doll’s hair is very thick, it’s recommended to iron the hair in segments rather than all at once. If sectioning the hair is difficult, the doll’s hair can be rotated so all the surface layers can be reached. Make sure to keep the towel damp during the ironing process. Also take care not to touch the doll’s head or body with the iron’s hot surface.
Styling with curling iron. Like the flat iron, the curling iron must be able to achieve low temperature (180 F). When using a curling iron to curl doll’s hair, test a small hidden strand first to make sure the hair can tolerate the heat. Dampen hair with water in a misting bottle and section off hair, clipping back hair so you can work on one section at a time. Wrap hair lock around curling wand and hold for the number of seconds you’ve determined are safe for the hair type. Curl the hair around the wand in the direction the hair lays and pull the wand out of the hair without loosening the curl. Take care not to burn the doll with curling wand. Repeat until all curling is finished. If you want to separate large curls, comb fingers through curls gently, do not use a comb or brush. To keep curls smoother and less flyaway, apply a small amount of hair gel to fingertips when separating curls.
Curling hair with a rod and flat-iron. An alternate method to heat-set curls and make the curls tighter is to take a round dowel or paintbrush handle or metal rod and wrap damp hair around the rod, then run the heated section of a flat iron over the hair on the curling stick, making sure not to burn the doll with the flat iron. Pull the rod out of the curl in the same direction as the hair lays so as not to disturb the curl’s integrity.
Curling very short hair. Short hair can be difficult to curl on the ends with large instruments like curling irons or flat irons. A pair of long needle-nose pliers can be used to grip a section of damp hair and twist the hair around the tips of the pliers so the hot edge of the flat iron can be applied to the section of hair held by the pliers. Take care not to allow the flat edge of the pliers to crimp or wrinkle the hair as it’s heated. Pliers with completely round tips are best for this procedure. A curl-under look can be achieved for bobbed or pageboy styles, to make the hair better frame the doll’s face. Diluted styling gel applied to damp curled hair can help maintain the style and prevent flyaways. Overall short hair can be curled under in random sections to achieve the look of loose curls like in a bubble cut. For an Afro look, tighter curls are recommended and can be achieved using the boil-perm method.
Styling with a hair crimper. Doll hair can be styled with a small-pattern hair crimper as long as the crimper has a low heat setting (180 F). Test a small hidden strand of doll hair first to make sure the crimper will not damage the hair. Section off hair and clip back to work on one section at a time, and make sure crimper is in line with other sections of crimped hair so all the waves line up. To keep hair damp while crimping, spray the hair with a small mister bottle filled with water. Take care not to burn the doll with the hot crimper surface.
Video tutorials. There are many styling tutorials available on YouTube and elsewhere to help you find the courage and patience to approach the task of restyling doll hair. We recommend you practice styling hair on dolls of less consequence to get familiar with the process of handling doll hair.
Click the links below to watch some YouTube video tutorials in a new browser tab:
- Doll Tips & Tutorials by A Thousand Splendid Dolls (curated playlist)
- Hair Styles by Sam & Mickey
- Pipe Cleaner Crafts B – 10 hairstyles
More to come, but that’s all for now!
As always, any aggregated information we present on this site comes from our own experience and general research of experiences of other hobbyists, and is offered with no guarantee that suggested activities will work as expected or desired. Follow any crafting advice or suggestion at your own risk.
Trimming/Cutting Doll Hair
HAIR TRIMMING TECHNIQUES
Cutting your doll’s hair may never be necessary or even recommended unless you want to repair the styling of a secondhand doll with a bad haircut, or completely change the hairstyle, or mitigate damaged ends on hair that could not be completely restored using the recommended salon treatments. (See our guides for HAIR CARE – GENERAL and HAIR CARE – STYLING for more information on reconditioning hair.)
Trimming or severely cutting doll hair is not for the faint of heart or those who know nothing about cutting and styling doll hair. A small mistake will be magnified in doll scale when compared to human scale, and unlike human hair, doll hair does not grow back. We recommend practicing on a doll you won’t mind ruining if your styling techniques are not to your liking.
Also we strongly recommend watching in-depth hair-styling tutorial videos that feature cutting doll hair before beginning the process yourself. Many videos on trimming/cutting can be found on YouTube, but not all employ reasonable or recommended techniques. (For instance, pulling the doll’s hair back in a ponytail and cutting it off is NOT recommended, as this will not create a smooth transition in the back but will instead make the hair in the back shorter than the front, leaving a serious volume gap in the back that is very difficult to correct.) Here’s one video you may find helpful in offering some tips on how to fix botched doll haircuts.
Click on link below to open in a new window:
If you’re still not confident in your ability to successfully style your doll’s hair using scissors or other cutting instruments, the best alternative would be to leave it alone or consult a fellow doll enthusiast that is better able to achieve the style you’re after.
Cutting and styling doll hair. Because cutting and styling doll hair is not a “cut and dried” skill that can easily taught or instantly be picked up, we will not be describing in-depth cut-and-style techniques here, but will instead offer only basic tips on trimming. If you decide you want to proceed, we suggest cutting hair wet rather than dry because it’s usually easier to control. However, some hair-styling techniques like point-cutting might be better if done on dry hair to make micro cuts and maintain the proper drape and thickness of the hair. Some items you’re likely to need are:
- Sharp pointed scissors
- Comb, preferably fine-tooth with rat-tail end
- Hair clips
- Hair elastics
- Mister/spray bottle filled with water
Blunt cut. A blunt cut is where all the lengths of hair are cut straight across at the exact same length. Rounded blunt cuts and triangle blunt cuts are possible. In fact, a blunt cut of almost any design or configuration is possible. It simply involves cutting all the hairs the same length and gradually contouring the overall shape. Blunt cuts usually give a very harsh look to the hairstyle. Some styles of bangs are very full with a blunt cut.
Decide before cutting hair if a blunt cut is right for what you intend for your doll’s hair. If a blunt cut is desired, it’s very important to make sure it is precise and even. Blunt cuts are unforgiving, and it is very difficult to disguise errors in a blunt cut, so take your time and make sure you cut off as little as possible unless you are intentionally going for a much shorter style. It is possible to thin the ends of a blunt cut if desired, but this must be done very gradually and carefully, so as not to visually disturb the symmetry of the blunt-cut look. (See trimming technique to thin volume, below.)
Length-cutting using elastic bands. Some doll enthusiasts may use elastic bands to section hair at a certain length to help keep hair straight and in-line while trimming ends. For very long hair intended to be cut shorter, this method may prove helpful as an alternative to holding loose hair together in-hand while cutting. Here’s a link to a YouTube video that shows this technique in action. Be aware that final trimming to even up the hair is still required after the elastics are removed.
Click on the links below to watch the YouTube videos in a new browser tab:
- Everything Dolls – Haircut using elastic band, and side-cut trimming
- Everything Dolls – April gemstone diamond makeover (fast-forward to 2:30 to see reroot/haircut technique)
Trimming newly curled hair ends. Sometimes it’s necessary to clean up your doll’s hair ends after a boil-perm. If not wrapped carefully around the curling instruments, the ends of hair can stick out and not be curled like the rest of the locks. If you know your doll is going to maintain a curly style, it’s OK to trim the ends that didn’t curl. To get rid of stray ends on newly curled hair, take hold of individual locks and carefully snip off just the tips that stick out from the curl pattern. This is especially important on an Afro style to make the overall contour look more unified.
Trimming straight or wavy ends. For straight or slightly wavy styles with relatively uniform length, start by sectioning off hair at the rooting rows from the bottom. Use clips to hold the rest of the hair out of the way. Check the first row under-layer of hair to make sure it is cut evenly. Trim any ends that hang down too far. If the back of the hair is rounded or contoured in a specific pattern, follow the contour of the hairstyle when trimming ends. If the contour is uneven, carefully even it up so the length is consistent for the style. If you want to shorten the hair length or change the cut contour, this is the place to start. Then go section by section by the rooted pattern to successively cut each section of hair in accordance with the length and shaping of the first layer. A rounded bottom cut is usually the most natural style. Note that factory hair stylists may have cut outer layers shorter than under-layers in order to feather or thin the hair ends to prevent the bulk of hair looking “poofy” at the bottom. Again, if you don’t feel confident in your hair-cutting skills, it’s probably best to leave your doll’s hair as is.
Trimming fringe/bangs. Trimming bangs (fringe) can be especially tricky because of the relatively short length of hair involved. If you cut too much, you’ll end up ruining the hair and possibly have to reroot it and start over with trimming. So be careful when trimming bangs!
Many dolls are rooted and styled from the factory with a specific hairstyle. Side parts, middle parts, and bangs are usually rooted in a specific pattern to hold the part necessary to maintain the style. It’s possible to reroot a doll with a different style pattern, but if you’re dealing with a doll that has a factory rooting pattern that includes bangs, you are pretty much stuck with bangs. Sometimes they can be brushed back and blended into the rest of the hair, maybe held in place with a headband, but that’s a hit-or-miss approach with no guarantee that the end result will look acceptable.
Curly bangs prestyled from the factory (usually found on vintage dolls or Mattel 80’s superstar dolls) may get stray long hairs mixed up with the shorter curly bangs. Try reworking the long hairs out of the bangs and incorporating them back into the main hairstyle. If that’s difficult or impossible to do, merely snip off the straight stray hairs so they blend with the curls of the bangs. Another option is to straighten and flatten the bangs, then trim them to be even.
Roll-wave bangs (bangs that are straight but pre-styled to curl out over the forehead with a rounded shape), are usually longer than bangs that lie flat on the doll’s forehead. There are a few styling options available if you don’t want to maintain the roll-wave look (usually found on retro/vintage style dolls or Mattel superstar dolls). You can flatten the bangs with a boil-wash and then trim them to the desired length, or you can give them a side-swept style, or try the brush-back and blend approach.
Finally, straight bangs that lie flat on the doll’s head can be carefully evened up if they are crooked or some hairs are longer than others. Dolls with especially thick bangs can be restyled so the bangs are thinner and lie down on the forehead better. Thinning involves the specialized point-cutting technique described below.
Point-cut trimming to feather or decrease hair volume. Point-cutting can reduce hair volume or thickness, and soften the cut edges of cut hair to make it look more natural and disguise the fact that the hair has been cut. This is especially helpful after cutting off damaged, frayed hair ends, or after severe blunt-cutting that may have created some volume or puffiness at the ends. Point-cutting is done by slightly snipping the scissor points up into the edge of the hair in the same direction that the hair drapes, rather than cutting across the hair strands. Point-cutting will cut only part of the hair length but leave other parts longer, because the hair is cut randomly and gradually rather than straight across. The amount of feathering or thinning is controlled by the frequency of cuts, and by how far up into the hair the scissor tips reach. It is very important to make small cuts gradually and evenly across the entire edge of the hairstyle and not go overboard, or you will end up shortening the hair rather than merely feathering it to soften the edge and relieve some of the volume. This technique can be used to feather hair around the face to soften the length transitions when shorter hair is desired to frame the face while blending into the longer side lengths.
This YouTube video is not a doll hair-cutting tutorial; however, it gives tips on point-cutting that can be applied to doll hair. Click on the link below to watch in a new browser tab.
Razor cut. A razor cut can also be useful in some circumstances when the hair edges around the face needs to be softened or feathered. This works best on hair that is not particularly thick and bulky. A razor cut can also be used to layer hair. While it is possible to use any kind of instrument with a razor (like a straight-edge razor or a shaving razor), the easiest to use is an eyebrow comb with embedded razor. It is relatively small and shaped like a comb so it is easier to handle when styling the hair.
More to come, but that’s all for now!
As always, any aggregated information we present on this site comes from our own experience and general research of experiences of other hobbyists, and is offered with no guarantee that suggested activities will work as expected or desired. Follow any crafting advice or suggestion at your own risk.
Changing the Color of Doll Hair
RISK FACTORS IN CHANGING DOLL HAIR COLOR
Changing the color of doll hair is a complicated and potentially risky process that can permanently damage your doll and accessories due to dye staining or other factors. Doll artists who use natural fibers to wig or reroot a doll may dye the fibers to a desired color using fabric dyes or specialty dyes, and process the dyed fibers to ensure they remain colorfast and will not stain the doll. Natural fibers usually take dyes well, and colorfastness is not a problem if the dye is properly set. Even then, exact results are not guaranteed. A fiber lot that turns a certain color in one dye batch may not turn the exact same shade in another batch. Many factors can affect the results of dying fiber, such as temperature, fiber type, and dye brand. On the other hand, coloring synthetic doll hair fibers can be difficult and involve more risk because certain synthetic fibers do not take dyes well, if at all. Also, you should not expect to significantly change doll hair fiber that is already dark-colored, unless you bleach it first, which can involve another level of damage risk.
COLOR CHANGE METHODS
There are several methods to change the color of a doll’s hair without rerooting. Following is a discussion of some common methods.
LIGHTENING COLOR WITH BLEACH
Bleaching doll hair. Bleaching doll hair should only be done in extreme circumstances. This method can be used to brighten an already light color or brighten blond doll hair that become dull over time. Using bleach on a darker color will most probably lighten it. It’s possible this experimental procedure could strip or dull whatever color is in the fiber, or it may have no effect at all, depending on the type of hair fiber you’re dealing with. It’s always best to test a small hidden strand to see the result before attempting this on a particular doll. Some supplies you’ll need include:
- Latex or other gloves impervious to bleach
- Small non-metallic bowl
- 1/2 cup hot water
- shampoo or liquid dish soap (not for automatic dishwasher)
- Cheap conditioner
- 1 ounce regular laundry bleach
- Comb
- Tape (packing tape or duct tape that seals well and will not come loose when wet)
- 50/50 glue/water mix
- Sheet of plastic, or old towel
Follow these steps to perform a bleach job on your doll:
- WARNING – CORROSIVE SUBSTANCE. Cover all surfaces to prevent contact with bleach. Bleach contains Hydrochloric acid which is a corrosive substance. Most laundry bleach is diluted to reduce caustic action, but the longer bleach remains in contact with a substance – including skin – the more corrosive damage it is likely to cause. USE CAUTION when handling any chemicals or potentially corrosive substances. DO NOT ALLOW LIQUID TO SPLASH IN EYES. WEAR EYE PROTECTION – GOGGLES OR SAFETY GLASSES. WEAR GLOVES AND AN APRON over old clothes. Cover all work surfaces. Keep large containers capped and out of direct sunlight. Avoid breathing bleach fumes. Avoid accidental spills.
- Remove doll’s clothing and accessories. Remove all metallic accessories, including earrings, to prevent corrosive damage during the bleaching process.
- Test a hidden hair strand. Test a hair strand in the lower back of the doll’s head by applying bleach with an earbud (Q-Tip) to a portion of the strand, being careful not to allow contact with any other surface. Leave on for about 30 seconds to a minute. If the hair melts or becomes undesirable, do not proceed with the bleach process. Wash the hair strand thoroughly with soap and water, and rinse to remove bleach.
- Shampoo and rinse doll’s hair. See basic shampoo instructions in HAIR CARE – GENERAL section. Don’t add softener to water, and don’t add conditioner or gel to hair before bleaching. Adding these substances will coat the hair and prevent bleach from penetrating the hair fibers properly.
- Prepare bleach solution. Fill small non-metallic bowl with 1 cup water and 1 ounce bleach.
- Submerge doll’s hair into bleach mixture. Allow submerged hair to soak for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Remove doll hair from bleach mixture. Gently squeeze out excess, keeping doll upside down to prevent hair touching doll.
- Prop up or wrap doll with old towel. Wrap to prevent hair touching doll. Place protective plastic or old towel under hair to catch drips.
- Leave bleach solution in doll hair for one hour. After one hour, be ready to remove bleach solution from hair.
- Rinse doll’s hair Use cold water from sink faucet or swish hair in bowl of cool water.
- REPEAT process. If lighter hair color is desired, repeat the process to lighten the hair further.
- WHEN DONE with lightening process, shampoo and rinse doll’s hair. After shampoo and rinse, apply conditioner and comb through and rinse thoroughly.
COLOR CHANGE HAIR WITH DYE
Considerations when dying doll hair. Some doll hair is easier to dye than others, depending on what type of fiber it is. Results from dying doll hair can vary based on the brand and type of dye used, and the type of hair fiber being dyed.
Not all dyes are the same. There are different types of dyes, and it is important to use the type of dye best suited to dye the hair fiber you plan to color. It’s always a good idea to follow the package directions for the specific dye brand to increase your chances of best results. Regular Rit dyes and other acid dyes are fine to use on hair fibers that are porous (easily absorb). Other dyes such as Rit Dyemore or IDyePoly are reportedly more effective on non-porous (doesn’t easily absorb) hair fiber that is more difficult to color.
Porous hair fibers. Porous means easily absorbs. Some of the most common synthetic fibers that are porous and can be colored using regular Rit dyes and other acid dyes are:
- Nylon (all true Nylon fibers)
- Kiwi (presumed to be a newer type of Nylon doll hair fiber)
Non-porous hair fibers. Non-porous means the hair fiber doesn’t easily absorb. Listed below are some common synthetic hair fiber types that are non-porous (do not easily absorb) and/or flame-retardant, and therefore are not recommended for dying because they DO NOT take regular dyes well. If you intend to dye these types of hair fiber, they require Rit Dyemore or IDyePoly:
- Saran
- Kanekalon (most types)
- Polypropylene
- Monofiber
- Nylatex
Important notes and precautions. It is NOT recommended to use the following types of colorant on synthetic doll hair. These colorants are not designed for synthetic fibers and will not penetrate the fiber to lay color under the surface. The colorant can remain on the surface of the hair fiber and come off on other surfaces after repeated contact, such as furniture, doll clothing, and vinyl/plastic body parts.
- Human hair dyes
- Fabric markers
- Permanent markers (like Sharpie)
- Paints of any type, including acrylic and ink
While it is possible to add vinegar and hot water or alcohol rinse in hot water to “fix” these colorants, there is still a high probability that colorant surface residue will remain on the outside of the hair fibers and leech onto other surfaces. Additionally, these colorants will likely fade and not be colorfast, so they could permanently stain your doll long after the dying process is completed. Acrylic paints may color hair temporarily but may also flake off if the hair is non-porous, or may actually stain surrounding surfaces like the doll’s body or clothing. Fabric paints may dye doll hair, but again the color must be set properly, which is difficult to do when the fiber is attached to a doll.
With the use of any dye material, proper precautions and risk assessment is necessary. There is the risk of spilling dye on the doll or other surfaces, so protective layers should cover all potentially affected areas. Wear gloves and a smock or apron, and protect the doll’s face and body with tape and plastic wrap. Exposed areas of the doll’s face can be further protected with a dried layer of painted on school glue mixed with water. Be aware that even with these precautions, unintentional stains may occur. Make sure the dye is set properly and washed out very well from the doll’s hair. Dyed hair may still contact-stain the doll or clothing, so place protective cloths around the doll face and back until you’re sure contact-staining will not be an issue.
The process for dying doll hair. Dying doll hair can be risky as already pointed out. This is one method to control the risk of staining the doll while dying the hair.
- Plan ahead for dye job. Obtain colors needed and review directions to know what supplies and tools you’ll need.
- Prepare the work area. Protect all surfaces with impervious coverings.
- Gather appropriate tools and supplies. Items include: –clean cloths to wipe away excess/spilled dye –stiff-bristle artist paint brushes –hair or chip clips –bowl of water –bowl of vinegar mix or any other solution needed to set dye
- Wear protective clothing. Old clothes and shoes, smock or apron, gloves.
- Remove doll clothing and accessories. Earrings and hair accessories, etc.
- Cover doll body and neck in cling wrap. Seal edges with non-porous tape, making sure no liquid can seep in under the tape
- Paint all exposed face and ear surfaces. Completely cover exposed doll face and neck and ears with mixture of water-soluble all-purpose glue. Don’t get glue on scalp or hair roots to be dyed. Allow glue mix to dry on exposed doll surfaces.
- Secure doll in a weighted container. Maintain doll in sturdy position while applying dye.
- Prepare dye DYE per manufacturer instructions. Prepare as many colors as desired for dye job (multiple colors for ombre or rainbow effects).
- Place dyes in bowls or cups near work area.
- Apply dye onto doll’s hair using different brush for each color. Follow desired pattern or configuration, making sure to completely cover all strands to be dyed, both upper and lower surface all around.
- Allow dye to soak in. Follow recommended time according to manufacturer directions.
- Dip or apply additional colors to doll hair for special dye patterns. For ombré (shaded) effects, dip doll hair lengths as far up as needed, in as many successive colors as needed, to achieve desired shading. For dark roots, paint dye only on top portion of parted areas of hair. DO NOT dip doll head/face into dye solutions.
- Spray hair fiber surfaces with dye fixative if recommended for dye brand. Make sure to reach as much of the hair surface as possible.
- Rinse doll hair thoroughly as directed. This removes dye from hair after recommended soak time.
- Set dye with vinegar rinse if recommended. Dip doll hair into bowl of set solution and follow instructions.
- Keep protective coverings on doll. This will prevent color-treated hair from touching doll until colorfastness can be determined by placing a white cotton cloth scrap under hair to see if color bleeds onto cloth. Leave cloth on doll for 24 hours.
- Check white cloth for staining. If white cloth shows any sign of color staining from hair, reset the hair dye and rinse, then place a new clean cloth on the doll for 24 hours to recheck colorfastness.
- Wash off glue from doll. Remove protective wrap and glue coating only when colorfastness is determined by making sure white cloth is not stained from dyed hair.
Video tutorials. There are many styling tutorials available on YouTube and elsewhere. Below are some video tutorials that show various hair dying techniques. Some deal with color methods that are not recommended due to risk of staining, but you can decide for yourself if you want try them. We recommend you practice dying hair on dolls of less consequence to get familiar with the process before trying it on a prized doll.
Click the links below to check out the YouTube videos in a new browser tab.
- KranknKoncepts – DIY semi-permanent hair dye with watercolors
- Natalie’s Crafts – DIY semi-permanent hair dye with acrylic paint and hair conditioner
- Every_monster_ tale – DIY semi-permanent hair dye with acrylic paint, hair conditioner, and hair dryer
- EverythingDolls – Hair makeovers with dyes
- Play Kids Toys – Achieving dye-dip effects with fabric markers
- Play Kids Toys – Dark roots ombre style hair dye
- Play Kids Toys – Rainbow Dash dye pattern with fabric markers
- DiyDollGuy – Dying doll hair with fabric pens
More to come, but that’s all for now!
As always, any aggregated information we present on this site comes from our own experience and general research of experiences of other hobbyists, and is offered with no guarantee that suggested activities will work as expected or desired. Follow any crafting advice or suggestion at your own risk.
Doll Hair Fiber Guide for Styling, Rerooting, and Wig-making
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR DOLL VISITS THE HAIR-CARE SALON
We fell down a rabbit hole when researching the whole hair thing, so this may be way more information than anyone really wants to know about doll hair. Nevertheless, here it is. Just skip over whatever doesn’t interest you or doesn’t pertain to your needs.
The focus of this guide. To provide general information for rerooting dolls and styling doll hair, we’ve narrowed this discussion to commercial synthetic hair fibers typically used on dolls mass-produced from the 80’s to the present. Because vintage doll restoration requires specialized knowledge and experience, we’ve chosen not to discuss it here and urge anyone interested in the topic to investigate resources better equipped to serve those unique issues.
Why doll hair type matters. It’s important to know what type of hair fiber your doll has, because different fiber types can vary widely in their ability to be styled and to maintain a style under various conditions such as heat and moisture. One fiber type might require very high heat or boiling water temperature to maintain styling, while a different fiber might actually melt at the same temperature. Processing specific hair fiber the wrong way can damage the fiber and ruin your doll’s hair. Therefore it’s extremely important to know what type of fiber you’re dealing with before attempting any kind of styling technique on your doll.
DOLL HAIR FIBER OVERVIEW – NATURAL OR SYNTHETIC
Doll hair can be made out of just about anything from straw to corn silk to human hair. All doll hair fibers are derived in the beginning from naturally occurring materials – that is, materials found in nature. But not all hair fibers are considered “natural.” Some are classified as “synthetic” because of extensive manufacturing processes and chemical additions that change the source material from a naturally occurring substance to a synthetically-produced end product. There can also be “blends” of synthetic and natural fibers, such as bamboo-cotton. Many people who work with fiber (knitters, weavers, etc.) are committed to working with vegan-friendly or environmentally-friendly fibers. If this interests you, we encourage you to do more research and investigate further.
Natural fibers. There are many different kinds of natural fibers – cotton, wool, silk, and so on. A specific example of a natural hair fiber would be alpaca (sheared from an alpaca, which is an ungulate related to the camel). The sheared hair fibers are spun, washed, and dyed to desired colors or left natural to be dyed by the end user. While the natural animal fiber is processed to some degree, and its physical form may change from a lock of hair fibers to a spun thread composed of physically twisted and bonded hair fibers, its molecular composition still remains as hair fiber, so it is considered a “natural” fiber.
Synthetic fibers. There are many different kinds of synthetic fibers – nylon, bamboo, Tencel (lyocell), viscose (rayon), etc. Tencel is a brand-name fiber made from the wood pulp of eucalyptus trees saturated in chemicals to create a viscous solution that can be spun into fiber and then dyed various colors. Bamboo fiber is made in a similar way from the woody pulp of the bamboo plant. Acrylic and nylon are made from petrochemicals. In all instances, the presence or addition of chemicals creates a material that is no longer identifiable as similar to its original molecular or chemical structure, so therefore it is considered synthetic (man-made) fiber.
HAIR FIBERS USED IN COMMERCIAL DOLL MANUFACTURING AND ART DOLL-MAKING
Art doll hair choices. A wide variety of doll enthusiasts make or remake dolls. These art doll makers include OOAK (one of a kind) doll customizers, makeover hobbyists, and limited-edition handmade or specialty doll makers. Each artist chooses hair materials to suit individual needs for the project and may select from a wide variety of fibers, either natural or synthetic or both. Professional specialty doll artists who make limited-edition dolls will often buy either synthetic or natural hair fiber available in bulk to make doll wigs of consistent quality for the intended doll lines. OOAK doll artists and hobbyists will, depending on the project, remove the doll’s existing hair and either opt for a wig or rerooting. Rerooting involves removing the existing hair and reinstalling hair plugs into the rooting holes in the doll’s head. Those who reroot a doll typically do so to restyle the doll for a specific look, or to return it to its original factory condition, or to improve it by using a better quality hair fiber for a more pleasing style and appearance.
For those unfamiliar with the process, choosing hair fibers can be daunting. Not only must one pick the desired colors, but also must select the desired type of hair fiber. Hair fiber suppliers complicate the issue when they sell different grades of the same type of fiber and don’t identify those grades, or trademark/brand their store’s supplies as different from everyone else’s when their branded supplies are the same as those sold by other suppliers. Natural and commercial synthetic hair fiber for rerooting and wig-making can be obtained from a variety of places. For reference, we’ve listed a few sources of doll hair in our ONLINE RESOURCES section and also down at the bottom of this section. We list these sources as a convenience and for informational purposes. We do not recommend or endorse any suppliers.
Commercial doll hair fiber selection. There are generally three or four types of synthetic fibers commonly used by most commercial doll makers. Doll manufacturers may experiment and use a fiber new to the market, but for this discussion we will cover the typical hair fiber types known to be used.
Doll manufacturers choose which doll hair fiber to use, based on a number of factors. These include design, availability, suitability, durability, consistency, appearance, tradition, and so on. For example, the annual Japanese doll festival (Hinamatsuri), also known as Doll’s Day, Girls’ Day, or Peach Festival (Momo no Sekku), consists of elaborate family displays of male and female “wedding” or “emperor/empress” dolls sometimes accompanied by attendant and musician dolls. The dolls are made using a traditional doll-making technique that demands the use of silk fiber for the doll hair.
Because commercially-produced dolls like Mattel’s play-line Barbie or Integrity’s collector-line Fashion Royalty are mass-produced, manufacturers will choose hair fibers that are easily and economically obtained in large quantities to provide consistent quality and sustainable durability for the intended market of the doll. That means doll makers like Mattel and MGA will choose commercially-produced synthetic fibers for their doll hair.
Inconsistencies in commercial doll materials. While most commercially-made fashion dolls and play-line dolls have synthetic hair fibers, not all dolls have the same kind of hair. It’s possible that dolls of the same type could be rooted with different hair fiber types. For instance, a Barbie doll and Monster High doll (both made by Mattel) could each have saran, Kanekalon, or nylon hair fibers. And there’s no guarantee that every doll in a particular line will be rooted with the same type of fibers. For example, not all Monster High dolls are rooted with the same kind of hair fiber. Even identical dolls from the same line could have different hair fibers, depending on where the dolls were made. Two identical-looking 2004 Barbie Fashion Fever dolls might have different hair types – one saran, and one Kanekalon – because one doll was made in China, while the other was made in Indonesia. Manufacturing materials may differ by region or between various factories in a region. Older dolls manufactured in the 60’s, 70’s, or 80’s might have a hair fiber type very different from anything available in recent commercial doll-making. This is because changes and improvements over the years resulted in different materials being used to make dolls. Some changes were implemented for health and safety reasons, and others for purely aesthetic or cost-saving reasons.
Because hair fibers behave differently when heat is applied, it’s important for styling purposes to know what kind of hair fiber you’re dealing with while styling, whether it’s existing doll hair, rerooted doll hair, or wig fibers. Improper treatment could ruin the hair, so fiber identification is helpful when deciding what styling techniques are appropriate for a specific hair fiber.
Reviewing our list of doll hair types may be of some help in identifying doll hair, and may be especially helpful if you’re in the market to reroot a doll. Being familiar with doll hair fiber properties will help you make a more informed choice when you’re ready to purchase hair for rerooting. Of course, the best source for accurate doll hair fiber descriptions will be the supplier where you buy your doll hair, but our guide will give you an idea of what’s out there in the market so you can narrow down your choices. We compiled this list from a variety of sources, so we can’t vouch 100% for the accuracy of information, since some source information conflicted with other source information. We attempted to identify and explain instances of information conflict to allow you to make your own decisions. With that said, here’s the list of the most common synthetic fibers and their typical attributes.
HAIR FIBER TYPES AND PROPERTIES
The three most common synthetic hair fibers used on commercial dolls, and their typical attributes are: Saran, Kanekalon, and Nylon. Following is a rather detailed discussion of each fiber type, along with other less common fiber types. We aggregated information from a variety of sources, including manufacturer sites and hair fiber sales sites. Some information may appear to conflict with other information about specific fiber types. This is due in part to different grades of hair fiber of the same type being manufactured with different qualities such as glow-in-the-dark, easy-curl, temperature color-change, or heat resistance for high-temp styling. Because it was difficult to separate information by specific manufacturing type, we left the conflicting information intact and included it all so you can be aware of the differences and do more research if warranted. If you are rerooting or using hair fiber to make wigs, the ultimate source for fiber care and styling will be your sales source of hair fiber.
SARAN. In USA, Johnson & Johnson holds the trademark for the term “Saran,” but different companies may have permission (license) to manufacture this type of hair fiber and call it “Saran.” In Japan, the Asahi Kasei company produces Saran products, including doll hair. According to their website, they produce several types of Saran doll hair with specially modified fibers that glow in the dark, or change color with temperature, or can be pressure-curled. In our discussion here, we will use the word “Saran” as a generic term to refer to any non-specialty doll hair hollow fibers that are manufactured by the melt-spinning of polyvinylidene chloride copolymer and have a melting temperature of ~320 degrees Fahrenheit (160 Celsius). SEE NOTES about vinyl.*(2)
Saran hair is often used on high-quality modern fashion dolls, and sometimes Barbie dolls and Monster High dolls. Saran hair generally has a texture and appearance unmatched by other hair fiber types, and comes in a variety of rich colors, including some fantasy colors. Telling the difference between Saran and Nylon and other fibers with texture and appearance similar to Nylon is relatively easy. Saran has a silkier feel and heavier weight than Nylon. The hair is usually very smooth, shiny, and soft. Some people describe the texture as “waxy” like corn silk. Nylon on the other hand, often has a plastic-like feel, and cheaper types may feel papery. Saran fibers will float in water because the fiber is non-absorbent.
Styling Saran. Saran is a heavier type of fiber with a high heat tolerance that requires the “boil-perm” process to make the fibers curly, or the “boil-wash” technique to straighten hair fibers that have been curled or have become unruly. Saran hair is generally recommended for straight styles due to its tendency to lose curl over time unless a very strict boil-perm procedure is used (dipping curler-wrapped hair in boiling water and leaving for no more than 15 seconds, then dipping in ice water for five seconds to set, repeating that process at least three times, then allowing hair to dry completely before removing curlers). Dry heating techniques such as curling irons or flat irons are not generally recommended for this type of hair fiber unless extreme care is used – variable low-heat (180 degrees F) instruments passed swiftly across dampened hair. The warning about heating instruments may be due more to the mistake of prolonged surface heat exposure rather than the melting temperature of the hair fiber.
Dying Saran. Saran hair fiber is flame-retardant, hollow, and non-porous (doesn’t absorb easily), and therefore is not intended to be dyed after the initial manufacturing process. It’s best to purchase hair fibers in the desired color. Regular acid dyes or Rit dyes will not work well on this fiber. The only dyes that are generally reported to work are either Rit Dyemore or IDyePoly. Dying doll hair carries the risk of permanently staining your doll. See our HAIR CARE – COLOR guide for more information about dying doll hair.
KANEKALON. There are many types and grades of hair fiber called “Kanekalon.” The name of the product refers specifically to hair fibers trademarked and produced by the Japanese company Kaneka, from which the trademarked term “Kanekalon” is derived. For the purpose of this discussion, “Kanekalon” will be used as a generic term to describe any of the four main types of hair fiber made by Kaneka:
- Modacrylic fiber. Different types feature likeness to human hair and softness. Composed of acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride.*(2)
- PVC fiber. Different types feature luster and strong curl or softness. Composed of (poly)vinyl chloride.*(2)
- Flame-retardant polyester fiber. Similar in texture and appearance to human hair, can be heat styled with heat instrument like curling iron (not above 377 degrees F). Multiple types are available with different textures and appearance. Composed of polyethylene-terephthalate, commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, and is the most common thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family.*(2)
- Organic protein fiber. Similar in texture and appearance to human hair, can be used with heat instruments like a curling iron. Multiple types available with different textures. Composed of collagen protein as a raw material.
Properties of Kanekalon. The flame-retardant properties of these fibers are due to the inherent qualities of the ingredients used to make each type, so some Kankelon may have better heat resistance or flame-retardant properties than other types of Kanekalon. Kaneka also ships raw fiber to synthetic hair factories for further processing, including dying. The dyes alter heat-resistant properties, usually making the hair fiber more resistant to heat. (See Kaneka’s website for more information.)
Kanekalon hair fiber is non-porous (doesn’t absorb easily) and therefore loose locks will float in water. Kanekalon is usually described as dry and papery, although some people describe it as “silky.” The description differences are probably due to the different textures and properties of each type of Kanekalon. Reportedly, the softest and nicest fiber is doll-grade hair fiber, but it’s difficult to determine which of the four main types listed above is actually the doll-grade product. It may be a combination of several of these products, but it’s important to note that there are many different grades of Kanekalon product available among the four basic types. Thus it is also very important to know what type of Kanekalon a doll is rooted with, or if purchasing Kanekalon for rerooting, to know the properties of the fiber because different types of Kanekalon react differently and require specific styling techniques.
Here’s a description from one doll-hair supplier of the basic different grades of Kanekalon they sell for rerooting:
- Doll-Grade Japanese – Described as the softest and nicest, but only the needle-knot rerooting method is recommended, because the fibers reportedly break easily, and the punch-type rerooting tool puts too much pressure on the fiber strands. This type of fiber is found on some Monster High dolls.
- Grade Silky – Described as stiffer than saran while taking the same low-heat curling process, usually recommended for straight hairstyles.
- Regular Kanekalon – Described as “super kinky and fluffy,” recommended for mermaid hair, 80’s crimped styles, and dreadlocks.
Styling Kanekalon. Generally doll-grade Kanekalon is reported to take the same low-heat curling process as saran – boil wash or perm, and curling/straightening instruments with temperatures no higher than 180 degrees F. Some doll hair suppliers will list different grades or types of Kanekalon hair fiber, so if you’re rerooting, be sure to ask what you’re getting before buying.
Dying Kanekalon. Kanekalon hair fiber is non-porous (doesn’t absorb easily) and is therefore not intended to be dyed after the initial manufacturing process. It’s best to purchase hair fibers in the desired color. If you’re intent on dying Kanekalon fibers, note that Regular acid dyes or Rit dyes will not work well on this fiber. The only dyes that are generally reported to work are either Rit Dyemore or IDyePoly. Dying doll hair carries the risk of permanently staining your doll. See our HAIR CARE – COLOR guide for more information about dying doll hair.
NYLON. Nylon is a polymer (a plastic with super-long, heavy molecules built up of short, endlessly repeating sections of atoms, just like a heavy metal chain is made of ever-repeating links). Nylon is not actually one single substance, but a generic name given to a whole family of very similar materials called polyamides. Nylon fiber is made when the appropriate monomers (the chemical building blocks which make up polymers) are combined to form a long chain via a condensation polymerization reaction. The monomers for Nylon 6-6, for example, are adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine. The polymer has to be warmed and drawn out to form strong fibers. It has a melting temperature of 410-428 Fahrenheit (210-220 Celsius).
Typical Nylon properties. Nylon hair (Nylon 6), is commonly found on My Little Pony and various other toys. Nylon is usually silky, shiny, and voluminous or dense-looking, but can feel a bit course or plastic-like because the fiber strands are heavier and thicker than some other doll hair fiber types. Therefore it may not be the best choice for realistic doll hair. For fantasy colors, however, it’s a top choice, because it is available in wide variety of extremely bright and vibrant colors.
True Nylon fiber is porous (absorbs easily) and will become weighted when laid in a bowl of water because it will absorb the water and sink to the bottom of the bowl. Other types of non-porous fibers will float in water. If the hair absorbs water and sinks to the bottom of the bowl, you can be fairly certain you doll has Nylon hair. If the hair floats on the top, it’s probably not Nylon.
Styling Nylon. Nylon hair can be boil washed and permed. A lot of heat is required to style Nylon doll hair, but it tends to hold curls better than Saran. Nylon is reportedly one of the easiest types of hair fiber to work with and is often recommended for all levels of doll artists. However, it is slippery and can come out of knots if they are not tied tightly when using the hand-knot rooting method. It can also be rooted too thickly in comparison to rooting with Saran, because the strands are thicker. Only half the amount of Nylon is needed, compared to the amount of Saran needed for a reroot job.
Dying Nylon. Because Nylon is a porous material, all true Nylon hair fiber can be dyed with Rit or acid dye, whereas many other synthetic hair fibers are non-porous and are almost impossible to dye. Dying doll hair carries the risk of permanently staining your doll. See our HAIR CARE – COLOR guide for more information about dying doll hair.
POLYPROPYLENE. Structurally, polypropylene is a vinyl polymer similar to polyethylene, except that every other carbon atom in the backbone chain has a methyl group attached to it. Polypropylene can be made from the monomer propylene by Ziegler-Natta polymerization method or by metallocene catalysis polymerization. Polymerization conditions (temperature, pressure and reactant concentrations) are set by the polymer grade to be produced. Polypropylene has a melting temperature of 320-347 Fahrenheit (160-175 Celsius), but different grades may have different melting points. *(2)
Polypropylene properties. Because there are different grades of polypropylene hair fiber used in different industry applications, it may be difficult to determine its native properties. Polypropylene was one of the earliest types of synthetic fiber used in the human-hair-extension market. It is described as a strong fiber that is normally shiny in texture. Now being phased out of use for hair extensions, it is still used for some special-effects hair. The fiber type used for human hair is not flame resistant, but does have a high heat tolerance and can take special-effects dyes well.
Various grades of polypropylene used for doll hair can easily be confused for Nylon. But those close in appearance to Nylon have a much drier feel, and are difficult to curl like Saran, with a tendency to tangle. Other grades can look and feel like Saran, but have the styling properties of Nylon and separate very easily into plugs when used for rerooting.
Regular acid dyes or Rit dyes will not work well on this fiber. The only dyes that are generally reported to work are either Rit Dyemore or IDyePoly. Dying doll hair carries the risk of permanently staining your doll. See our HAIR CARE – COLOR guide for more information about dying doll hair.
MONOFIBER/MONOFILAMENT. Monofiber, also known as Monofilament, High-Temperature Synthetic Fiber, or Henlon, is often confused with Nylon or High-Heat Kanekalon, although Monofiber is silkier than either. Monofiber is a linen-based fiber with the reputation of being one of the highest quality types of synthetic hair fiber, with a melting temperature of around 400 degrees Fahrenheit (220 C). Variations of this material used in different applications may have different levels of heat resistance, down to only 120 C.
Styling Monofiber. Monofiber is typically used for cosplay and ball-jointed doll wigs. It is very soft, light, wispy, often matte-looking, and tends to have a lot of static that can be tamed with a dryer fabric softener sheet or by dampening hair with a spray bottle of water mixed with a tiny amount of hair conditioner. Monofiber can be boil-washed and boil-permed, but tends not to hold curls well and so requires the dip-and-cool method. (Dip curler-wrapped hair in boiling water for no more than 15 seconds, then immediately dip in a bowl of ice water, and repeat the process at least three times. Allow to dry overnight before removing curlers.) An alternative and perhaps easier styling method is to use a flat iron to straighten hair, and a curling iron to curl it. A high-heat steamer or a damp cloth used with a flat iron will also work. When using a curling iron, pull the iron wand out of the curl in the same outward/downward direction of the curl to avoid pulling or straightening the curl so it has time to cool in its tightest shape.
Dying Monofiber Monofiber is non-porous (doesn’t absorb easily) and is therefore not intended to be dyed after the initial manufacturing process. It’s best to purchase hair fibers in the desired color. Regular acid dyes or Rit dyes will not work well on this fiber. The only dyes that are generally reported to work are either Rit Dyemore or IDyePoly. Dying doll hair carries the risk of permanently staining your doll. See our HAIR CARE – COLOR guide for more information about dying doll hair.
OTHER SYNTHETIC DOLL HAIR FIBERS
This section includes hair fiber descriptions that are taken in whole or in part from doll-hair supplier information.
ACETATE. Acetate is a cellulose-based synthetic fiber that was used for doll hair in the past, on vintage (now antique) dolls, and on a select few Mattel Barbie dolls perhaps as recently as 2012 (or later). Only one doll-hair supplier in our list below sells Acetate for rerooting. That supplier describes Acetate as subject to “a little breakage” during rerooting, due to its lower tensile strength when compared to other synthetic hair fibers, and goes on to describe Acetate’s appearance as “…more ‘natural,’ more organic, and less artificial than other synthetic hair types…” similar to that of a Persian cat. Conversely, several experienced doll rerooters have gone on record to describe Acetate as “…horrible … cheap … ratty-looking…” with the advice to never use it on any doll. A few doll rerooters have mentioned that Acetate is fine for slicked-back hairstyles or short spiky hairstyles, and can be styled with lukewarm tap water then allowed to air-dry. This hair fiber is not recommended for long-hair styles. Heat styling is definitely not recommended. Use at your own risk. Enough said.
KIWI HAIR. Kiwi is a newer product that came out in 2013. According to a sales source, “Most doll and toy companies are switching over to this type of hair. It is superior to Nylon or Saran, and has longer durability with less fading over time. It feels like silk and simply put is gorgeous stuff and very easy to work with.” Kiwi is a porous material that is idealistic for dying with Rit or acid dye. It can be boil washed and permed with ease. (NOTE: Sellers of Kiwi Hair on Amazon and elsewhere identify it as a Nylon product, so it may actually be just another type of Nylon fiber, or may be part of a family of fibers with different properties.)
NYLATEX. Nylatex is a mid-grade Nylon fiber, so not as high-quality as Nylon (the Nylon sold by this particular supplier) but is reportedly “still lovely to work with.” Nylatex is similar in texture to silky Kanekalon but stiffer than regular Nylon. It can be boil-washed and permed, but can be trickier to hold a curl. To get it to hold the curl, use the boil-perm method for Saran by dipping curler-wrapped hair in boiling water and leaving for no more than 15 seconds, then dipping in ice water for five seconds to set, repeating that process at least three times, then allowing hair to dry completely before removing curlers. Nylatex can be dyed using Rit Dyemore or IDyePoly. Dying doll hair carries the risk of permanently staining your doll. See our HAIR CARE – COLOR section for more information about dying doll hair.
SYNTHETIC. When a hair is labeled as “synthetic” this is usually because the manufacturer didn’t specify the type of hair fiber, so it is basically a generic term. It could be Kanekalon or a fiber similar to Kanekalon but not heat resistant- meaning it will melt in heat easily. Usually this is a coarser type hair in comparison to Nylon and other hair fibers. When hair is labeled as “synthetic” it is a good idea to test a small strand by immersing in boiling water or by using heated instruments such as a flat iron or curling iron before committing to rerooting or wigging a doll with this generic fiber.
OMBRE SYNTHETIC. This is a high-temperature hair that can withstand up to 360 degrees Fahrenheit and can be styled with a curling iron or flat iron on low settings. Can be styled straight with a flat iron or left wavy. Works well for dreads and mini braids.
OTHER HAIR FIBERS USED FOR REROOTING OR WIGGING DOLLS
HUMAN HAIR. Rarely is a doll rooted with real human hair, which may only happen if the doll has been customized. We know of one YouTube video where a customizer rooted a doll with her own human hair. Human hair grows in a specific way, with the cuticle growing outward/downward. When human hair is collected from a donor, it is best kept with cuticles “intact” meaning the hair strands are bundled with the cuticles of each strand organized in the same growth direct. If the strand growth direction of a hair bundle is mixed up, the hair can become tangled or matted.
ACRYLIC YARN. Using acrylic yarn for doll hair has become quite popular among doll customers. Regular-weight pure acrylic yarn is fairly cheap by the skein and is easily found in many craft and general-purpose stores. It is usually available in a wide range of colors that can be blended and mixed to achieve custom colors and shaded or streaked looks. Pure acrylic yarn is used because it withstands heat-styling from flat irons and heated metal curling wands.
Doll customizers sometimes reroot dolls using cut-to-length yarn strands to mimic braids or dreadlocks. This form of yarn can be glued onto wig caps or used for rerooting dolls. When used to reroot a doll, depending on the thickness of the yarn strands, some customizers may unravel multi-strand twisted yarn and root with the individual strands, skipping selected rooting holes in the doll head to keep the volume of hair more manageable.
Most customizers choose to reroot with combed and straightened yarn fiber. The yarn strands are secured by tying to a stick or other apparatus, then brushed with a metal tooth instruments like a pet brush to make rerooting fibers or wefts for doll wigs. However, separating individual strands of yarn and combing it can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. Smoothing with a flat iron is required unless natural waviness is desired.
Due to the nature of the fiber, acrylic yarn can easily break or tear while being brushed out, causing the resulting fibers to be shorter than preferred for long styles. Also, while it is possible to make brushed acrylic yarn hair hold a curl and to look shiny and lustrous with repeated use of a flat iron, the texture of yarn hair is always going to be stiff rather than supple. Straight-styled yarn hair can be shaped and arranged to drape a certain way and hold that position. It can even be flared back to appear as if it is blown by wind force, and it will hold that position until rearranged. The weight and texture of yarn hair does not allow it to drape or “swish” like other hair fibers that are more flexible and supple.
There are numerous videos on making yarn doll wigs or rerooting dolls with yarn. We’ve included links to a couple of those YouTube channels in our YOUTUBE DOLL CHANNELS section.
Other Miscellaneous Fibers – We’ve previously discussed various other fibers doll customizers use for rerooting and wig-making. These include a variety of synthetic viscous fibers, or natural fibers such as mohair, wool, or alpaca. Recycling Halloween or party wigs may seem like a good source of doll rerooting hair fiber, but some of these wigs are made with very cheap and poor-quality fiber (usually Modlon) which is not heat resistant, so it’s best to test the hair for styling properties before investing hours rerooting or making a wig with this fiber only to realize it is not acceptable for your needs.
TUTORIALS AND OTHER HAIR-CARE INFO
A quick search on Google or YouTube will supply you with plenty of information and tutorials on various methods of rerooting and wigging, as well as a variety of other doll hair-care topics, including the process of washing and conditioning doll hair, and various ways of styling doll hair or dying/coloring doll hair. NOTE: Many YouTube tutorials feature potentially damaging experimental procedures, and some will not contain proper warnings about the damage these procedures might do to your doll, so follow any tutorial advice with caution, especially when working with dyes and hot or sharp instruments.
Click the links below to check out some YouTube video tutorials
- SugarCharmShop – Making removable doll hair extensions
- Poppen Atlier – Rerooting a doll without a rerooting tool (use a darning needle)
- EternalSnowKiss – Rerooting a doll with a darning needle
- EverythingDolls – Rerooting a doll with a rerooting tool
- JLantisToys – Rerooting a doll using a rerooting tool
- Play Kids Toys – Rerooting a doll with acrylic yarn
- SybilCreates – Reroot doll with no hair plug holes
- Dirili Dolls – Rerooting shrunken doll head
- Play Kids Toys – Glued on cornrow braiding
- Ginger’s Doll World – Rerooting and flocking doll with yarn
- TheDollBoy – Flocking doll hair
- A Thousand Splendid Doll – Repairing flocked doll hair
- Denisa Medrano – Shaved hair look with flocking powder
- Super Buddies Forever – Glued-on waterproof shaved/flocked hair
- Poppen Atlier – Making a doll wig
- AkameruKawaii – Making a yarn wig
- Mozekyto – Making a yarn wig
- Mozekyto – Making a yarn wig with bangs/fringe
- Mozekyto – Making a yarn wig with undercut flocking
- Mozekyto – Making a yarn wig with space buns
- Dollightful – Making a sewn weft wig
- AkameruKawaii – Making a styling wig
- A Thousand Splendid Dolls – Hair fiber types
WHERE TO BUY COMMERCIAL DOLL HAIR FOR REROOTING/WIG-MAKING
Below, we’ve listed some suppliers of doll hair. We don’t endorse or recommend any supplier over another, but you can find recommendations of other doll enthusiasts by visiting our BLOGROLL section.
Open in a new page by clicking on a link below:
- DollyHair – hair and related doll supplies
- DollTress – hair and related doll supplies
- MyLittleCustoms – British source of doll hair and related supplies
- RestoreDoll – doll hair and doll-related supplies
- Retro-Doll – doll hair and related supplies
- The Doll Planet – doll hair and related supplies
More to come, but that’s all for now!
As always, any aggregated information we present on this site comes from our own experience and general research of experiences of other hobbyists, and is offered with no guarantee that suggested activities will work as expected or desired. Follow any crafting advice or suggestion at your own risk.
Special health cautions...
*(1) SPECIAL CAUTION: Talcum-based powder such as baby powder or shower powder has been reported to have a causal relationship with long-term health risks such as certain types of cancer due to asbestos contamination and other issues, so be advised and research this issue properly before using talc-based products. No known reports suggest that cornstarch poses similar potential health risks; however, with any fine-particle powder substance, special care should be taken to avoid inhaling particles.
*(2) SPECIAL CAUTION: Plasticizers (usually phthalates) used in the vinyl-making process have been reported to have a causal relationship with long-term health risks such as hormone disruption, asthma, cancer, and more. Vinyl is a prevalent component in many industrial and toy products, including the majority of play-line dolls, so precautions are advised. Extended enclosed exposure to vinyl products (coverings, etc.) in vehicles and living/working interior areas can create adverse reactions. Use precautions (gloves, ventilation masks, etc.) when repeatedly handling older vinyl products, especially those that show evidence of plasticizer leakage. There is no known treatment that will “cure” plasticizer seepage in a doll. Certain treatments or precautions can lessen the damage to items due to this condition, but will not stop the deterioration. Properly discard unwanted deteriorating vinyl dolls rather than allow children to play with these items and possibly expose them to health risks.