How to detangle and soften doll hair. TOP 3 methods and all general rules

TOP 3 methods and all general rules

A doll's hair can become dirty or tangled not only from play, but also during storage. For most dolls, the methods for tidying up the hair, which we will look at in this article, work: boiling water, fabric softener or baby shampoo. They are safe. Most doll hair, whether on plastic or fabric dolls, responds well to these methods.

Hair for dolls (ponytails), color: blond, 12 cm271
Hair for dolls (ponytails), color: red, 12 cm271
Hair for dolls (ponytails), color: black, 12 cm271
Hair for dolls (braids), color: red, 12 cm271
Hair for dolls (braids), color: black, 12 cm271
Hair for dolls (curls), color: red, 11-12 cm271
Hair for dolls (curls), color: black, 11-12 cm271
Hair for dolls (braids), 12 cm, color: blond, art. 7708435271
Hair for dolls, color: chestnut, 11-12 cm, art. QS-6176
Hair for dolls, color: chestnut, 10-11 cm, art. QS-2176

The first step is to find out what is wrong with the doll. Some just need brushing, while others need washing. Sometimes, if you buy used dolls from auctions, the doll's hair may be trimmed to hide split ends or tangled ends.

By the way, washing is required not only for dolls, but also for other toys with hair, for example, pony figurines with manes and tails.

Start by cleaning your doll's hair: go through the entire head, comb it, and try to untangle as much as you can with your fingers. Do not comb straight from the roots down, as this can lead to deformation and damage to the fibers; start from the ends and gradually work your way up (as you would with your own hair). Plastic will create static charges, a wooden or metal comb is better

Primary cleaning

First, wash the toy's hair. This must be done even if the doll has never left the apartment. Artificial hair can become dirty even if handled carefully. For washing, you can use shampoo, liquid soap, dishwashing detergent or washing powder for children's clothes.

Some craftswomen advise that in order to straighten the hair of a Monster High doll, you need to keep it in a hair conditioner solution for some time. After bath procedures, the toy should be thoroughly blotted with a bath towel. It is not recommended to dry doll hair with a hairdryer; it is better to wait until it dries naturally. After your hair has dried, you can begin the most interesting part of restoring it.

What can a doll's hair be made of? Which ones can be washed and which ones can’t?

Before you decide to wash your doll's hair, you will have to determine what it is made of.

Dolls made from synthetic materials such as plastic and vinyl can safely come into contact with water (as can their hair). Most modern dolls bought at a toy store are made from synthetic materials; you can wash and clean them without worry.

Dolls made of wood or porcelain need special care when cleaning their hair. Moisture that touches the head may cause rot or mold, destroying the doll.

Made from real hair and mohair, doll hair can be washed, but with caution: most dolls with this hair type have wigs glued to their heads (rather than sewn in).

A wool doll's hair cannot be washed.

Yarn - Can be washed with care: most of these dolls are made of fabric and can rot or mold if they get wet. Wash yarn with fabric softener or hand wash detergent.

How to wash a doll's hair

We wash the doll's hair in cool water using shampoo. You can rinse your hair twice, but this is usually not necessary.

Immediately after washing, wrap the doll in a terry towel so that the moisture from the hair is absorbed into it. You can lightly wring out the doll's hair with a towel - do not rub it under any circumstances, because... This will only lead to more tangling of your doll's hair.

Then we generously apply hair conditioner to the doll’s hair (the most common one for people will also do) and begin the ritual: we will comb the doll’s hair.

Hot water

The plastic that dolls' hair is made from is a low-temperature plastic, so it is actually pliable in boiling water.
. Dolls' hair gets jagged over time (like our split ends), so by soaking in boiling water and combing, we actually restore the strand.

Hot water helps detangle doll hair. Some materials can withstand boiling water, and some can only withstand hot water, but not boiling water. Try with hot water (usually you need something hotter than what comes out of the tap).

Without shampoo and soap, you can restore tangled, but not dirty, doll hair. This is the easiest way

You know how a doll's hair gradually becomes a "loofah": at first everything is smooth and shiny, and after a few years the poor toy looks as if it fit into an electrical socket. And no amount of cleaning solves the problem. It just makes overly tangled curls less tangled. Boiling water comes to the rescue.

First remove all knots. Then boil water, pour it into a shallow bowl, dip the doll’s hair and comb it, and so on many times in a row. It's amazing how well this works.

Once your hair is smooth, towel dry it, comb it so it lays the way you want it, and then dry it.

But this will not fix heavily soaked ends. You will have to cut the doll's hair a little.

Baby shampoo and conditioner, which are discussed below, slightly enhance the effect of boiling water, and at the same time wash away the dirt. They can be used in colder water, although boiling water is most effective.

How to detangle your hair?

In some cases, the doll's hair gets very tangled and becomes more like a washcloth. If you are wondering how to straighten a doll's hair to get rid of this problem, you need to use the method below:

Undress the doll. In this case, you need to take into account that you should remove absolutely all the details: shoes, hairpins, elastic bands.
Gently comb your hair. Of course, you can use any comb. But it is better to take the one that is sold with a toy included. You don't need to comb too carefully here. After all, the main goal at this stage is to remove all excess from the hair.
Take a glass and fill it with warm or hot water. For washing, it is better to use baby soap rather than regular shampoo. They soften the hair better.
Then the doll should be turned upside down. This will allow excess fluid to drain through your arms and legs. Do not dry the doll with a hairdryer: this can lead to its deformation. It is better to put the toy on the windowsill and leave it to dry for 30-40 minutes.
After this, you need to comb it and leave it to dry again until completely dry.

Fabric softener (conditioner)

Soak hair in fabric softener (rinse aid). Choose a branded, high-quality mouthwash. Pour into a bowl or cup. How much you need depends on the amount of hair on the doll. You need to completely soak the doll's hair. To avoid wasting excess rinse aid, start by adding a small amount and gradually add more.

Place the doll's hair in a bowl and use your fingers to massage the product into the scalp, detangling the entire length of the hair. Continue until hair is completely covered with product.

Set the doll aside. Leave the softener on your hair for at least an hour. If the doll's hair is in terrible condition, you can even leave it overnight. If they have time to dry overnight, wet them again in the morning, let the doll lie down to drain off excess moisture, and then work on.

Next, comb directly with the softener in the hair, it should act as a conditioning agent, smoothing the doll's hair along its entire length. For larger dolls, if you don't have a wig brush (which works best), any wide-toothed brush will do. Comb slowly to avoid pulling hair. With a small doll, a comb may work better rather than a brush. Metal combs for pets work well.

Next, rinse your hair under cool tap water in the sink, rinse the product out of your hair completely because if left on, it can damage your hair in the long run. Periodically wring out your hair until completely clean water flows from it.

Dry with a clean towel or simply let dry without wiping.

Never blow dry your doll's hair:

They are thin and delicate and react poorly to such a procedure.

When your hair is dry, comb again with a fine-toothed comb to straighten your hair and remove any tangles if any remain.

How to comb the natural hair of an expensive doll

This method is not recommended if the doll has synthetic curls.
They are easily deformed and melt when exposed to heat. Tangled natural strands can be combed using a device such as a flat iron.

The following tools will be required:

iron;
water;
clamps;
slicker for combing animals;
new toothbrush.

The slicker should be the cheapest - a simple wooden tablet, equipped with fairly sharp and thin teeth.

Before the procedure, the doll's hair is washed with washing powder and fabric conditioner is applied to it. After about a quarter of an hour, the product is washed off and the curls are dried by blotting with a cloth.
The iron is heated to a temperature of 90-110°C. A lower temperature regime will be ineffective, a higher temperature can damage the hairstyle. It is better to perform a preliminary test on a small strand.
One of the curls is separated from the total mass of hair and carefully but carefully combed with a slicker brush. It is important to be patient and not pull out hair. The remaining strands are secured with clamps.
The combed curl is moistened with water and ironed. There is no need to rush; you need to slowly pull the strand out from under the sole of the iron.
The warm lock is combed again. This time - with a toothbrush. If after the procedure the hair remains disheveled and uneven, you will have to repeat it several times until the curl becomes smooth.
Other strands are processed in the same sequence.

The work is quite painstaking and requires a certain perseverance. But as a result, the doll will have a magnificent hairstyle. You can use a ceramic-coated curling iron instead of a straightening iron.

Baby shampoo

You don't need to use shampoo too often as this can damage your hair. Hair conditioners contain oils that can eventually damage your doll's hair, so it's best to choose shampoo instead.

Fill a bowl or cup with cool water. Choose a bowl that is large enough to hold all of your doll's hair. The water temperature should be cooler if your doll has curly hair. Hot or warm water can cause hair to lose curl.

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Add half a teaspoon of baby shampoo. Mix shampoo with water until completely dissolved.

Do not replace baby shampoo with regular shampoo!

Shampoo for babies is definitely safe for dolls, but the same cannot be said about regular shampoo. A shampoo for sensitive skin or weak colored hair may be suitable, but the best product is one that is suitable for bathing babies from birth.

Soak your hair and rub the product in with your fingers. Continue massaging the doll's hair until foam appears.

In addition to baby shampoo, you can dilute dish soap in water.

Leave for 10 minutes. This will help remove tangles and make your hair soft and shiny.

Rinse thoroughly, several times, until the water is clear.

Dry your hair a little. You shouldn't comb your hair when it's wet, but if it's a little damp, you should. To dry, you can hang the doll upside down and let it drain a little, or dry it with a towel.

When the hair is dry but still damp, we begin the combing process, as in the previous method.

Hair washing

First, wash the toy's hair. Artificial hair gets dirty quickly, even if you handle it very carefully.

For washing, you can use shampoo, liquid soap, any dishwashing detergent, or washing powder. So, we need:

lukewarm water. Hot water causes doll curls to curl;
shampoo. You can use the one you use yourself. Or you can take the cheapest product;
air conditioner. Any will do, but it’s better for these purposes to be indelible. It will saturate the hair and make it smooth;
comb;
towel.

Before you start, you need to wrap the doll tightly with something and cover its face with cling film. This must be done to prevent water from pouring inside the toy. Of course, if a little water gets inside, it’s not a big deal. It can be easily removed, especially since now almost all dolls are disassembled.

Add a little shampoo to the water and you can wash your hair. Some people wash their doll’s hair twice, but this is not at all necessary. After completing the procedure, wrap the toy in a terry towel. Under no circumstances should you apply force to your hair, as it can easily break off and become even more tangled. Finally, apply conditioner to the doll's hair for 10-15 minutes.

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Then it is washed off and the hair is blotted with a towel. Only now can the straightening process itself begin.

General rules for caring for doll hair

The doll may have plastic crepes, bows, bandanas, hairpins or other accessories in its head; we remove all this before starting work.

If you want to prevent tangles or hair damage, groom your doll's hair regularly. After your child plays with the doll, comb the hair before putting it away. And periodically wash with baby shampoo.

Avoid excessive styling; it’s better to simply braids and ponytails, then the doll’s hair will remain smooth and soft for much longer.

Some types of dolls come with special hair care instructions. For example, American Girl dolls have hair types that you should not wash yourself.

If the doll has mechanical parts, be careful: if water gets into them, it can ruin the mechanism. In this case, the doll’s body can be wrapped in plastic film.

Straightening

Many people are interested in how to straighten the hair of Monster High dolls. There's nothing complicated about it. The main thing is to have an iron and a cloth. But in this case, you need to use not a regular iron, but tongs. It is usually used to curl the hair of little girls. If you have such a device, you can safely get to work. Let's look at how to straighten the hair of an Ever After High doll:

First you need to comb your hair. As a rule, a small comb is sold along with the doll. With its help you can easily cope with this process.
Select a strand and wrap it in a cloth.
The tongs do not need to be heated too much. This can cause your hair to overheat. A not very heated iron should be run through the hair wrapped in a napkin.
After this, the hair will straighten.
This must be done until the very end. It will look good if you straighten only the top part of your hair, while leaving the ends curled.

In this way, the doll's tangled and faded hair can be restored to its original appearance. After this, the toy will look almost the same as before.