Let’s get our glam on! Nothing makes a doll look worse than bad hair! I see dolls that aren’t in bad shape but their hair makes you cringe. As I have already shared with you, I love to fix up abused dolls and restore them to their former glory. Because of this, I have been able to add a lot of dolls to my collection for a fraction of the cost and so can you!
I started fixing up this $30 Julie doll in A Doll Cleaning Tutorial. (If you just bought a tlc doll you will want to start there.) In that post I washed and brushed out the tangles and it really helped but today we are going to take it a step further. Please make sure to only use a wig brush on your doll’s hair. All products I use are linked here in my Amazon Storefront. Below is Julie’s hair when I first bought her, after washing and brushing and lastly after a hot water dunk (HWD) and straightening. Nice and shiny!
American Girl dolls have nice quality wigs of blended mod-acrylic fibers. Since their hair is basically plastic, the best way to return it to it’s original shape and shine is to heat it up. The internet is filled with videos and posts telling you to do a Downy Dunk on your doll’s hair to make it soft again. PLEASE DO NOT do this. It does help remove tangles but the fabric softener changes the hair. I made this mistake on my first fixer doll. She had a matted clump of hair and the internet told me to give her a Downy Dunk. Her hair became limp, greasy and it didn’t restore shine at all. I was able to comb out the tangle, but the good part of her hair became gross. Her hair attracted dust and had an overall filmy coating. I was able to repair the hair a few years later but let’s learn a better way!
An American Girl doll has three styles of hair: Straight, Large Curls (or wavy) and Tight Ringlets. How you dunk the hair will depend on the style you want. First let’s cover the dunking basics.
You do not want to get any water in your doll’s eyes, the heat can damage them and the water will eventually make them rust. With the doll’s eyes in the closed position, tape a cotton ball or chunk of cotton pad over each eye. Protect the doll’s cloth body with a plastic bag. I always start with a good hair washing especially if the doll is used. For instructions on washing your doll’s hair visit A Doll Cleaning Tutorial.
Bring a large pan of water to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set your timer for 5 minutes. Once the water has cooled for 5 minutes it’s time to dunk.
You only want the hair to be in the water for 5-6 seconds at a time. I let the stop watch run and repeat the following: dunk hair into water for 5 seconds, pull it out for 5 seconds, dunk for 5 seconds, out for 5 seconds. I dunk about 6 times total. This places the hair in the water for a total of 30 seconds in 5 second intervals. Now lay the doll aside and let the hair cool down. I place the hair in the sink so it cannot puddle around the doll.
For Straight Hair: Flat iron the hair while it is still wet. I lay the doll on her face (on a cloth for protection) and comb out a small section. With a flat iron on its lowest setting (mine is 140 degrees) start running it quickly over the combed section. If the flat iron is too hot or the hair dries out, it will melt the hair. (Remember your working with plastic.) I keep a spray bottle of water handy and spritz the hair if it starts getting dry. Steam will roll off as you go down the strands, this is normal. I go over each section 3-4 times and then comb down a new section and start over. Once you are finished, let the hair air dry.
Now for curls! If you want curls or waves, you need to put the hair into curlers before dunking and then follow the dunking process.
For Big Curls or Waves: Roll your dolls hair into sponge rollers. Start by spritzing a section of combed hair and roll it up into the rollers. I start in the back at the bottom. If you put the rollers against the scalp it will create poofs. You can find foam rollers anywhere. I use these inexpensive ones, foam hair rollers and keep multiple packs on hand.
Once the hair is rolled, follow the dunking process above. Let the hair dry completely (over night). Once the hair is completely dry, unroll your beautiful curls. If you just want it to be wavy, use fewer curlers with larger sections of hair. Gently run your fingers through it until the curls loosen to the look you want. My Sonali’s hair had been over-brushed by her previous owner, but after a curled HWD it’s beautiful and shiny.
For Tight Curls: Using a pen, pencil or small dowel rod wrap thin sections of wet hair around the pen and secure it with a bobby pin. (Make sure they are tight and secure or the water will pull them out.) Once all curls are in place follow the dunking process above.
Once the curls are completely dry, remove the pins for tight, fun curls. If the curls are to tight, spritz with water and gently tug on them. This is a great style for dolls with textured hair. I hope this post can help you. If your doll needs help Restoring Doll Bangs, Pin Curls and Hair Parts check out the post. Have fun styling those dolls!
I have also made How To Re-String A Doll Tutorial. Check it out! 😉
Leave a Reply to Rebecca JohnsonCancel reply