Tutorial: Fix Frizzy Hair

Some dolls come with frizzy hair, others get that way during playtime. Maybe you just want to straighten your doll’s curls. This is easy to do! Meet Mika, a second-hand Moxie Girl. Check out her hair makeover...

You Will Need:

Doll
Large Wig Brush
Tea Kettle (for boiling water)
Small towel/rag
Sink

NOTE: This tutorial works on the hair of inexpensive porcelain dolls and generic fashion dolls such as Bratz and Barbie, but it will NOT work on hair made of mohair wool. If you are not sure which hair your doll has, try this on a small "sample" strand of hair.

More after the jump!

1. Brush out. Comb the hair out with a wig brush, which is specially made for synthetic hair (see "Tools" for full description.) If a wig brush is not available, plastic doll brushes or human hair brushes can be substituted, as long as they were never used on human hair.

2. Wet Hair. Heat a kettle of water. Wrap the doll in a towel and lean them over the sink. Pour hot water on the doll’s hair, and make sure to coat every strand. Try not to get the face or body wet, since hot water damages paint and plastic. Gently dab off any water that hits your doll.

3. Let Dry. Before the doll’s hair dries, smooth out kinky strands and cover bald spots. Remember— a wet kink becomes a dry kink. Do NOT comb the wet hair, simply smooth it out with your fingers. Leave the doll in a standing position while it dries overnight, because sitting or laying it down will create new kinks.

4. Brush Again. When the hair is perfectly dry, comb it out again with your wig brush. I comb down from the roots and curve up at the ends in order to create 70s-style flips. This works on most hair-types, but not all. Give the hair a day to settle in— you can comb it during this period, but no matter what you do, parts will start curling and grow wavy (usually the ends.)

5. Repeat Process. If any kinks remain, run hot water over the area. I apply 2-5 hot water treatments per doll. Don’t do more than that, since humidity damages plastic. For small crimps, use a straightening iron on the lowest setting (too much heat will fry the hair to a stinky, blackened crisp.)

If the hair is still too “big” for your tastes, slide a thin scrunchie over the top of the hair, and pour hot water over it. The result will be the sleek ‘do in the last picture.

For this picture, I also cut the hair [see my hair-cutting tutorial!] and made bangs [see my bang tutorial!]