ryu_no_joou

Hi all, I figured this would be a good place to share the method I use for restoring messy, tangled, frizzy Barbie doll hair.





***Warning!***: I have only tried this on Barbies from the 80's and 90's who have Kanekalon hair. Nylon, polypropylene, saran, and other types of hair will need different temperatures and some will be more resistant to curling than others. I do not use heat tools. This method will make your doll's hair straight or very close to straight, so if you need waves or curls I can't recommend it.

You Will Need: Hard-bristle brush (I use a Tangle Teezer brush)
                          Fine-tooth comb
                          Conditioner (any kind will do, don't break the bank!)
                          Fabric softener
                          Dog coat conditioning spray (I use Four Paws Magic Coat)
                          Paper towels
                          Heat-safe bowl or container
                          Tea kettle or cooking pot
                          Stove

Step 1: Remove all your doll's hair accessories. If you can, remove her earrings as well. This will keep her hair from getting tangled around the posts. You can remove earrings by warming up the head for a few minutes then using needle-nose pliers or tweezers to pull them out. I suggest snipping the barbs on the earrings to make for easier removal/changing in the future.

Step 2: Brush Barbie's hair out thoroughly. Hold her head as you brush so it won't come off. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Flip her over and brush from underneath as well. She will probably shed hair, maybe a lot of it, but if you're holding her head and carefully brushing through the knots, she will not lose entire plugs. Do this until you can run the brush through her hair without getting snagged.

Step 3: Wet Barbie's hair. If you want, you can wash it in baby shampoo or gentle dish soap. Rinse thoroughly.

Step 4: Mix the fabric softener with warm water. I use about 1/4 cup per doll. If you're doing multiple dolls at once, use a whole cap full of softener. Dip Barbie's hair in there and let her soak. I do 3-4 hours.

Step 5: Remove Barbie from the fabric softener and rinse her hair thoroughly with warm water. Squeeze the excess water out of her hair. Now, cover her hair in a thick coat of conditioner. Let her sit for about 2 hours.

Step 6: After letting her sit, comb the conditioner through her hair until there are no knots or snags left. Start at the bottom, work your way up, and hold her head. Again, she will lose hair, but don't worry about it. Be gentle and she will be fine.

Step 7: Rinse all the conditioner from the doll's hair, combing as you do. Use warm water.

Step 8: Boil some water. Pour it into a heat-safe bowl. Submerge Barbie's hair in it for a count of 10 Mississippi's. Remove her and comb her hair out (be careful not to burn yourself!). Repeat this step 3-4 times.

Step 9: Rinse her hair under cold/ice water while combing. This will set the hair.

Step 10: Squeeze the excess water from Barbie's hair. Spray the hair with some dog coat detangler. Comb it through.

Step 11: Carefully wrap Barbie's hair in a paper towel, keeping it as flat as possible. Leave it on overnight.

Step 12: In the morning, remove the paper towel and comb out Barbie's hair again. Let her sit uncovered for 24 hours.

Step 13: You're done! Enjoy Barbie's smooth, silky hair!


I hope this method can help you fix the hair of well-loved dolls! Good luck!