RELAXING FRIZZY DOLL HAIR

To smooth out long, frizzy, matted, heavily played-with doll hair, you will need gobs of cheap dollar store hair gel, alcohol, dishwashing liquid, a doll brush, a dog brush, a metal flea comb, and hot, almost boiling water.

First the hair needs to be brushed out and detangled using a doll brush or a dog brush with metal prongs. This is the hardest part and takes the most time and patience. For long hair I start at the ends and work my way to the scalp using protein hair gel, the kind without alcohol, to help get the brush through the hair. Sometimes alcohol helps and dishwashing liquid too.

Once it is gently brushed and detangled, I wash it with dishwashing liquid, and I pour very hot water on it while keeping it brushed and straight. I use hair gel to smooth it out with my hands, and when it is sufficiently smoothed out and straightened, I set it by running cold water over it.

Don't soak the head in boiling water because it will weaken the hair and make it really frizzy, and don't use oily hair conditioner on doll hair. It will make the hair look oily and dull.To make it really shiny and help it dry faster, brush out the clean smooth hair with a little alcohol, squeeze the excess water and alcohol out with a cloth towel and set it somewhere safe to dry.

REMOVING A BARBIE HEAD

I switch heads and bodies a lot and use hot tap water to soften the plastic and a little liquid soap squirted in between the neck and the head to help the head slide more easily past the neck hooks. After the hot water and soap, I push the head all the way down on the neck to stretch it slightly, then slide it back up and gently work it off past the hooks. If the neck peice breaks free from the neck and stays in the head, use needle nose pliers to pull it out. Sometimes the neck cracks, so practice first on old junky dolls before you try this on an expensive one.