Human hair is an excellent alternative to mohair for older babies and toddlers reborn dolls. Human hair gives more variations in color, texture, and length and thickens the hairstyle.
However, human hair is different from mohair, wool, and alpaca, so it needs to be rooted carefully to look natural.
1. Use a lower gauge needle.
I use a regular 42 gauge crown and a 42 gauge crown. It will be challenging to hold the hair if it is much smaller. See for more information on which needles are suitable for which hair.
We are assessing your rooting needle needs:
2. Root directionally.
Human hair tends to stick out. It should be rooted so that it lays flat. Learn more about directional routing at:
3. Hair diameter varies by the donor.
Asian hair is thicker than European hair. However, European hair is still thicker than mohair. Understanding the origin of your hair will help you choose the best root needles.
4. Do not trim human hair too short.
Human hair needs weight to fit. If it is too short, it will stick out. Leave a minimum of 3 to 4 inches to best fit older children.
5. Treat before you root.
Human hair tends to become very dry because the scalp no longer has the natural oils to moisturize. For best results, shampoo conditions hair before rooting.
Shampoo until you have removed excess dye that could stain the doll. Use a high-quality conditioner (hardeners or protein products are effective) to replenish the moisture you need.
For hair, you can use any product you like. Avoid zinc pyrithione and other anti-dandruff ingredients as they can remove too much color.
