FAQ
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DOLL HAIR
What is rerooting?
Doll rerooting or rehairing, is the process of replacing a doll's hair by removing the existing hair and inserting new hair into the scalp. This process is often done to restore an older doll or to give a new look to a doll with damaged or unsightly hair or to personalize and reinvent a new doll. This is typically done with the help of rerooting needles and a rerooting tool or with a doll needle and upholstery thread and of course doll hair! At Dollyhair, we offer a wide range of doll hair as well as some tips and tutorials to help you get started on your rerooting project!
What are the different types of doll hair? Which type of doll hair should I use?
Consider the final look you would like to accomplish as well as the level of skill or effort you want to put into the rerooting process. Knowing the characteristics and styling techniques for each type of hair will help you decide the best type of hair for your project. Learn more about the different types of hair we sell on our Doll Hair Types page.
How much hair do I need?
When determining how much doll hair you need there are two main things to consider: what is the size of your doll’s head and how long do you want the finished length to be. We help take the guesswork out of this process by offering full length (38 inches) and pre-cut hanks of hair to suit any variety of hair rerooting needs you might have. Check out our simple Hair Size Guide for further details on how much hair to buy.
Can you help me pick a color?
If you need help matching a color, email us a well-lit photo of the hair you would like us to match.
How do I style doll hair?
Doll hair is typically styled with hot or boiling water to set the style. This is what is known as a boil wash or boil perm. Hot water has the ability to reshape the strands and set the hair into whatever form it is when it dries. For more details on how to boil wash or perm a particular type of hair, check out our Doll Hair Types page.
Can I use heat styling tools on doll hair?
Generally, we would caution against using heat styling tools on your dolls hair unless you have a lot of experience working with synthetic hair. Some have had success with using flat or curling irons on doll hair, but it can be risky! If you want to attempt this, we highly recommend using only the lowest heat setting and doing a test on doll hair that you can afford to damage. We cannot guarantee good results with this process and recommend sticking to boil washing or boil perming to style your doll's hair.
Who is Gene?
Gene is what we call the largest hair size that we offer, which is actually based on the doll called Gene Marshall. Gene is a 15.5 inch collectible fashion doll inspired by Hollywood's Golden Age and created by Mel Odom in 1995. It was one of the first large fashion dolls mainly intended for adult collectors. Gene was an instant success, selling over half a million dolls within three years of its introduction and sparking the creation of similar dolls from other companies. Between 1995 and 2005, the dolls were produced by the Ashton-Drake Galleries, and from 2005 to 2010, they were made by Integrity Toys. In 2013, Gene was reborn into the 21st century as a resin ball jointed doll by JAMIEshow Dolls USA, and the line has expanded to include other characters.
REROOT TOOLS & NEEDLES
How do I use a reroot tool?
If you are new to rerooting doll hair, you can learn how to use the reroot tool with our Reroot Tutorial. It's an easy to follow guide with pictures to help you get started with using a reroot tool to reroot doll hair.
What size needle should I use?
| Needle Size | Suggested Doll |
| 4 | Very large dolls with thicker heads, 28" and above such as My Size Barbie. For rerooting curls and braids |
| 5, 6 | LOL OMG, Rainbow High, dolls 14" and above |
| 7 | My Little Pony, Silkstone Barbies, Monster High, Poppy Parker, Fashion Royalty, Gene, Tonner, and similar dolls with firm heads |
| 8 | Regular size Barbie dolls, and similar dolls with soft heads |
| 9, 10 | For very fine rerooting such as hairlines or eyelashes. Can also be used on Reborn Dolls |
These are our suggested rerooting needle sizes for most common dolls. The smaller the needle, the more likely it can bend or break, while the larger the needle, the higher the risk of splitting the doll's scalp. The goal is to use the smallest size rerooting needle that's appropriate for your project and if it breaks once in a while, then that's ok. But if your needle is breaking too often, then you may want to consider going with a larger size.
My needle keeps slipping in the reroot tool - HELP!
Sometimes this happens and it's easy to fix! First check that the reroot tool is able to close all the way. In order to check this, remove the needle and tighten the collet all the way. It should close tightly with no gaps. If there are any gaps, please take a photo and e-mail us so we can help you further.
If there are no gaps in the reroot tool collet, you can try the following to prevent the needle from slipping:
- Tighten the tool with a wrench or pliers rather than just by hand
- Make sure the needle is in the center of the cross of the collet
- Wipe the needle and collet with rubbing alcohol or acetone to remove any traces of residual grease or oil that may cause the needle to slip
- Use smaller plugs of hair while rerooting. Too much hair can also bend the needle
- Avoid needle breakage by keeping the length of the needle around 1/2” or shorter
DOLL PAINTS
What is doll repainting?
Doll repainting, also known as doll face ups or doll customizations, refers to the process of changing the appearance of a doll's face by removing its factory paint and altering the doll's eyes, lips, eyebrows, and other facial features to give it a unique and personalized look. The process of doll face ups includes various steps like preparing the doll's face by removing existing paint with acetone, sketching the new design, applying layers of paint, and sealing it with a protective coating. Artists use tools like acrylic paints, pastels, airbrushes, and specialized brushes to achieve the desired results.
Doll face ups are especially popular among collectors who specialize in high-end dolls like ball-jointed dolls (BJDs). Some artists even earn a living by creating custom face ups for customers. Although doll repainting can be challenging and time-consuming, therhe process allows for creative freedom and artistic expression, making it an enjoyable activity for many collectors.
What paint colors do I need?
The more colors you have, the easier it will be to use the paints. Realistically, you can create any color in the rainbow with red, yellow, blue, black, and white. The thing with doll repainting is that it's really necessary to apply 3-4 thin, watered-down coats of paint, as opposed to one thick, goopy coat that shows brushstrokes. So, if you mix the correct color on your palette and apply one coat of it to your doll, chances are that it will dry on your palette before you have time to apply a second coat to your doll. Of course, you do have the option of mixing the paint on your palette with the Retarder to slow down the drying time, but it probably won't slow it enough to allow you to apply more than two coats to your doll. Sure, you can mix the same color on your palette again, but the odds are that you're not going to get it to be exactly the same color as the first time that you mixed it. So by having more colors at your disposal, you can use them straight out of the bottle, and therefore avoid any frustrating drying time issues.
SHIPPING & RETURNS
Can I change or cancel an order once I've placed it?
Oopsies can happen when you get too excited about doll hair! Please contact us immediately if you need to change or cancel your order. If your order has not been processed or shipped yet, there is a chance that we will be able to change or cancel it.
We cannot change or cancel an order that is already on its delivery route. Please see our return policies if you have already received your order.
How soon can you send my order?
Please allow 2-3 business days for our team to process your order. We typically ship via USPS and do not ship on U.S. holidays. Regular shipping time within the US typically takes 3-6 business days. We also offer expedited shipping if you need your items to arrive faster.
Where is my package?
When we send your order it will come with a tracking number that is emailed to you. You can look up the status of your package by either clicking on the tracking number in the email we sent or by visiting the USPS website and entering your tracking number.
If you live outside of the US, please visit our International Shipping page for more information.
Missing or lost package
If your package was marked as delivered but you cannot find it, please wait 72 hours before contacting customer service. Oftentimes, a carrier marks a package as delivered prematurely, and the package will arrive within 72 hours. In some cases, the package was delivered to a neighbor or placed in a different mailbox. If you can, please ask your neighbors if they have seen the package before contacting customer service. If you still haven't found the package, please email us with your order number and we will let you know of next steps.
Please let us know if a package is missing or lost within one week of the expected delivery date. If a package is reported as missing more than one week after the expected delivery date, you will be asked to file a claim with the postal carrier and we cannot guarantee a replacement.
In some instances, packages that are undeliverable are returned to us. Shipping fees for returned packages will not be refunded. A new shipping fee will be applied for reshipment.
Once an item is marked as delivered it becomes the responsibility of the buyer and we cannot issue a refund until the item is returned. Dollyhair is not responsible for lost, stolen or delayed packages.
Do you ship to my country?
We most likely do! While filling out your mailing address at checkout, you will see the list of available countries we ship to. If you can't find your country, please message us and we'll do our best to work something out. Visit our International Shipping page for more information.
How much are shipping costs?
USA: Packages mailed within the US are a flat rate of $5 for regular shipping. Expedited shipping ranges from $9-$13.
International: Shipping costs for international packages will range from approximately $15 and up, depending on size, weight and service. Visit our International Shipping page for more information.
Do I have to pay international duties and taxes?
We appreciate our international customers and do our best to keep fees for custom and duties at a minimum. While we can't guarantee how much it will cost or if your local postal service will impose a charge on you, we do what we can to avoid excessive fees.
How do I return something?
We want you to be completely satisfied with your purchase from Dollyhair. If for any reason you are not happy with your order, we offer a hassle-free return policy to ensure that you have a positive shopping experience.
Our return policy is simple:
You can return any item within 30 days of the purchase date for a full refund or exchange for an item of equal value. The item must be in new, unused, and resalable condition, with all original tags and packaging included. You are responsible for the cost of return shipping, unless the item is defective or we made a mistake with your order.
To initiate a return, please contact our customer service team with your order number and a brief explanation of the reason for the return. We will provide you with instructions on how to return the item.
Once we receive the returned item and confirm that it is in new, unused, and resalable condition, we will issue your refund or exchange within 5 business days. Refunds will be issued in the same form of payment used for the original purchase. The original shipping fee is non-refundable.
Please note that personalized or custom-made items are not eligible for returns, refunds or exchanges unless they are defective or we made a mistake with your order.
Thank you for shopping with us, and please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about our return policy.