How to Fix Tangled Barbie Hair -From Drab to Fab! [Tutorial]

Have you ever bought a doll second-hand from eBay? If so, you know what it’s like to receive a doll with messy, tangled hair! Often this kind of doll hair is very difficult to brush, and even more difficult to style!

Today I’m going to be explaining how to fix up your doll’s hair if it’s in a tangled mess. For me, I didn’t buy this doll from eBay, I bought her from the shops -expect her hair was up in a ponytail! And, well, we all know what happens when you remove that ponytail…

Hair everywhere! What a mess. It’s too tricky to brush like this, so let’s just wash it out.

Before you begin, make sure you have your supplies ready. You want to have a tea towel, a hairbrush (one made specifically for dolls is better, but you can also use a human hairbrush if you don’t have one), and a mug of boiling water.

You want the water to be as hot as possible! I like to pour it straight from the kettle. The heat will straighten the doll’s hair and make it much easier to work with. If you want the doll to have curly hair, you can always curl it again yourself later.

Dip the doll’s hair in the mug of water (working with a mug is much easier than a bowl).

Brush, brush, brush! It’s okay if some hair falls out.

If you find the doll’s hair is still tangled, add dish soap to the mug and wash it. Rinse under warm water until clean.

Brush and repeat as necessary. If you like, you can add a tiny bit of conditioner (just a pea-sized amount, or else it’ll make the hair greasy), and that’ll make the doll’s hair look shiny and easier to brush.

All brushed! I did this without soap or conditioner, just plain hot water.

Here’s the back. To dry the doll’s hair, leave out on the tea towel in an open area with lots of sunlight. You don’t want to use a hairdryer, or else the hair will burn off! (Trust me, I’ve literally burnt off doll hair before!) It should take around 24 hours to completely dry -perhaps more if you live in a colder area.

And that’s how to fix up doll hair! Remember:

• Make sure to use HOT water (best if it’s straight from the kettle)
• Soap might not be necessary -try water first, and if it still looks messy, then use soap
• A little bit of conditioner goes a long way
• Make sure to brush, brush, brush! If the hair is very tangled, this can take quite awhile
• If you want to style the doll’s hair (eg; in braids), it’s much easier while it’s wet because there are less flyaways

Good luck! xx