Can I use Fairy/Yes dish detergent to clean ponies? + how do I fix frizzy hair?

[SwirlyWhirly]

Yes, wash it out.

Will it harm the pony if left in?

[Sweet Daes]

Yes, wash it out.

Will it harm the pony if left in?

Depends on the products used. I recommend something nourishing, and lean more toward products for color-treated hair. Those products are meant to help maintain "false" and unnatural color, so the damage that general hair products could do over time is significantly minimized.

I would avoid anything cheap, like V05, White Rain and the like, though. Those products are cheap for a reason- the amount of chemicals could do damage over time to the nylon hair.

I lean toward Herbal Essences and Dove when it comes to staples. If you really wanted to be on the "safe side", get 100% natural conditioners made for color-treated hair (which is hard to find and can be pricey), skip shampooing, use general dish soap and hot water for the tough cleaning, and skip those 2-in-1s.

**Edit:
Hair U Wear Wash + Wear Moist Shampoo or similar (and conditioners) for wigs/synthetic hair is also a nice bet, but again, pricey.

[SwirlyWhirly]

I've used Tigi Bed Head conditioner on a few ponies, simply because it was what I had at home. Thanks for the tip about Herbal Essence and Dove. I'll pick up one of those conditioners the next time I'm at the grocery store.

[applejackbunny]

Yes, wash it out.

Will it harm the pony if left in?

Not sure, which is why I always wash it out. I also much prefer the hair to be as natural as possible and without sticky residue left behind. However, if you wish to take the advice of the others with regards to the products they have mentioned then go for it! I haven't used the ones they mention so I cannot advise on them. Good luck x

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I leave a bit of watered-down conditioner in, to set the style initially for the first 8 hours of drying, but then I gently rinse it out with cold water while the curlers and all are still in place.  after the pony is super super super dry a day or so later,  then I slowly re-assemble and pull out the curlers.  I have my pony cleaning station right above a heating vent in my house, but a fan directly pointed at the pony will also work.  I do NOT advise hair dryers to speed this process up... no need to heat up the vinyl if you don't need to! 

[Sweet Daes]

I've used Tigi Bed Head conditioner on a few ponies, simply because it was what I had at home. Thanks for the tip about Herbal Essence and Dove. I'll pick up one of those conditioners the next time I'm at the grocery store.

I use Herbal Essences Bio:Renew Sheer Moisture Cucumber & Green Tea Conditioner
Pics of the bottle:
https://i.imgur.com/A4dkWs7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/j4MpHkN.jpg

This is the best I have used that is within a decent price limit that works. From the trial-and-error of pitting different conditioners together, and some (limited- I am no chemist, haha!) online research, this works the best and is not as likely to break down the nylon over time (especially with sun exposure) than what the cheaper drugstore brands would.

I have no experience using anything by Bed Head so I couldn't tell you much about it.