Best hair products for ponies?

[Nemesis]

I’ve been going through my G1 collection and touching up some of their issues (surface grime, chipped symbols, etc.), and now I’m ready to tackle the hair. Some ponies have pretty bad frizz, others could just use some conditioner and a boil perm.

My question is: what products are known to have the best results with MLPs? I’ve heard baby shampoos/conditioners, but is there a particular brand that’s recommended? Are there certain ingredients that should be avoided? I also need advice on what kind of anti-frizz lotion to buy for use with a straightening iron...I’ve never tried that technique, and I’m a bit nervous. 

So, what products have worked for your pony needs? I’d love to hear your experiences, and they don’t have to be limited to just the issues I mentioned. Detangling? Styling? Softening?

[mewthemew]

That blue Dawn dish-soap seems to yield pretty nice results. I've also used an off-brand baby shampoo, but after getting a tip to use dish soap instead, I never went back.

[Safflower]

I've heard wig conditioner works wonders. It is made for synthetic hair after all! I haven't tried it myself, though.

[Kikwifluff]

My personal favorite is Pantene! I only buy the giant bottle when it’s on sale, though. 

[Nemesis]

That blue Dawn dish-soap seems to yield pretty nice results. I've also used an off-brand baby shampoo, but after getting a tip to use dish soap instead, I never went back.

I love Dawn Ultra for general cleaning of ponies/dolls—that stuff is amazing! I do worry about using it too much on the hair, though... Isn’t it rather drying?

[Nonnavlis]

I also use Pantene and have great results with it. Other shampoo doesn't seem to make the hair quite as soft and silky, though I've not tried baby shampoo specifically.

[Taffeta]

I use pantene as well - I actually have for years, largely by coincidence. I had some that was for my hair use originally, and it and my hair didn't get along, but I had some ponies who needed their hair doing so I decided to try it and see.

Unfortunately I use it so slowly that by the time the bottle ran out the type I was using is no longer on sale :/ I have a slightly different one which is good but not quite as effective. I wish manufacturers wouldn't change things up so much. I haven't found another shampoo that matches up to that one.

[kingluke]

I used regular human conditionor, which helped to untangle the hair, but not de-frizz it.

[Tulips]

In the past I used whatever hair conditioner I had in the shower. Now I'm trying fabric softener, after seeing many people recommend it, and it seems to get as good results - if not better. No particular brand, just the cheapest/best value.

[emily_katie]

I used my own shampoo designed for dry frizzy hair, but I mainly use that for cleaning and brightening, as it has very fine shimmer to it.
I would say that most human conditioner helps but its not designed for nylon hair  I would recommend soaking the hair after a good brush and clean in fabric conditioner, the type you use for clothes. It soften things up and makes your pony smell wonderful 

If that doesn't totally sort frizz, which it usually does I use a flat iron and a water/ fabric conditioner spray to straighten the hair. Do this with a lot of caution on the lowest heat setting you can as it can melt hair if too hot and the hair isn't wet enough! 

I spray the hair wet with my water/ fabric conditioner solution and then seperate into small strands, then go over once with my straightener on about 60'C.

Spoiler

Here is an example of a before and after from using this technique!

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It makes a vast improvement, but I would be lying if I said it makes your ponies totally frizz free! Nothing is perfect after all 

[Shaiyeh]

I agree with emily_katie's method, altho you can get good results with regular conditioner soaked in the hair while straight ironing, as well.
I'd stay away from lotion, tbh. (I'm guessing you're talking about hair lotion though, and not skin lotion?) again, like stated above, ponies have synthetic hair. I'd be careful around oils, as well, as oil and plastic don't mix awfully well over time.

Good luck!

[mewthemew]

I love Dawn Ultra for general cleaning of ponies/dolls—that stuff is amazing! I do worry about using it too much on the hair, though... Isn’t it rather drying?

I'm not sure, actually. It seemed to work well with everyone, except my G3 butterpop, who turned out slightly greasy. Maybe I didn't get all of the soap out.

[nessa16]

I've heard wig conditioner works wonders. It is made for synthetic hair after all! I haven't tried it myself, though.

Aren't a lot of the higher quality wigs made from real human hair?  I could be wrong but I thought people donated hair for that or something. 

I will need to try the fabric softener method.  May even give a go to the straight iron.  I actually got a travel one on clearance at TJMaxx after Christmas that does not get hot enough to work on my own hair.  Emily_katie Ringlets looks awesome, nice work!

Anyone have ideas as to the best brush/combs to use on pony hair?  I have used a human comb and the brushes that come with them and MH dolls but no matter what I feel like the hair is always frizzier than when I started.  I always start from the ends and work my way up, just like my own long hair but doesn't seem to make a difference.

[emily_katie]

I will need to try the fabric softener method.  May even give a go to the straight iron.  I actually got a travel one on clearance at TJMaxx after Christmas that does not get hot enough to work on my own hair.  Emily_katie Ringlets looks awesome, nice work!

Anyone have ideas as to the best brush/combs to use on pony hair?  I have used a human comb and the brushes that come with them and MH dolls but no matter what I feel like the hair is always frizzier than when I started.  I always start from the ends and work my way up, just like my own long hair but doesn't seem to make a difference.

Thank you very much I use a cheap comb I got for 10p at a supermarket it has a fine tooth end and a end with teeth more spread out, Definitely keep starting from the ends of the hair and working up! Do you de tangle the hair wet or dry? I as a rule wet hair, clean it with soap or shampoo and then go in with a conditioner to make it slippier and easier to de tangle. Once I finish the whole process and the hair is dry I don't tend to go in once again and brush their hair, maybe run my fingers through but that's about it

[Taffeta]

I'm probably allergic to fabric softener, I have a pretty bad reputation for clothes related chemicals and allergic reactions :/

I am not sure whether it's always necessary to go for the hardcore heat treatment etc. Sometimes they just need a wash, patience, and a careful comb out to get the same result. That Ringlets doesn't look too bad to me, just tangled. I've had several brush and grows in worse state than that and they came up really nicely just from patiently combing them out.

I just feel it's a good idea to hold off on the harder methods if there's a simpler non-invasive way of doing things. But then I also really like grooming out brush and grow hair

Hairspray seems to make hair go brittle. I think that's what it was but it might have been bubblebath or something else. In any case, anything that makes the hair strands go hard or stick together you run a risk of the mane breaking. I had a complete set of (probably MO) Collector Ponies that this had happened to. They came to me in an ebay lot with their hair covered in this stuff. I managed to save most of them but Cotton Candy's hair is still a little crunchy and Butterscotch's hair is now brittle and is coming away from her mane. It's sad because she's so beautiful otherwise. She has to live by my sink so she can't get rubbed against by the other ponies.

In terms of combs, I tend to use the long-handled combs that the brush and grows came with (but I did break one of these on a pony's hair once, so I now only use them sparingly for small sections of hair at a time or for less knotted hair.) In terms of brushes I mostly use Sindy or Barbie brushes as pony ones mostly suck xD.Sometimes it can help to wet the brush before grooming to prevent it flying away and getting crazy. But obviously not on curly haired ponies...

Remember, let curl dry before grooming Hasbro said so

It's also good to get shape back into the hair by using fingers to comb around. Fingers are really useful, especially when dealing with factory curl.