Pics of washed and saved factory curl?

[Elisto]

Despite all the claims I've heard of people washing factory curl without ruining it, I seem incapable of doing this successfully myself, even though I've followed their directions. I'm beginning to think those who've said they've saved it have a very different definition of "still has factory curl" than I do.

So before I ruin any more, please show me pictures! Tomorrow (when it's dry), I'll show pictures of my latest failed attempt, so maybe someone can point out what I'm doing wrong.

[achab1984]

I have never had any luck either, I am with you and want to see to

[Marlin]

Mmm... it's a tricky business.... I don't think I have completely mastered it, but my two most recent (factory curl) washes were both ponies whose curls had seriously tangled. I think it was during that de-tangling process that I lost a little bit, but for most part they were happily preserved 

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ooh... quick edit... here are a couple of childhood ponies who I vigorously washed and curl was preserved 

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[hathorcat]

To be honest I have never washed and kept the curl completely - I have spritzed the hair with a demister bottle and used a metal tangle comb to tease it to being a bit fresher but a good old wash and restore no I haven't ever managed that. I have had the curl come back most of the way or some of the way or nothing at all but never as tight and naturally as the original.

I can't wait to here the tips.

[FantasticFirefly]

You know, I have a batch here needing spa treatment, with varying degrees of "curl" left in their hair too, and different types of curl. I'll edit and add pictures to this post when I'm done with those.

1) Some I just wash or rinse the hair, leave the body unwashed -so softs with pristine flocking -dirty hair, I wash. Perfect but slightly dusty curls you can sometimes get away with just rinsing the dust out gently.

2) I don't just squirt conditioner, or the soap directly onto hair. I mix it with h2o first to dilute it so you don't need to rinse vigorously to get it out.

3) If I wash the entire pony and it has curly hair, I leave the hair dry at first, and wet/clean the body only. Wet hair will fall.

4) Once that is done I wash the hair over GENTLY running water so as to not pull the curls looser. I always keep a hand under to support the hair, and have a clean towel handy (with a plastic tray under to move the entire thing later) to lay the pony down on her side once she's out of the sink. if you stand her with heavy wet hair, the curls can relax/ or fall out from the extra weight!

5) I also have a dry facecloth sized towel beside the sink, to blot up the water from her hair. I do this while she's resting on the towel. If the hair was once played with, previously brushes, or very tangled/messy, after blotting the excess water this is when I comb with either a wide tooth metal comb, or wire slicker. the hair may not have much curl at this point, but be sorta wavy. all I do is see where the hair wants to bend, and now that it's tangle free, push the sections back with my fingers. (Unsure? Find a picture of that pony MOC it usually shows where the hair bends and curls. ) (if you have rough hands/nails this is harder as pieces of hair will be catching on your nails or hands, making tangles.)

6) If the hair has perfect curls, gently, very gently, use your towel to blot up some of the excess water. I do not brush, or comb at all.

Now I move them into my drying area and place them on another clean/dry towel. Once the hair is mostly dry, I stand them up and let them dry out the rest of the way.

*edit to add* Three I've cleaned. The sunday bests got a full cleaning, the so soft only had her hair washed when I got her- it was dusty! Before of Swirly on the right.
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[Crowning_Glory13]

I can get picks of a finished product but not a before. *I will get the picks as soon as I can*

I did my childhood Ringlet(rainbow Curl) and a Rummage sale Molasses Both had their curls well in tacked. (I took very good care of my Ringlet...till has a very nice pink tail as it was always away from any light....

Anyway. Even though the curls came out great...I would not claim factory curl on them....just doesn't seam right. I did wash the pony hair with some shampoo and conditioner...they were really dirty I dried them and took a plastic comb...I was really careful to make sure each curl was with it self. Like all the pink strands were with the pink curl. I then took the conditioner and put it on the main. I took a straw and followed the curl the best I could. Wraped the hair around the straw. I use a paper towel chunk to secure hairs around the straw and rubber band it...some times I would use tiny hair clips to keep it in place....I would let it sit for sometimes...I have left some for weeks before.... When I would wash the conditioner out I would leave the straws in. I would rinse a few times. to make sure I got it out. I would then leave the straws in until they were dry. I have waited weeks to a month for this(mostly due to the amount of time I get to play with ponies:)

I will get you pictures. I was able to G1 Molasses G1 Ringlet and the really curly hair G3 over the summer:) I think its name is precious Gem?

[little.fox]

Marlin- those are some stunning results!

I wish I could do that to pony hair!

[Endocat]

Great results Marlin!!!   

[cyanide]

what i used to do to keep factory curls was to carefully wash the hair in my hand ,samtimes as i squeeze it in the "line" of the curls if that makes sense?
The trick is to try not to let the hair hang free or loose while washing it, but to keep it together in your hand and squeeze the schampoo and conditioner out with running water.
after its washed, rub it gently in a towel then when its a bit less wet, you again squeeze it and press it towards the ponys neck/head and it will re-shape itself(most of the time) , just try to follow the curls shape when you press it against the neck/head , then you lay it down the side and preferably something against the hair so to speak, so that it stays in place. Or ou could also wrap something around the neck to keep it in place

Gah, i hope this makes sense, so hard to explain in english <.< i could put up a tutorial if someone needs =)

[Marlin]

Aw, thanks you guys for the nice feedback 

4) Once that is done I wash the hair over GENTLY running water so as to not pull the curls looser. I always keep a hand under to support the hair, and have a clean towel handy (with a plastic tray under to move the entire thing later) to lay the pony down on her side once she's out of the sink. if you stand her with heavy wet hair, the curls can relax/ or fall out from the extra weight!

Ahhh.... I think that's where I might have gone wrong with Italy Bowtie.... I think I remember standing her up to dry... she still has really nice curls in her mane at the back but they are a bit hard to see in the pic. But yeah, you can see her hair has lengthened out.  I spent such a long time de-tangling that mane! I still think she's pretty 

Also... I think another tip I just learned - I read in a thread somewhere yesterday - several people mentioned combing factory curls from the ends up? I might try that next time! (I usually start from the top of the mane or base of the tail!)

[FantasticFirefly]

Your Bowtie still looks beautiful.
I came up with my method through trail and error. Seeing as I only ever got a small handful of ponies new, the rest were from yardsales and thrifts- I've been doing "pony salon" since I was about 5. So I've had quite a while to refine my technique. lol

Oh gosh marlin, I didn't even mention that- yes, I always start and the ends and work towards the root when I comb, or brush.

[Elisto]

Firefly, those ponies came out gorgeous!

Reading your process for cleaning, I think I've pretty much done all of that successfully; I think where I'm getting stuck is getting the messy frizz under control.

Here's my latest (Not a pony, but close enough I hope). It doesn't look as bad as I thought now that it's dry, but there's still some issues. The hair has all been washed and her curls were retained. The top and the section on the right in the first photo and left in the second (the the doll's left side) has been combed with a wide-toothed comb, one curl at a time. I was able to partially reshape the curls, but what had been 2 curls somehow became 4; I just couldn't get them to stay together. Also, the part I combed somehow doesn't look to frizzy in the photo, but it still is.
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I guess maybe I just need to practice more? This one is still better than previous ones I've tried, where the "curls" ended up just looking stringy.

[FantasticFirefly]

You can try misting a section lightly with water then shaping curls. I've done that with some unruly ones after they're washed and dry.

[FairyDust]

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[Crowning_Glory13]

Finally I got pictures for you....I have only after because I didnt think it would work.
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Childhood Ringlet - I washed and followed her curls with conditioner and a straw. Washed with straws still in. Wetted after a week and then left to dry for a few weeks then left out.
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I think I might have given her too many curls.
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The tail was the harder part as all her curls we almost brushed out.