The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: lochnessmomster on May 13, 2012, 06:07:18 AM
-
I have heard several recommendations for making your ponies' hair shiny and frizz-free. What are your best tips??
Thanks xx
:hope:
-
I use a TINY amount of armor-all, makes the hair very shiny
-
I use water, conditioner (cheap stuff I got at a dollar store, works fine), a comb and a flat iron with adjustable settings :) The flat iron (picked mine up for ~$7) won't work on everything though. Beware of clear tinsel and some Nirvanas, they don't take heat very well, and I don't think I'd go near a Perfume Puff or ponies with crimped hair with it either, but overall it works pretty well on most ponies.
-
Key word being condition.. I use conditioner! :D
I have been curious to try fabric softener because I know people have had success with that, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
-
I have tried fabric softner - it works pretty good on really dry hair but I haven't had too much more success with it than conditioner so hard to judge. I have flat ironed perfume puffs! It's great makes their hair so soft and silky. Not as ratty and poofy more like when it was brand new fresh out of the box.
-
@Ivy- That's good to know! I'd be afraid it'd melt the hair (different hair textures make me nervous with the flat iron :yikes: ).
But even just a bit of conditioner works wonders on dry, dull hair. :good: I've had little luck taming bad frizz with just conditioner though, but the flat iron is a miracle worker when frizz is involved :lovey:
-
Depends on how bad it is. Most of my ponies just get washed and then conditioned with the same conditioner I use on my own hair, and combed with a wide-tooth comb. Right now, the best I've found is a generic store-brand version of Pantene. If it's really bad, a flat iron helps, but I rarely do that because I'm not that good with it. Fabric softener or something like that should work too since it's not real hair.
-
I use baby shampoo to wash the hair [I know in case the shampoo gets in the ponies eyes of course! lol...in seriousness because its super mild but still an effective shampoo] and then fabric conditioner when I am straightening hair. In all honesty this system works for me and because of that I havent tried lots of other options.
One thing to remember when you are washing your ponies...try and prevent too much water getting inside the pony if you are washing without removing the head and likewise make sure no water gets to the root of the tail so that the tail washer cannot get wet.
-
I've flat ironed perfume puff hair as well - just don't do it if you're not sure it's what you want! It gives the hair a very different look.
visitors can't see pics , please register or login
Dainty Dahlia had a lot of flat iron treatment. Sweet suds just got a very quick run through.
-
This might sound silly, but when you say "flat iron," do you just mean a regular iron like you'd use on clothing? Also, do you iron when wet or dry.... directly on the hair, or protected with a piece of fabric?
Thanks :-)
Post Merge: May 13, 2012, 10:30:19 AM
I use a TINY amount of armor-all, makes the hair very shiny
Hmm.... I wonder if they have a UK equivalent?
-
I just use cold water and conditioner, nothing more. OH, and I use G1 combs or Barbie brushes (cause those things are common at yard sales and such) to brush the hair through. I love the smell of faint strawberry on clean ponies. :3
-
MLPfan, I know you keep recommending it, but I'm still very skeptical of using Armor-All or anything that bonds with the plastic. Plus, they're not supposed to be shiny, but I'd like to see pictures at some point.
And a flat-iron is for straightening hair, like a curling iron for curling hair.
-
MLPfan, I know you keep recommending it, but I'm still very skeptical of using Armor-All or anything that bonds with the plastic. Plus, they're not supposed to be shiny, but I'd like to see pictures at some point.
And a flat-iron is for straightening hair, like a curling iron for curling hair.
LOL, thanks. All I ever use for my hair is a blow dryer and occasionally a curling iron and hairspray. I am so uncool. ;-)
:nerdy:
So.... do you flat iron while still wet then? <<sighs>> I have soooo many ponies to wash.
-
Yeah, I don't use a flat iron either, which is probably why I'm so bad with it on ponies.
Do all of yours need it though? (and yes, it's used on wet pony hair usually). Conditioning alone can help if they're not too bad.
-
I would saw to only use it on wet hair as dry hair can burn easier. And remember to go fast don't let the iron sit or it can burn the hair.
-
I use a flat iron on damp pony hair with a low heat :) I practiced on baits first to find the right setting that wasn't too high for their hair. If I use it on a pricy pony I may dial the heat down even more just to be safe.
-
Yeah, I've had incredible luck with just water and conditioner. I let it sit for about five minutes, rinse it out, and then brush it when the hair is still slightly moist.
Then, when it dries, it looks really stringy and weird. I use my fingers to tease it out, and it fluffs up all nice, pretty, and smooth!
-
I've flat ironed perfume puff hair as well - just don't do it if you're not sure it's what you want! It gives the hair a very different look.
visitors can't see pics , please register or login
Dainty Dahlia had a lot of flat iron treatment. Sweet suds just got a very quick run through.
Ooo they look so pretty!! I just got a Dainty Dahlia in a monster thrift store haul that in serious need of some love. I think I'll try running the flat iron over her hair too. How large of a section do you do at a time?
Oh! And I've always just used a curling iron to defrizz. Same principle as a flat iron, make sure the hair is wet and has conditioner in it, reapply as necessary. Only do small sections at a time...like a tail will probably have 8 or more sections depending on how bad the frizz is. The more frizz, the more sections. Use a fine tooth comb to get the hairs to lay straight in between for the best results. But, with a curling iron, you need to be careful about how much pressure you're allowing to clamp down on the hair or it can cause crimps. I usually will ease into the pressure as I'm going down the hair if that makes sense.
Another thing, you can successfully smooth princess pony tinsel, but the iridescent tinsel of G3s, G4s, and pony brides will get all curly. I have some ideas of things I want to try, I just haven't had the time to experiment.
-
I use water, conditioner (cheap stuff I got at a dollar store, works fine), a comb and a flat iron with adjustable settings :) The flat iron (picked mine up for ~$7) won't work on everything though. Beware of clear tinsel and some Nirvanas, they don't take heat very well, and I don't think I'd go near a Perfume Puff or ponies with crimped hair with it either, but overall it works pretty well on most ponies.
I do this too. If the hair is only a little bad, but not too much, i leave conditioner in the hair for a day and then wash it out with water. :) any conditioner will do.
-
I use my straightener on dry pony hair and I've had better results than with the hair wet. Just don't risk using a straightener that doesn't have temperature settings since the default temperature will be way too hot and most likely melt the pony hair.
The only times I used the conditioner/straightener method it made it frizzier and melted it. I'm guessing it was up too high even though it was at the usual temperature I use it on for ponies, but I'm not sure the lower temperatures will do anything better. Time to test it out on a baity pony that's going to have a FBR anyways! :ninja:
-
I worked in pretty small sections on Dahlia, I think. It was so long ago, I don't really remember. It took a while. The more times you run over the hair the smoother it gets
-
You guys are all so awesome. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :-)
:hope:
-
I like using Dove dishwashing soap for hair. I've had absolutely wonderful results with washing their hair with a shower gel that has patchouli oil in it - amazingly shiny. I've actually got a pair of Butterscotches that were washed in each, one with the Dove and the other with the shower gel, and the difference is crazy.
For conditioner, I use the thick cream that comes with boxes of hair dye, and comb it out.
Another thing, you can successfully smooth princess pony tinsel, but the iridescent tinsel of G3s, G4s, and pony brides will get all curly. I have some ideas of things I want to try, I just haven't had the time to experiment.
Oooh... teach me your ways! I've got 3 Princesses sitting in a box because I absolutely hate their tinsel being all over the place.
-
I use a TINY amount of armor-all, makes the hair very shiny
After seeing what this has done to the plastic interior of my car when the former owner put armor-all on it, I cannot recommend this. The plastic has cracked and peeled itself apart and my car is only 6 years old.
I really think regular moisturizing conditioner is the way to go. Anything else can leave a residue in the hair and degrade it over time. Heat styling also damages it. So if you're going to flat iron, make sure you've tried everything else you can think of first.