Hair Rooting Q & A

[DEStokes]

I want to root my CaMs.  I know about the hard head versus the soft head.  I know about the knot method and the rooting tool method.

My biggest question is about putting the holes in their heads.  Is there a better method for poking the holes in the soft head?  Is there a better method for figuring out the hairline? 

My other question is about buying hair.  I have visited Dolly Hair and My Little Custom and even though they have the same color name, their colors look different.  Anyone that has ordered from either of them, do your colors look like the photo on the website?

Thanks everybody

[faunabay]

I've ordered some nylon hair from dollyhair and it isn't very close to the color the website showed.  But I don't know how they could be exact as everyone has a bit of a different color setting for each computer.  So.....    I just used my best judgement and ordered.  I do really like what I got though so all's well here.  Other than I haven't tried my first reroot yet.      I'm trying to figure out which reroot tool to use.  I've heard good and bad things about each tool.  I'll probably just jump in, get one and see how I like it myself.

[DEStokes]

Thanks faunabay! 

I bought a rooting tool on eBay because I read it was the fastest way.  I worry that I'll accidentally pull hair loose while I continue working or that the glue when I'm finished may not touch every hair and some might come out.

I'm now thinking about the needle and thread way, where you thread each new piece of hair through the previous one to secure it.  I know it looks like it will take much longer, but it's more of a guarantee that all that work will stay.

[keylimepony]

I really love this method a lot more than the knot method. I feel like I've been working faster and stabbing myself with the needle a lot less.

http://www.brutalsunstudio.com/reroot.htm

[DEStokes]

I really love this method a lot more than the knot method. I feel like I've been working faster and stabbing myself with the needle a lot less.

http://www.brutalsunstudio.com/reroot.htm

That's the one I'm talking about!  I thought it looked so cool.  Now I just need to know how to make all the holes and trace out the hairline.

[faunabay]

That does look really interesting.  hmmmm...... 

[Angelkitty21]

I've heard of replacing the hard cap with donor vinyl from another doll (any doll) and gluing or sewing in place (use liquid fusion if you're gluing, that stuff is amazing when 100% cured-I got it at Michaels in the glue aisle)

[DEStokes]

Cut apart the head of another doll?  *faints*

I actually saw on a website were someone sells a piece to replace the hard cap.  I'm a little lucky in that about a 3rd of my CaMs have soft heads.  I am going to practice first on a head I have a duplicate of before I start on any important ones.
http://retrodollsus.weebly.com/rooting-tools-and-supplies.html

I'm still nervous about marking out a hairline and then punching all the little holes.  Does anyone have any tips for that?

[faunabay]

I saw this youtube video yesterday.  She shows the way she fills the CAM hard cap hole.  I havent' tried it but looks semi-easy.   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oGki5Ga_r0

[BarbedDragon]

I used to use the thread/wire method when I started. I'm very glad I switched over to the rooting tool, particularly with MH dolls because they have a LOT more hair than MLP and it does take a long time even with the tool. I couldn't even imagine doing it any other way. As long as you are rooting with enough hair you shouldn't have to worry about rooting coming out even with the tool method. It's pretty secure even without glue---I always apply fabritac glue just in case because it does make them brushable and you can do a boil perm without being afraid hair might come out then.

I also use the replacement caps from retrodolls. Secure with fabri-tac. You can poke the holes before you put them on if ti makes you more comfortable, but not really necessary.

Most tools will come with an extra poking tool, or you can make your own with a larger needle end or a push pin ( I used to use these when I started) I promise I'm not trying to sway you just because I sell tools----I REALLY think this is the fastest, easiest, and best way to root---I would't go back if someone paid me. An example I use is--Wire and needle/thread---took about 4 full hours to root a MLP. Now I can do it with a tool in about 1.5 hours or less. It takes me about 2-3 to fully root a MH with a tool---this is why I don't even want to try another method.

As long as you secure your hair with a flexible glue (again I use fabri-tac) it is just as secure if not more so that the knotted thread method. You will always have slight hair loss with either method (Just like you do with factory MH and MLP) but it's really negligible.

[DEStokes]

I bought my rooting tool from you on eBay, the silver one.   

It doesn't certainly seem to be the faster way.  I'm very happy to hear it takes you 2-3 hours to do a MH doll, although I am sure you're a pro at this. 

If you wouldn't mind letting me pick your brain a moment...  I was planning to buy the 38" hanks and I only want my doll's hair to be at about the hem of her skirt.  To give a CaM the amount of hair the average MH doll has, how much should I order?  Or would you recommend the long Barbie hank or long Gene hank?

Thanks so much for replying with so much information.

Thanks to everyone else as well.

[faunabay]

If you wouldn't mind letting me pick your brain a moment...  I was planning to buy the 38" hanks and I only want my doll's hair to be at about the hem of her skirt.  To give a CaM the amount of hair the average MH doll has, how much should I order?  Or would you recommend the long Barbie hank or long Gene hank?

I'm curious to hear what she has to say about this too.  But what I've done is ordered the MLP length hair then plan on trimming it to the length I want. 

I bought my rooting tool from you on eBay, the silver one.   

Me too!   

[Angelkitty21]

I was planning to buy the 38" hanks and I only want my doll's hair to be at about the hem of her skirt.  To give a CaM the amount of hair the average MH doll has, how much should I order?  Or would you recommend the long Barbie hank or long Gene hank?

I ordered a 38" hank and a back up mlp hank for some of my customs, I cut the 38" one into 4 parts, and it looks to be enough (it's about butt length on a Nefera doll, not sure if that's the same length you're talking about). I'm not done rehairing yet,so I don't know if just the 38" one will do it. FYI I'm using the reroot tool method

[cleverLC]

I tried the knot-and-rerooting-tool method, and it isn't much slower than stright-up rerooting.

[BarbedDragon]

I bought my rooting tool from you on eBay, the silver one.   

It doesn't certainly seem to be the faster way.  I'm very happy to hear it takes you 2-3 hours to do a MH doll, although I am sure you're a pro at this. 

If you wouldn't mind letting me pick your brain a moment...  I was planning to buy the 38" hanks and I only want my doll's hair to be at about the hem of her skirt.  To give a CaM the amount of hair the average MH doll has, how much should I order?  Or would you recommend the long Barbie hank or long Gene hank.

Thank you so much <3 I guess what it comes down to with time was I was knotting each and every root in the center, which seemed to take forever, Then opening the root hole at the top and going back and forth. I would use a crochet hook to pull the wire on thread through the neck, then add the root the pull, and rinse and repeat. I found this personally more time consuming then the tool---I'm happy to try and give you tips and pointers to make it faster for you guys--not sure the exact method you are using with the tools.

As far as the hank sizes I only ever have used MLP sized skeins from dollyhair since I do both MLP and MH. It takes about 2 - 3 skeins with the size I root. Always order more than you need just in case. To give you an idea---if you ever wet down the nylon hair you may notice it will automatically go into tiny sections about the same size. This is what I use (ends up being doubled when rooted). The doll in my Avatar has almost ankle length hair and I used 3 skeins of MLP length for her.

I also do not root every hole depending on what style I am going for. With up do's and parts its more important to focus on making the parts and hairlines full, but the rest not so much. If you root more you'll end up with super thick hair that's very hard to style in the end.