Sandy asked: How do I clean Barbie hair? My three year old has a way of destroying her Barbie’s hair. I tried to clean one with soap and water, and it became worse. Our hair conditioner…failed. Any tips or tricks for Barbie hair? Thanks!
Table of Contents:
Barbie hair can quickly become dried and tangled if not cared for properly. Whether it’s a collector’s item or a child’s toy, the hair should be cleaned carefully to keep it moisturized and beautiful. Here are the steps to clean the hair without turning it into a frizzy mess.
You Will Need:
- Gentle shampoo (baby shampoo works well)
- Conditioner
- Comb
- Water
- Towels or washcloths
- Leave-in conditioner spray
Steps to Clean Barbie Hair:
- It is helpful to begin with a good combing to remove any snags or tangles in the hair.
- Work from the bottom to the roots to comb out tangles and remove any loose debris from the hair.
- In order to keep Barbie’s hair looking smooth and soft, it needs lots of conditioning. Start by applying a conditioner to the hair. Allow it to set on the hair for several minutes.
- Rinse the conditioner out under running water.
- Pat dry by wrapping the hair in a towel or washcloth and squeezing gently.
- Next, apply a small amount of gentle shampoo to the hair.
- Work the shampoo into the hair to remove any dirt.
- Rinse with running water.
- Another round of conditioner will help to restore any moisture that was taken out by the shampoo. Work a good amount of conditioner into the doll’s hair and allow it to set for several minutes.
- Rinse under running water and pat dry as before.
- Spray a leave-in conditioner on Barbie’s hair to keep it from drying out.
- Comb the hair to remove any tangles and allow it to air dry. If you would like to style the hair, it is best to do while wet so it will dry in the desired style. Braids can be added to produce waves or doll rollers can be used to make curls.
Additional Tips and Advice
- The hair on Barbie dolls will come loose if too much pressure is applied. Comb through it gently to avoid pulling any strands loose from her head.
- Storing the doll in a case or holder when not in use will help to minimize the amount of dirt and dust that gets in her hair.
- To keep hair under control, consider keeping it in braids or pulled back in a ponytail.
- Do not use laundry products such as detergents or fabric softeners on the hair. It is best to use baby shampoo and regular conditioning products.
Believe it or not, you can use a curling iron to fix the hair. When my daughter was little, her Barbie dolls’ hair would end up matted and just awful looking. Comb the hair out as best as you can, and then use the smallest barrel-size curling you can find. Place a section of the hair (starting from the scalp) into the curling iron (do NOT wrap the hair around the barrel) and then quickly run the iron down to the ends. The heat will smooth the hair out beautifully.
Clean the hair with only water or baby shampoo if there is something in it. Any harsh detergents will be damaging to the hair. Comb and let dry, remembering that how it lays is how it is going to dry (so if there are bumps or anything those will show after it dries). To restore the appearance and softness of the hair, the best thing I have found is to use oil. Silk Infusion by CHI, or Super Skinny Serum by Paul Mitchell if you want “actual hair products”, or what I do: Just use PAM cooking spray or olive oil. Comb that through the hair, leave it in for a while, and you can rinse it out if you don’t like the oily look of the hair. I Just leave it in, since my kids are hard on their Barbies. It absorbs into the hair in a couple days. Regarding the above comment: you need to be very careful applying heat to the Barbies hair. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it at all. Barbie’s hair is synthetic, so you can easily fry the hair if you have too much heat, or do not work quick enough, and even if you do this quickly, over time the heat will permanently damage the hair beyond repair.