I felt that my initial article about doll reroot resources was a bit inadequate. This is going to expand a bit on the subject as well as give a more comprehensive list of what types of hair you can use and where to get them.

The truth is, there aren’t very many suppliers that cater to customizers. There are only a few notable ones, DollyHair and RestoreDoll in particular, that cater to doll reroot needs.

Selecting Hair

Anything that is a string type fiber can be used for rerooting. You can find more alternatives and information about the differences from Roxibabe. I’m only listing the few that I’m familiar with.

Saran – Comes in thin strands – Somewhat resistant to curling – Can be boil permed – Can not be dyed with fabric dye – Available in regular, matte (opaque), “color change”, and precurled – Used by Obitsu, primarily by Mattel (Barbie/Monster High) and Tonner

Nylon – Easiest to style – Comes in thicker strands – Takes curls very easily that it can be straightened again if needed – Does not need to be boil permed – Can be dyed with fabric dye – Available in regular, vibrant, matte, brilliant, glow-in-the-dark, and precurled – Used primarily by Hasbro (My Little Ponies)



Acetate – Closely resembles human hair than any other types – If you are looking for “realism” pick this for your doll – Can be boil permed – Can be dyed with fabric dye

Mohair – Animal fur – Very light, fluffy – Not intended for brushing but can be fixed by careful, light styling – Can be dyed – Not recommended for beginners

Method

This is a list of methods that are known to me. If you know of any other way, please let me know in the comments below!

Method Head removal Ease Notes Reroot Tool The tension will keep the hair in place but if you want to make sure that it’s secure, you do need to remove the head in order to apply glue. Easy, fast – requires a reroot tool which can be fashioned from an Exacto Knife and needles– Requires glue to hold the hair in place as a security measure Lock and Loop yes Medium, can be problematic if you lose your place in Barbie sized dolls where you can’t see the inside – no glue required Needle and Thread (A variation on Lock and Loop using a thread to hold the hair in place) yes Medium, can be problematic if the thread breaks – no glue required Knot/Tension method yes Slow – hair is held in place by the knot but if you want to ensure security, add glue for good measure

Suppliers

If you know any others, please let me know in the comments below!

Supplier Stock Shop Shipping Communication Dolly Hair(USA) Nylon, Saran, Acetate, Polypropylene, Kanekalon, Mohair Also sells doll repaint tools and supplies – Huge selection of colors to choose from- Has tons of helpful information you need for doll rerooting – Recommended for hobbyists looking for small or specific amounts for reroot I have positive experience with Dolly Hair. I’ve been shopping at DollyHair since 2006.Order processing can be slow. Large orders get processed much faster but smaller orders can take about 1-2 weeks. Everything you need to know is on the website. The seller was very helpful the few times I have had to contact them for information or help. RestoreDoll(USA) Nylon, Saran, Flocking Also sells doll repaint tools and supplies – Huge selection of colors to choose from- Recommended for hobbyists looking for small or specific amounts for reroot I LOVE RestoreDolls. My only gripe is that the website could use some polishing. I’m not a fan of the way the website looks but if you can ignore that, it is very informative and has photos of the hair on various doll. – Extremely fast order processing and shipping. Orders get shipped either the day you order or the very next day. – Highly recommended for customizers, especially when you need the item asap. That’s just their regular shipping procedure. – Has additional shipping options which is another plus for customizers. It takes a bit of getting used to but everything you need to know is on the website. The seller was very helpful the few times I needed to contact them for information or help. RetroDolls(Europe) (USA) Etsy Nylon, Saran, Polypropylene, Kanekalon, Mohair – Carries alternative fibers that can be used for rerooting not available anywhere else – A good selection of colors to choose from – Usually sells in large formats only. Contact the seller for alternative amounts I LOVE RetroDolls! They offer a lot of attractive colors I’ve never seen in other shops before. Just like RestoreDoll, my gripe is how the website could use some polishing. Alternatively, they’ve just opened an Etsy shop which alleviates some of that gripe. – Fast. If you order from the website, it’s a little awkward. This might have improved since from my first experience. I felt a little confused by the lack of an order notification so I wasn’t sure if my order went through or not when I ordered from them the first time.- The prices are relatively good compared to DollyHair and RestoreDoll, especially in the amounts offered. – Seller is extremely accommodating. Anything you need to know, any special instructions or custom orders, they are taken care of very promptly. If you need something customized, this is what RetroDolls has in spades. RetroDolls could benefit more if there was a way to automate custom orders.

Alternative suppliers found through research on the web! If you know anything about them, please let me know in the comments!

My Little Customs (Europe) – Sells Nylon, Polypropylene, and Saran. Carries doll customizing tools and supplies. Looks like a European alternative to DollyHair.

– Sells Nylon, Polypropylene, and Saran. Carries doll customizing tools and supplies. Looks like a European alternative to DollyHair. Debi255 (Ebay) – Caters to Baby Reborn customizers. Carries a few selections of Saran and reroot tools.

– Caters to Baby Reborn customizers. Carries a few selections of Saran and reroot tools. Parabox (Japan) – The shop creates Obitsu dolls. I have nothing but good experience ordering from them and it turns out that they carry Saran too. It’s the same kind of material they use for their default doll heads which might be limited in selection, but are high quality. They only sell in small formats enough for a 1/6th scale Obitsu head which is the equivalent of a Barbie head.

– The shop creates Obitsu dolls. I have nothing but good experience ordering from them and it turns out that they carry Saran too. It’s the same kind of material they use for their default doll heads which might be limited in selection, but are high quality. They only sell in small formats enough for a 1/6th scale Obitsu head which is the equivalent of a Barbie head. Dollmore – BJD company that sells Saran intended for Doll wigs.

– BJD company that sells Saran intended for Doll wigs. Rerootdoll (Australia) – Sells Saran, flocking and doll customizing supplies.

– Sells Saran, flocking and doll customizing supplies. Plasticpop (Germany) – Specializes in Obitsu custom parts, carries some Saran, and doll customizing supplies. The doll customizing supplies must be a recent addition. I’ve bought items from this shop before and had a good experience so they come highly recommended.

– Specializes in Obitsu custom parts, carries some Saran, and doll customizing supplies. The doll customizing supplies must be a recent addition. I’ve bought items from this shop before and had a good experience so they come highly recommended. Extreme-beauty (Ebay) – Specializes in people sized wigs and hair care so it might take a bit of browsing before you can find materials or supplies you can use for dolls.