Hair Diary: Chavonne's Curls...update

A few years ago I received a message requesting if I could share my knowledge on how to restore the lost curls from Journey Girl Chavonne's hair.  I was lost for words.  My knowledge of curly hair is that you don't comb these doll's hair else lose their curl pattern.  The last wash 'n go was done back in April. 

One of five active Chavonne model's, that I affectionately call Cinnamon (Cinna for short) has a very interesting root of hair that I have struggled to soften. I treat it as her own unique personality and keep it in a high tight bun. Her hair is not displayed big and loose, else I would have to wash it weekly. She typically models athletic wear and often maintains a natural high head puff of curls.

While prepping her for her photo shoot, I decided to give her wash 'n go to freshen up her . I want her to look her to come with her best camera ready look.  As usual, hot water wetting to moisten, then shampoo, and the final conditioning treatment before styling. 

This time around, I added to the conditioner treatment, a little drop of avocado oil mixed with a drop of lavender oil. I did not get excited for the results because I know Cinna's hair.  It is dry and that is what I come to expect of it.

Before rinsing out the conditioner treatment, I borrowed Noelle's brush and did what would ordinarily be the unthinkable on a curly...I brushed through some of the curls. Nothing really could hurt her hair and if it failed, I was prepared to give her straw set.

The curls sprung right back into form.  Wow!!!

I then rinsed the conditioner treatment, t-shirt dried Cinna's hair, brushed the perimeter and pulled it into her signature high puff.  While it was still wet, I borrowed Noelle's brush again and began to give the curls a little untangle action!

They sprung right back to form!  Okay wait a minute.  I was told that if you brush the hair, comb it, the curls would flatten.  Not so!

Two conclusions...first, repeat for future washes the lavender-avocado oil treatment.  And second, there is no truth to the notion that combs are deadly to curly's.  In my expert opinion, curls go flat due to flat irons or some heat appliance to give her a straight look.

Cinna's hair is not completely dry, but I expect its texture to be softer after this treatment.

Tell me again TRU, why did you discontinue the curly Chavonne?  Heat appliances are not the prescription to styling doll hair at all.   

Journey Girl Chavonne: Curly Girl Hair Care

As you well know I currently style five Chavonne dolls.  The most recent arrival has the most soft curls.  They take well to a gentle shampoo and light oil.  It just does not get any better than to have curly's that do not require a lot of maintenance and style.

Now, the previous four are sort of a mixed bag of tricks.  Let me tell you what that means.  They each have a unique cut to give them their own identity.  But the hair of this lot appears to have been a trial to see what works, what lasted, and what drew criticism.  In other words, the simple hair care routine that I started with only lasts a short while.  The hair is very dry, almost brittle.

By trial and error I decided to add something a little different and it worked like magic.  The results you will see in a later post "Satin, Ribbons, and Lace" a feature on lingerie.

For now I share the simple products of nothing really special, just beauty staples that kind of reached their mileage for me.  I gladly conserve them now to take care of the dolls coifs.

First, combs and brushes are prohibited here.  They are not recommended for use on Curly Dolls as they ruin the curl pattern.  It is best to avoid them at all cost so that you are not saddened by the result.

Before you wash your dolls hair, protect the eyes and the soft cloth body.  I cover the eyes to prevent rusting with cotton balls taped down to prevent water from entering the eye sockets.  I wrap the doll in a white shirt and pin it to keep it close to the body.

Next, saturate the hair under warm to hot water.  Apply a quarter size drop of shampoo.  Cleanse all product from the hair thoroughly.  Rinse with warm to cool water to remove all traces of shampoo.

Now it is time for the bonus!  Squeeze about a quarter size of cleansing conditioner into your hand.  Rub hands together and massage into doll hair, saturating each curl.  You want to make sure that the frizzy ends get a lot of attention because this is where the problem of matting takes shape.

After about five minutes, thoroughly rinse with warm to cool water.  Blot excess water with a t-shirt.  Squeeze about a quarter size of oil into your hand.  Rub palms together.  Apply oil to hair.  Do not over do it.

Allow hair to dry naturally without heat.  Curls will be soft and light.  Stay tuned for the "Satin, Ribbons, and Lace" photo shoot to see the results!