Reborn doll hair: rooted mohair and painted hair

Hair is where a reborn baby either convinces you or does not — and it is also the part most often damaged by kindness. Brushing a reborn like a fashion doll will pull the hair out.

The two kinds of hair

Rooted mohair. Fine goat hair, drawn through the head a few strands at a time with a needle. It takes many hours, catches the light like newborn hair and can be styled very gently.

Painted hair. Layer upon layer of fine brushwork, often with individual strands painted at the hairline. It suits newborn looks, survives cuddling far better, and never sheds.

Neither is better. Rooted looks softest in the hand; painted lasts best with a child.

Caring for rooted mohair

• Brush with a soft baby brush or your fingers, from the ends upwards, never from the roots down.
• Do not tug a knot: hold the hair above it and work the knot loose.
• Wash rarely. If you must, dampen with cool water, use a drop of baby shampoo, blot with a towel and let it dry naturally.
• Never use heat: no hairdryers, straighteners or hot water.
• Sleep the baby on its back if you want to keep a style.

Some shedding is normal. Heavy shedding usually means brushing from the roots or washing too often.

Caring for painted hair

• Wipe with a soft, damp cloth, exactly as you would the rest of the painted skin.
• No solvents, no baby wipes, no polishing.
• Hats and headbands are fine; just avoid tight elastic left on for weeks.

Headbands, hats and bows

Both kinds of hair are happiest under soft, loose accessories. Tight elastic leaves a permanent dent in mohair and can rub painted hairlines at the temples.

Which to choose

If the baby is for an adult or a collection, rooted mohair rewards the care. If it is a gift for a child, painted hair will forgive far more — see ages and safety. Each listing in our nursery says which the baby has.