This guy arrived at our atelier with damaged hair. No matter how hard I tried to restore it and save the original style, the remnants of a bad haircut were still far too noticeable. Ultimately, it became clear: instead of endlessly fixing the old, it was better to give him a completely new hairstyle.
And so began the rerooting process for his vinyl head.
Step by Step: From First Strand to Full Volume
The preparation was thorough: selecting rich dark-brown hair strands to match his look and crafting a specialized tool, a DIY fork-shaped rooting needle.
The early photos capture the process in detail:
- The Rooting Begins: The doll’s head is filled gradually, strand by strand. At first, there is very little hair, and it sticks out in all directions from the plug holes.
- Work in Progress: Photos from the back and sides show the hair density building up. At this stage, the strands stick out chaotically, making the doll look a bit like a hedgehog, but a thick, full volume is already clearly forming.
- Initial Tie-Back: Once the entire scalp was fully rooted, the long strands were pulled back into a ponytail to inspect the coverage and prepare the hair for styling.
Styling & Workbench Hacks
Once all the strands were in place, the most interesting part began, taming the new hair and shaping the final hairstyle. Because the fresh fibers were quite puffy and flared out, a little workshop trick was needed:
- A Technical Fix: To press the new hair down flat against the head and set the direction, I used a simple child’s sock. In the photos, it looks like a funny little beanie, but it’s purely a functional technique to tame the roots before further styling.
- Experimenting with Length: We tried out a long, flowing look with hair gently resting on his shoulders.
- The Final Cut: In the end, we decided on a shorter, volumetric bob-style cut. The final photos show how the trimmed and styled hair softly frames his face on both sides, bringing out his sharp facial features and defined brows.
And that’s the story of his makeover. What started as an attempt to save a ruined haircut turned into a complete transformation. The best part of rerooting is that this time, the length, shape, and overall style could be chosen entirely freely, creating the exact look that suits this guy best.