I received two emails asking what I did to get the hair so straight. Hope this helps.

I put about 3/4 cup or so (maybe a cup, not sure look in the picture) of softener (I have used downy and snuggles both work) in a small zip lock bag. I just find this easier. I put the head in the bag and squeeze the bag to make sure the softener gets all over the hair. But being careful not to squeeze some out on either the eyes or the back of the neck. Don?t want the strings or cloth body to get any softener on them. I kind of work my fingers around to make sure the softener gets on the bangs.

The dolls sit in the tub upside down for a day or so. I think I left Samantha and Kirsten in the softener for two days. A few times a day I squeeze the bag to make sure that the softener is everywhere. You will be surprised how little you will pour out of the bag when you take the doll out. After I take the doll out of the bag I pour the little bit left in the bag onto the bangs again being really careful not to get any in the eyes. Then I rinse and rinse and rinse. I figure there is a lot in the material of the wig so try to make sure that is really rinsed well. Then I shampoo with my shampoo nothing special and again rinsing well.

Just like in the picture the hair looks much better, and now while it is wet, I brush it out. About a ? inch at a time. I follow the rings on the wig. (Or try to.) I do the sides and top of the wig then turn the doll over and to the back. This takes a lot of time. This is when you will see all the broken hair. Luckily when it brakes it still lays flat and does not stick out.

Then I just air dry. As you see in the pictures I just hang them over the tub.

When the wigs are dry, not just the hair, they are ready for the next step.

I use a hair straighter that I got at Target. It cost about $15.00. I use it on setting 1 for the first straighten and then turn it to 2 for the second go around. Samantha's hair was not as dry as Kristen?s so I did the first go around of straightening without the shine product. I use Pantene smooth and shine anti fizz serum. I am sure any shine prouct will work. But with Kristen her hair was so dry I added about a ? teaspoon to my hand and rubbed them together and worked it through out her hair before I did anything to her. You may think the hair will become oily, but the hair just soaks this stuff up. (I don?t know if you saw the listing for the girl that asked about hair problems, but I added this so you would know I have done this before. Molly was my tester girl (sorry about the soap box),

My very special Molly (in the thumbnail) came to me in very sad shape.
I bought a white Molly on eBay. The seller made a mistake and mailed me the wrong doll. She mailed my Molly to another buyer (I got her Kirsten.) This other buyer that got my Molly, when asked to mail back to seller, switched dolls. (Don?t you just love people without any consonance?) The Molly I bought on eBay was nude so you could tell she had no stains on her white body, her hair was in good condition and she had very long flat neck strings. The Molly I finally got had many problems. One her hair was a mess. Just trying to brush it would break the hair. (This was my first PM doll.) She has stains on her body that will not wash out. (I tried.) She also had round neck strings that had been trimmed a bit.
I contacted the seller but she said she had not switched the dolls and took herself out of it. I guess I could have returned Molly to her but at this point I really was getting attached to the doll. So instead I sent the Molly doll stealer a rather stern letter. Just to let her know that the seller and I knew that she had done. Some people are so unethical that they would steal a doll. Oh well.
Well I now had this kind of sad nude Molly. But I did notice that her face was different then the other Molly I now had. (By now I had gotten another PM Molly on eBay.) I just fell in love with this sweet Molly. I talked to an eBay seller that fixes up dolls and resells them on eBay. She was so very nice and gave me directions on how she takes care of them. So my first project was Molly. I had her sit in downy for at least two days. I did everything I had done to Samantha and Kirsten, plus I took her head off and tried to get the stains out of her body. Well the stains would not come out but with a few days of air drying both body and hair were dry. I added shine produce (lots of it.) The hair was so dry that it just soaked it up.
Molly?s hair is very thin in back. But it looks so pretty hanging down. It is a soft color brown and now it is also very soft and easy to brush. So, what started out as a sad story has a very happy ending. Even thought I have another white Molly that is perfect. My first Molly will always be very special to me. Hence I get to share her with all of you each time I post.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">This molly doll, I kept adding more and more shine product to her hair. I would let her sit and then add more. The poor girl really needed it. You may think her hair is oily but it is not. You just add a bit at a time.

Kk back to the hair. The first straighten with or without shine product you chose, works both ways. When I am putting the shine product on I put a cape on the dolls. I don?t want any of this to spill or stain the cloth bodies. It is really very fine oil. I start with 1/4 teaspoon. Then add a bit more to the ends. After the second straightening if needed I add more. A pump at a time. Each time I rub my hands together and work the shine product into the hair. If you think you have put too much on, just leave the doll alone for a day, the hair will soak it up. Remember just add a pump at a time working it in each time.

I work again with the rings of the wig about a ? inch piece of hair. I brush the small bit of hair making sure that the ends are as straight as I can brush them. I run the straighter down starting at the head to the ends of the hair as smoothly as I can. Not stopping. I do this a few times. I hold the doll between my legs. But I was thinking that the doll stand may work for this.

When the whole head is done, I then work the shine product into the hair. (Or more if you have already use it. On Kristen I did add it twice.) I then go through the hair again but this time I have turned up the heat a bit to the 2nd of 10 settings. Again working smoothly and with small bits of hair which I have brushed first. Watch the ends sometimes they take extra work.

As in the pictures now the hair is very smooth and lies flat down there backs.

I use electric curlers. But I know some use curling Irons or the AG curlers. I use traveling electric curlers they do not get as hot. It was easy with Samantha I wanted two different size curlers, but with Kirsten?s I wanted to just use the larger curlers and had to do 5 curlers and then reheat and do the rest of her head. I brushed Kirsten?s hair, not wanting to much curl for her. With Samantha, I did not brush her hair. I just kind of played with it. Like my hair dresser does. I hope I have not left anything out. If you have any more questions please just ask. [img]redface.gif[/img] )

It is so rewarding to see the difference in the dolls. If you are worried about the softener you could just skip that step. But for me if the doll?s hair is a mess and u can?t fix it for fear of wrecking it. Then send the doll to AG and get a new wig. I don?t know if the softener does or does not coat the hair and what that may mean to the hair if it does coat it. But I would rather the dolls have soft shiny hair then a rats nest.

Good luck. I am sure your doll will be just lovely.

Oh I use a good brand of face soap for the arms and legs. It is made to get make up off. So will get through the oils of years of little hands and the dust of just sitting around but will not hurt the paint on the face.

I am going to be gone for a week. So I will not be able to get to a computer till I get back. Happy week to you all.