Basic Doll Care

1. Dust isn't really a problem.

2. Humidity can cause the faceup to come off, or the sealant on it to gum up. Water can also damage elastic and you will need to restring the doll.

3. Find the mildest soap possible. Here in the U.S. we use things like Dawn, a dishwashing detergent.

4. It depends on the type and colour of resin. French resin yellows faster than regular resin. Beauty white resin yellows faster than normal skin resin. Some companies' resin yellows faster than others. If you are truly worried, drape your doll in a heavy cloth when you are not playing with it.

5. I don't understand your question, I don't think. You can use water to style wigs.

6. Again, that depends on you, your habits, what the doll is exposed to, and other things. Humidity can damage the MSC, so can skin oils. Some faceups can last years and years if handled properly.

7. Do you mean "sanding"?

8. Magic Eraser is not a true sanding tool.

9. Not that I'm aware of.

 

OpheliaB covered most of it for you, I'm pretty sure.
Since I'm fairly sure you mean "sanding", I'll add in what I've seen:

Sanding is optional on all dolls. One of the main reasons people sand is to remove the seam lines on their dolls from where the mold halves met. You may decide that the seam lines are not noticeable enough to bother you, and can leave them alone. It's a personal preference. Companies occasionally say to avoid sanding because it can cause differences in resin color (it may be lighter in color where you have sanded). This does not generally seem to be a problem in normal skin or white skin dolls unless they are older and their resin has yellowed. It is a problem in most tan and colored dolls.

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser does not sand. It takes off an extremely small amount of material, nowhere near the amount of material a piece of sandpaper would remove. Magic erasers are mainly used for spot treatments on places where dolls have stained. If the stain is very bad, sandpaper needs to be used.

 

Oh hey, I know you ^_^

For vinyl dolls like 60cm obitsu and dollfie dream, you need to be more careful about things than with resin dolls. Some tips:

-always use a base and a topcoat of sealant spray (testors dullcote, mr super clear)
-never use anything with oil in it on your doll (this includes oil based paints, pastels, as well as human makeup)Instead use chalk pastels, watercolor pencils, and acryllic paint
-acetone can melt/deform your doll (this is especially true with vinyl dolls)
-to clean your doll use mr clean magic erasers
-to remove faceup use mr clean magic erasers and acetone free nail polish remover on a q-tip (for the tough spots)
-dont use human gel in a doll wig, it doesnt work the same way as it would on human/animal hair and will just make your doll sticky
-when making clothes for your doll, prewash the fabric so it doesnt stain your doll. (if it's white or a really light color it wont)

That's all I can think of right now. Congrats on your first 60cm doll ^_^

 

Thanks! So I can use water to washe my wigs and adjust some rebel hairs? I think I will need do wash some now!!

For the artificial lamp... I read someone talks about some artificial lamp can accelerate the yallowing.. I wonder what type of lamp...

Thank you for helping me...

 

You should not need to literally wash your wigs that often. If you do, use COLD water. Hot water can warp a wig's style. For random styling of a wig, I put water on my fingers and smooth down the stray hairs.

 

idrisfynn- Thank you for moving the thread, still new so wasnt sure where to post ^^; should learn to read better i suppose ^^;

Nefla- hehe such a small little world ^^; Guessing it would be the same care for the 27cm i'm getting from you as well?

Also is there a number of times you can do face-ups or is it limited, i figured sometime i'd get a cheap head and try my hand at doing face-ups before i try on either of my girls, but figured i'd want to practice a bit and didnt know if you can only do it a few times or if its unlimited.

 

Lol, yeah the doll world at least ^_^ and you're right, it's the same care for a 27cm ^_^

You can do as many faceups as you want as long as you use the right materials. People generally get practice heads so they can improve their faceup skills without having to remove the faceup on their doll. (which they probably like) I also forgot to mention that you will want to get an acryllic gloss varnish to put on the lips/inner eyes after the faceup has been sealed.

 

A dumb question: what does seawater do to dolls? Will it harm the resin or the face ups?

I don't have the intention of taking my doll swimming or into the sea but I do wish to take her with me when I go on cruises. I'm afraid of the occasional splash of seawater that might get to my doll.

What can I do in this case?

 

Plenty of people have taken their dolls to the beach.

Use good sun protection, long sleeves, wide brimmed hat (that is tied on), and long pants. The clothes will pick up most of the sea water that way instead of the resin. A bath when you get home will take care of most of it.

I have seen photos of dolls that went on a cruise recently. I don't think it hurt them at all. Just make sure you have everything you need to fix your doll (ie superglue) in case something happens.

 

Hi everyone

I have recently purchased my fist BJD, a Volks Megu called Seraphina. I came across a few posts here suggesting that it's not a good idea to leave your doll standing on its own for too long. Is this because it puts a strain on the joints? I would like to know the best was to position my doll when she is being displayed so that it won't damage her. At the moment, she is sitting in a chair. Is this okay over a long period of time?

Many thanks in advance

 

Since you have a Megu that sounds like a pretty secure position for her to be left in. I usually have my dolls sitting in some position or other, often with their legs straight, but always supported and leaning back against something. It should be fine.

 

The reason most people don't leave their dolls standing is because they may fall down and get damaged Other positions you should avoid are kneeling or any other position that places a lot of strain on the elastic inside your doll, because afte a while of this, the elastic will become stretched and loosened. Sitting and lying down are fine

 

Hello again,

Thanks for the advice! So am I right in thinking seated, but not with the legs bent?

Please forgive all the questions, but I am new to BJDs and I'm trying to make sure that I am doing things right!

I have just bought a Volks Megu and my immediate reaction when I took her out of her box was feeling scared She seems so perfect and delicate that I'm actually quite apprehensive about playing with her. With my Blythes, I know exactly the level of 'play' they can withstand, but with my Megu, I am constantly worried that she will get scratched or dirty, or that she may even break.

I suppose that what I would like to know is how fragile are BJDs - are there things in terms of play that I should avoid doing? When I remove her wig, which I've secured with velcro, the cap of her head often lifts up and comes out of it's cradle - should I be careful of this?

I'm sure all these questions are very obvious to most of you here, but as a newbie, I just don't know the answers So if anyone has any advice, or has had experience of what NOT to do, any help would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

Don't worry, they are much sturdier than they look A lot of keeping them safe is fairly easy common sense stuff--don't leave them standing unattended (they could fall or get knocked over), don't display them in a sunny spot (will speed up yellowing), don't smoke around them (cigarette smoke yellows everything), and don't leave them in a hot car in the summer time (extreme heat isn't good for them either). Other wise, don't be afraid to handle your girl--they're made to be fussed with. I've done a lot with mine including taking them places, and they've held up really well.

Dirt will come off with a little soap and water on a washcloth (if you want to fully submerse your doll, you'll want to unstring her first. Wet elastic can get moldy and icky) or use a Magic eraser. I do avoid touching my guys' faceups, because I don't want the extra wear and tear of having to clean off the dirt and oil--but if you should touch it, it'll be sealed and won't just come off. You can also help secure her head cap by running a few pieces of masking tape along the edges to help hold it down.

 

They are delicate but sturdy enough for you to play with. Really, they aren't as fragile as you think they are and can withstand normal play as you would with Blythes. First time doll owners that have never handled a bjd before would probably be super paranoid so it's just a phase you're going through until you realize they aren't going to break if you touch them. haha Just don't do anything crazy like swing them by their legs. o_O

You say the head cap often comes loose. It probably is because the magnet isn't strong enough but it can be replaced to fix that problem.

I suck at explaining and giving advice but I hope this helped!

 

I don't have much to add- but take your time to get to know your girl by carrying her around the house and dress her, you'll soon find out how much play she can handle^^ It's prolly easiest for now to secure her head cap by using a little bit of masking tape, that will keep it in place ...oh and CONGRATS on getting your first BJD^^

 

When you first get a doll, are they supposed to be very tightly strung? Should I restring her or give her a few weeks to loosen up?

 

Legs bent are fine since it doesn't put as much strain on the elastic. If they're bent back really far then it will stretch it out more. I'd avoid it unless of course your doll is already pretty loose or you want to loosen the stringing.

 

Hmm..I use acetone on my CP when I go to redo his face up. haven't had any problems in 2 years.

 

Hi

I am from Singapore, am i have read both DOA and Singapore forum about doll care, i was wondering if anyone spray MSC on their doll (whole). No offence. Cos base on what i know MSC UV flat protects the doll from UV rays which will yellow the doll. So does spraying MSC on the doll (whole) slows the yellowing process?

Thanks! ^^

 

Having never owned a doll, I'm really quite concerned about this, particularly if the girl I wind up buying has any body blushing. Granted, I've seen photostories where owners have put their dolls out in the rain (!!!), but since I fully intend to cuddle and play with my dolls once I buy them, I want to know what to avoid!! Anybody out there solve this issue with a "permanent" faceup?

How easy is it to mess up/stain resin, now that I think about it?

And mods, please forgive me if this is in the wrong forum!

 

i'm probably not the one that should be answering this question
because i don't have any dolls yet
but they are on the way

there really isn't a way to make a face up permanent
you just have to be careful
if you take her out in the rain
you're supposed to unstring it so the elastic won't stay wet and rot
and ruin the doll
and you're supposed to dry the doll

you can find answers to your questions if you use the search engine on the forum
you might have to do some sifting
but you can find them pretty easy ^_^

 

This probably belongs in the Painting, Customizing and Esthetics Painting, Customizing and Esthetics. Not sure.

It's pretty easy to mess up a face up if its not sealed and coated right. Dirt, oil, scratches and unknown smudges can appear if you aren't to careful.

Cuddling or posing with them in pictures, wont do any harm at all. Try washing your hands before you touch them.

As for playing.

Try to make sure there surroundings are in a clean environment not near, sharp edges, foods, oils, dirt or very high up.

 

*takes notes*

Ookies! Thank you very much. ^.^ I worry about oil, because I have pretty oily skin, and I don't really want to have to wash my hands before I play with my dolls ALL the time... but if that is what I must do, then so be it.

 

I'm fairly sure the only way you can mess up a faceup is by constantly touching the doll's face, or if it falls or something. I've had to wash my doll's face before, and mild soap and water doesn't take the faceup off.

 

If the glued-on eyelashed are included in the "faceup", then I'd say that those can be very easy to mess up unless they are the short, natural type (which most companies do not seem fond of, lol). But aside from the eyelashes I find faceups to be quite durable and long lasting. My girl's former head that I kept (I upgraded her to a new skin tone!) has a not-that-great faceup by me that is 3+ years old and is in great shape. And my nearly three year old mini has his original faceup and it is like new! The trick is to just not touch the face-up, and try to avoid clothes that are a tight squeeze over the head (they can rub).

As for body blushing, I avoid it. It looks amazing, but unless you rarely "play" with your doll than it needs re-doing more often than a faceup would. There is so much of it to chip and rub and you can't just avoid touching the whole body! And I'm too lazy to deal with that kind of upkeep. XD

 

I've had my MSD for over 4 years and she had the same face up for most of that time. I recently redid it and sealed it and I'm sure it'll stay even better now that its sealed >_< It was just paint before, but I cuddled her all the time. As long as you aren't scrubbing and scratching the face all the time you should be fine. I dunno about body blushing though. Mine aren't so I've got no reference on that wear and tear heh. good luck!

 

On Tanal, my boy that gets the most cuddles and has a distinct habit of face-planting, most of the time I redo his face up because I want to improve it. He does have an all over recolouring (severe resin mismatch), and that tends to wear off on the tip of the nose and ears, but I haven't actually lost any of the detailing from his face, and Christopher seems to be really good about keeping his face nice as well. Gamrut, on the other hand, likes to snap his hands up and smack himself in the face, yielding blue marks on his hands and damage to the faceup. I really need to find some wire for him.

If it is sealed properly it can last quite well. Though body blushing can be a major dirt catcher...

 

Yep, if sealed well, a face up can last a long time. =] Just try to avoid touching it or bumping it hard into objects.

You can actually run a face up under water for a short time without it rubbing off *hears gasps of horror* lol. One time while I was about to remove a face up, I tried running the face under water to see how durable a face up was. If you don't rub it while running it under the water, there's practically no affect. =D A good thing to keep in mind if you have an accident like spilling something sticky on the face? xP

 

I don't think it's that easy to ruin a face-up. They should be sealed and unless you get acetone or anything near it accidentally it should last a long time. Just try not to touch the actual face very much. Eyelashes can be a problem when dressing the doll- they can come off if you keep pulling jumpers over their heads, so either remove the head to dress the doll, or you could make jumpers/tee shirts do up at the back.

General upkeep of the dolls does entail some gentle cleaning anyway, and blushing can be redone every few months to keep it pristine. My oldest doll has had her faceup for about 3 years (and who knows how long before that as I bought her second hand) and it still looks like new

For the odd durty mark try using magic eraser it's a god send

 

Seconding both the "faceups can be quite tough if well sealed" and "body blushing attracts dirt and chips" comments. Personally, I avoid body blushing like the plague and have been known to do a full body sand to get rid of it because the chipping annoys me, but faceups, provided they've had several coats of MSC, can and will last happily for years. The oldest faceup I have is 4 years old and only has one minor scratch to it...and I am...NOT a cabinet baby kinda collector.

 

Ooh, I'll be good at this question. I'm ROUGH with my boys, and I love on them constantly. They get kisses on their face all the time.

Basically, just make sure they're well sealed and sealed correctly. If you're doing their faceups yourself, give them two or three coats of MSC/Testors from about a foot away, and let them dry COMPLETELY between each coat. :3 I've never had a problem with my boys' faceups rubbing off - and I poke them and prod them constantly, and have never washed my hands before handling them.

The worst you may notice is the end of the nose getting a little shiny - that's the sealant beginning to rub off. However, it won't hurt anything and shouldn't show up in pictures. Other than that, you shouldn't have any problems. :3

 

Awesome! Thanks for all the great adivce, you guys.
A few questions regarding MSC/Testors:
--Do dolls come with their faceups sealed if you buy them directly from the manufacturer, or from a store like DenverDoll or Junkyspot? Should you re-seal them just to be safe?
--Should you put on eyelashes before or after sealing the face?

 

A doll coming from the maker/established store with a face up will be sealed, though it won't hurt to give it an extra coat if you want to. If you do re-seal you'll also need to re-gloss anything that was glossy (like lips and edging around eyes).

If the eyelashes are on the face when it is sprayed they get all mucky from the spray so you definitely want to put them on after or shield them in some way.

 

(I know I'm late to this thread but I hardly get to post ever)
I don't know if MSC protects against UV rays, but the person who handled my doll's faceup and blushing used MSC on her. It locked it all in fairly well, but there are uneven little stainy places on some of the parts at the edge of where was sprayed. I don't think she was sprayed entirely. Either way, I plan on buying some Mr. Clean magic erasers to take care of regular smudging. I hope they take care of the marks the MSC left...

I think the MSC did that because it got really humid after she was painted and sprayed. I live in GA and there some crazy humidity here, and I heard that was bad, right?

Well, my doll is a kid delf I got this year, and if I need her to, my friend will probably re-do her faceup and all when necessary.

 

is it possible to use saran wrap instead of doll stockings before putting on dark colored jeans to avoid staining?

 

Does anybody have any other tips and tricks for very long wigs? My doll's wig came in yesterday. It's so silky and beautiful, but I'm already starting to notice a bit of static cling. Any ideas? Anything I should be doing to the wig when it's just sitting around?

 

So I am pretty new to the world of BJDs and I just recently received my first. I think I am a little overly cautious with her, like a new baby, and I am always paranoid about bending her too much or scratching her, but recently I've been hearing a lot of people mentioning face ups rubbing off by dressing them or touching them and this really scares me!

I've seen clear coatings for BJD faces being sold online to "preserve face ups" and now Im not sure if I need to take some kind of precaution to protect her pretty face. Am I not supposed to touch her face? Does the paint on their faces rub off as easily as it sounds? And if you aren't supposed to be touching their faces, then how do other people put temporary makeup on their dolls without ruining their permanent faces? Im so confused . Can anyone clarify this for me?

 

no no no...stop worrying! is it a company face up? then it will be fine, they should have sprayed it with a sealant. it will not rub off with normal handling, and clothes changing. the reason people can remove temporary face ups, is because of the sealant. it seals the face up just enough so that a gentle wiping with water will not remove it.

 

Yes, don't worry! You really have to put down some hard work if you are going to damage a well made face-up. ^_^ Enjoy your doll and don't be afraid touching her face if you feel like it.

 

Don't worry! Over a long period of time, touching the face can damage the face-up, but really it takes a bit of effort to remove it even intentionally.

 

*Phew* Now i feel much better too! I was super paranoid about touching my boy's face, but now i know i'm not gonna erase everything just by changing his shirt. Thanks for posting that question, and thanks for the helpful answers!

 

Just be careful when you give him a wipe, when you start to notice little bits of every day life getting on there. A factory faceup is pretty resilient, but a light touch when cleaning will guarantee and even longer life.

Also, watch out for tumbles.... faceups may be hard to WIPE off, but it is much easier for them to CHIP off if there is some kind of impact.

 

*reading over* I didn't know you could do temporary makeup...what is the difference in sealing temporary and permanent work on the face?

 

You don't seal temporary.

 

A member of our local doll forum asked for some general care tips, so I compiled a list. It seems to be very helpful to a lot of people, so I thought I'd bring it here.
You'd like a general care list? I'll give a few pointers:

Body:
0) Almost never touch any doll's face. This is the Golden Rule. Reposition their head by touching the ears or wig only.
1) Limit your doll's exposure to the sun. Never leave them in direct sunlight.
2) Never leave your doll in a hot area, like near heating vents, inside your car on sunny day, etc.
3) Melamine sponges can usually remove stains, but some stains become permanent after extended wear, especially from some dark wigs. Never use melamine sponges on eyes or faceups, unless you want to remove the gloss or paint.
4) If your doll becomes especially dirty, a wipe-down or soak with warm sudsy water is a great option. Use warm water + a bit of dish detergent (Do not use soap-- detergent and soap are two different things). It is a good idea if you can take your doll apart to soak it and clean it completely without causing wear on the elastic stringing.
DO NOT use bleach or oxidizing agents on your doll unless you are certain of what you're doing.

Eyes:
1) Some glass eyes can be sharp on the back and can cut you. Be careful.
2) Use white tack, hot glue or non-greasy eye putty for eyes. Some cheap eye putties can dissolve acrylic eyes.
3) Sometimes dolls come with the eyes hot-glued in. There are several methods to remove it, but I find the safest is to remove it gradually with needle-nosed pliers. Sometimes it will all come out in one pull (lucky~!).

Wigs:
1) Only use baby brushes on wigs. Hard brushes will gradually destroy the wig fiber over time (does not apply with fur wigs). Finger-styling usually works best for natural mohair, as brushes frizz it out.
2) 'Heat-resistant' fiber wigs are named that because you can use curling irons, hair dryers and hair straighteners on them. Be sure to use on the lowest settings, being careful not to burn your doll or yourself.
3) There are many methods to adhere the wig to the doll's head. Ideally, use Volks Pitatto wig stopper, but I also recommend 3M adhesive velcro. Use the hooks side only and adhere it to your doll's head cap, just above the forehead and just above the back of the neck. Be careful not to get hair caught in it. If you do, just slowly pull the wig away so as not to damage the fibers.
Some people also use elastic bands or double-sided tape to keep wigs on.
4) Unless the wig is heat-resistant, there is almost nothing you can do to repair damaged wig fibers. The best option is to carefully clip out the individual damaged hairs. This will prevent further damage to other fibers by reducing the likeliness of knots and snags.

Etc:
1) Applying a thin layer of hot glue to the joint sockets can greatly improve posing and silence any squeaking sounds the joints may make. Only use low-temperature glue guns, as high-temp guns can burn the resin.
2) Intermediate - advanced customizers can modify the position of doll fingers by putting them in extremely hot water, then carefully bending the fingers to new positions. Heating doll parts by other means (heat gun, oven, microwave) is hazardous and risky.
3) Faceups and moderate yellowing can be removed from resin with isopropyl alcohol 70 - 99% and a melamine sponge. Follow the safety instructions on the bottle to prevent hazards.
4) Magnets that become detached from your doll can often be easily glued back in with super glue. Make sure you insert them with the correct polarity (be sure to double-check).


Volks USA offers many tools and items for taking care of your doll:
http://www.volksusa.com/tools---materials.html
This is a good reference in case you want to get some supplies with your doll when ordering from any doll company (most of them offer items like these).

These are pretty much all of the things I abide by. It's not actually hard at all. XD
As a matter of fact, I wish someone had told me all of these things when I started the hobby. ;-;

 

Thank you for the tips ^^ ! But...

Is it really dangerous for the make up ...? I often touch my doll's face...

 

Yes, it is. Face ups are not permanent and the oils and dirt from your fingers can easily deteriorate it faster

Great guide btw

 

Thank you for answering, Intermission! I will be less careless in the future!

 

So, I've had my doll for about 3 months now, and I think the time has come for me to attempt to change her eyes. I have read many *irritated* posts about fighting with headcaps etc. but I am buying the new eyes and going in!

Now, the issue is, Ruka had a little mishap when trying on a new sweater. One of her eyelashes came halfway off

Now I have to change her eyelashes too but I haven't been able to find anything on how you should do that, probably because it's just common sense, but I have to ask anyway!

1. Do you have to remove your doll's eyes to change the lashes?
2. Do you just pull the lashes off with your fingers or do you need something else?
3. My most burning question: Do eyelashes come with some kind of sticky adhesive on them already, like a sticker or something, or do you need to buy glue? And if you need to buy glue, what kind are you supposed to use?

 

1. remove the eyes so you don't mess them up.
2. if your talking about the damaged lashes that your aren't going to use anymore then yes, but if your removing new ones from a package i'd use tweezers.
3.i think that depends on the type you buy, but if they don't come with adhesive then plain elmers glue is suitable to use.

i hope i helped a bit

 

I have a question. I'm waiting for the arrival of my D.O.D E-an (Excitement!) but I need to know if I should clean the clothes and wig she comes with. I've heard of clothing and wig stains, and I reeeeally don't want that (Then of course who does?) and since this is my first BJD it would make a bad impression. So, can anyone help? I know how to clean clothes and wigs I just need to know if I should.

 

can your fingers stain the resin of the dolls body?

 

Depends what's on your fingers. If your fingers are dirty you could leave prints, that can be cleaned off but if you have like paint of something else, there's a chance.

 

I just mean the natural oil of your fingers.
someone said it stained, but I've never heard of that before, so is that true?

thank you ^^

 

No, it isn't. The oil in your fingers can and will degrade sealant overtime, which is why it isn't a good idea to handle a doll's face a lot, but it won't do anything to the resin like damage or stain it. Other kinds of oil are a different story, so you really don't want to go eating a big greasy slice of pizza or something and then handle bare resin without washing your hands first.

 

Yes, washing your hands before you play with your dolls is a very good idea.

I like to use a wire pet brush to brush my doll wigs, especially the wigs that are made of that superfine flyaway fiber. It doesn't tangle the hair and doesn't pull out as much either. I've used it on all kinds of wigs, even those with curls or waves, but not on those with super-tight tiny curls.



Linda S.
galatia9

 

I'd be wary of that type of brush-- it can scratch the doll's face.

Even the ones with just plastic pegs can scratch the face.