Types of Doll Hair

Dolls with blonde and brown hair — Photo: Maleo/Shutterstock

As you will readily observe, the hair on a doll can be made from a variety of materials: from human hair, to synthetic fibers, to yarn and wool. Here is a list of some common types of doll hair, along with some details about them:

Caracul (and Wool)

Caracul is a short, curly fur, so named because of the origin of the fur being the Karakul sheep. The fur is also sometimes referred to as Persian lamb and is harvested from the skins of newborn Karakul lambs. The fur was most often used as hair for baby dolls and for little boy dolls.

Human Hair

Human hair for dolls is precisely what it sounds like: hair from human heads that has been harvested after cutting or harvested specifically for the purpose of using it to make dolls. The hair is nearly always woven into a mesh base to create a "wig" for the doll to wear. The wig is then glued to the doll's scalp.

Mohair

Mohair is the hair harvested from Angora goats. It is generally used in the same way as human hair since the two are similar in structure and consistency. They are also treated in the same way when it comes to care and styling.

Synthetic Hair

Synthetic hair obviously refers to the synthetic fibers that are spun into shape to resemble human hair. Synthetic hair is probably the most common fiber used on more modern dolls. It is generally attached to the doll using a wig base to which the synthetic hair is woven, or the hair is rooted into the doll's head in small clusters and glued into place from the inside.

Yarn Hair

Yarn hair is found on some older dolls that were generally mass-produced, as well as the soft-molded dolls of the late 1970s and 1980s "Adopt-a-Doll" craze. The yarn is usually sewn or glued to the doll's head.

The type of yarn ranges from coarser yarns used with the "adopted" variety to fine, thinner textures of yarn for older-model mass-produced dolls.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

How To Clean Doll Hair

Restyling Doll Hair