Is there any way to sort of smooth the roughness that happens to a head sometimes over the course of rooting?
I’m not sure what you are asking. Do you mean that the baby’s hair mattes? If matting is the problem, make sure you are rooting all hairs in the same direction as the hair follicles lay. Also root from the end that is cut from the animal. I use a leave in detangler/conditioner as I am rooting to brush the hair gently the way it should lay on the baby’s head.
Yeah it’s a vinyl problem, not a hair problem. I have a Megan at the moment and she’s so tiny, it’s hard to get the hair in properly, even with heating, without staying in the same place too long…then when you poke and poke after a while the vinyl starts to get roughed up. But last night I worked it for quite a while and I think it’s gonna be ok
It may be a needle size problem. I have only had that happen when I used the huge super rooter needles a long time ago. I still use them for human hair on toddlers when I want a thick, thick head of hair but they can sometimes leave a spot a little rough if I root the follicles too close together. Hope you figure it out. No baby wants a bumpy head!
If the vinyl starts looking like that, I heat more. I prefer to use the large glass beads (2mm) in sock, rather than rice. Glass can be heated safely to much higher temperature.
I didn’t realize that glass beads would heat in the microwave? I have wondered about using wheat instead do rice? Anyone try it?
I know some bowls and plates will get hot in the microwave but it takes a while usually. I’ve never tried wheat but wondered about barley. They use barley in a lot of heat packs. Rice seems to work okay but does need reheating frequently which is a pain when I’m on a roll! Need something that stays hot for hours!
The bowls and glasses that get hot in the microwave have lead in them (I think).[quote=“djjessie228, post:8, topic:20119, full:true”]
I know some bowls and plates will get hot in the microwave but it takes a while usually.
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I tried wheat and it sweats a lot, and when it got dry after while, it caught fire! The beads take some time to heat up but also hold the heat better. I heat them in a bowl then pour them into the stocking; not sure how the stocking would handle the microwave. I use the plug to seal the neck to keep the heat in. I use enough beads to about 1/2 fill the head, and before I start rooting I leave the head in such position that the beads are sitting in the spot I want to root.
Another way to heat the head is a heat lamp; I have one with ceramic element used to keep newly hatched chicks warm