So I really stink at rooting im starting to get how to hold the needle am the angles but I feel like I’m using to much hair I want it to look full but not to full God this is so hard to explain that workshop I went to I loved all the ladies they where amazing people but honestly I didn’t learn one thing but you live an you learn so any tips would be great I been usings a 42 gauge an still looks kinda pluggy too I drew a map I have half the swirl done took forever but it’s Megan kinda over painted her so figures I would practice rooting but to much hair I think so fusterating!!!
Use tweezers to remove the plugs. to get a sparse look one or two hairs per hole. I know it takes a long time but the results are amazing!
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I agree with Mary. Remove excess hair with tweezers. It really does take practise and patience, but if you keep at it, you might eventually be able to root and listen to TV at the same time (I recommend documentaries) LOL!
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Thank you ladies great advice I was pulling them out with my fingers lol I’m a bonehead
I agree with the ladies who replied, just a lot of practice, patience and time. If you rush it, it’s no good. If you feel frustrated take a good break and get back to it later. I was like you, now it’s my happy place. Figure out how that needle actually works and that will help too. It’s good you have a practice head to work on. One of my dolls has had 3 heads of hair to date. That’s my practice. Hang in there!
I root with 36 and 38, if you keep the head warm it also makes it easier, and remember to slant needle the opposite of how you want your hair to lay , like if you want it to lay flat on the head slant your needle up, and if you want to brush upward slant needle down . Also I learnt that using nair hair remover works great on a head of hair I rooted wrong , I rubbed it on my dolls head and waited 10 min and it took the hair right off, and I just washed it really well, also to help close larger rooting holes you can boil water in a pot and put top of head in for a few min to help close holes up, this I haven’t tried but I plan on trying it out soon, good luck with rooting!
someone please correct me if im not understanding or if u use a different method to root but if u want the hair to lay down, like a real babies hair does, wouldnt you have ur needle slanted down. as in as close or flat to the head as possable? if u slant ur needle UP then the hair WILL stick up.
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Yes, but you have to be careful on the rounded spots to make sure the hair goes right through the vinyl, and that the needle does not stick out further on the head. Soft kid mohair or Alpaca will brush down flat to the head anyway.
In any case, not all babies have their hair so fine or flat to head. My granddaughter has very strong hair with lot of body and when she was born it was more like bristle, it certainly did not lay flat 
Someone told me to put a hot rice sock in the head in the harder vinyl like I wanna try making the nod girl an that’s hard vinyl so I’m thinking that maybe a good idea when I start to root does anyone else use a rice sock I never heard of that until recently
I use a heat lamp; lot less messy and dangerous - I nearly set the microwave on fire with rice.
ludmila, do you use a special bulb in a lamp or is it a full lamp you had to purchase?
I have a heat lamp with special ceramic bulb, which is used for newly hatched chickens, and I used to have it for my pups. I regulate the heat by distance.
Reflector Brooder Plate with ceramic bulb - just like this one:
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Thank you.
I use a rice sock when I am rooting almost all heads. I heat for about 2 1/2 minutes in my microwave.
i make sure to put a cup of water in when i heat my rice sock so it doesnt scorch. i still manage to scorch the rice and it burns a black spot right thru the sock. it stinks soooo bad! ive done it many times but thats bc my microwaves turn table broke and if i put it in for a full 2 minutes, it scorches. i usually put it in for a minute, take it out and squish it around and put it back in for another minute. if it doesnt feel hot, i shake it around and squish it a bit and it gets really hot. im having a problem tho with the hair on the inside getting stuck to the sock so when i take it out, its pulling the hair thru with it. i figured out why im losing so much hair and why theres so many long hairs inside. i dont root it that far into the head its just from clingling to the sock. anyone ever have this issue? i dont want to not use it tho bc i like the warm head to root into but have tried many other ways like heating pad and a new pearl warming pack thing i found at the drug store but those only keep the head warm for maybe ten minutes then i have to put it back on for another ten minutes, aggravating!!
I have mine inside a 100% cotton sock and have very few hairs that root into the sock and stick to it.
i use one of my husbands cotton socks and im not rooting into the rice sock bc i flip the head to the spot i need warmed and then flip it over so i can root where its warmed and the sock goes to the opposite side. i always make sure its plently far away from my needle when it goes inside tge head. but my issue has been when i turn the head right side up i grab the end of the sock and pull it out and then just let the rice slowly empty out of the head, it ends up touching the hair on the inside and pulling it thru, not all the way but enough to make it look like my baby is going bald in spots or just super short hair in areas. i wrote about this on another forum and i was going to start glueing each section as i complete it but then can i still use the rice sock inside if i do? as long as the glue has dried?
its either grabbing the hair when i flip the sock to the other side or when im taking it out
I stuff the rice sock in tight and root right into it. I remove it like you do and I don’t have your issue. I use a 43g single barb needle, so perhaps the rooting hole is small enough that the vinyl closes around the head?
Yes, I cooked it too long; there was steam coming of it when I heated it and I thought I dry it out bit. Next there was smoke coming from the microwave.