Rooting

Rooting refers to the method used to apply hair to reborn dolls. A triangular needle similar to a felting needle is used to push the hair into the vinyl head of the doll.

Mono and micro rooting is a precision rooting methods. Mono rooting is placing a single hair into a single hole with the needle. Micro rooting is more than one hair, but less than 4 per needle hole. Each strand of hair is selected from a small bunch of hair and rooted from the end of the hair. This creates a natural look with even spacing between the hair and zero plugs.

The Reborn Artist Studio by Lizbeth

The Reborn Artist Studio by Lizbeth

The "Stab and Grab" method of rooting is the least precise method used. This method will often result in uneven plugs of hair throughout the dolls head . A needle is randomly pushed through bundles of hair in the hope the needle will catch the hair. It is the fastest and most unskilled way to root a head and more often a method used by newer artist still learning the trade.

At The Reborn Artist Studio the method used is mono or micro rooting. An average baby sized head will take around 40 hours to mono/micro root.

The Reborn Artist Studio by Lizbeth

There are 3 types of hair commonly used in rooting. Mohair, Alpaca hair and human hair. Human hair is more often reserved for larger reborn dolls like toddlers. Human hair is a little more coarse than alpaca hair and mohair. Mohair and Alpaca hair are extremely soft which most resemble newborn hair. Alpaca tends to be finer than mohair and can be a little more difficult to work with.

At The Reborn Artist Studio mohair and alpaca hair are used for rooting.