Advice on doll care and safety?

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m currently waiting on a commission for a full custom Dollfie Dream. Given the waitlist and how long the process is, it’s likely going to take months before the doll is actually complete. But I’d like to take some time in advance to learn about care and safety before I get him. The thing is, I tend to get very emotionally attached to my favorite characters, and I can already tell that this is going to extend to the doll as well. He’s going to be very special to me, and as such I feel like I’m not gonna want to just leave him on a shelf for display all the time. I’m gonna want to hold him, hug him, carry him around and maybe even take him on little adventures if I ever get the chance (I’m aware how childish this sounds but it’s very important to me ok). I don’t plan on being rough or careless with him obviously, but he might end up being handled often. Which brings me to the main point of this post- What’s the best advice you can give on caring for a doll? How can I make sure he’s safe and protected while still being able to do things with him? Are there any specific care items that I should buy for him ahead of time just in case? Given how expensive he’s going to be, I definitely don’t want him to get damaged at all, but I also want to make the most out of him instead of leaving him on a shelf constantly. So any tips would be greatly appreciated. 🙏

A few things I can think of:

Wash your hands before handling him, or wear white cotton gloves. 

Invest in a doll stand, a lot of outfits don't give you the option of having them sitting down.

Don't touch the face-up. 

Depending on the outfit, dyes can stain the doll, so a body suit and protective cap to go under the wig can be a must have if he's wearing dyed fabrics. 

Keep him out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Taking him outside is ok, but leaving him sitting in patch of sunlight all day long every day isn't.

Get option hands and lots of clothes; half the fun is dressing them up in other outfits. 
 

 

18 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

A few things I can think of:

Wash your hands before handling him, or wear white cotton gloves. 

Invest in a doll stand, a lot of outfits don't give you the option of having them sitting down.

Don't touch the face-up. 

Depending on the outfit, dyes can stain the doll, so a body suit and protective cap to go under the wig can be a must have if he's wearing dyed fabrics. 

Keep him out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Taking him outside is ok, but leaving him sitting in patch of sunlight all day long every day isn't.

Get option hands and lots of clothes; half the fun is dressing them up in other outfits. 
 

 

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be sure and keep all this in mind. 🙏 I think staining is definitely my main concern at this point. It’s not something I think I’d be TOO upset about since most, if not all the outfits I’d wanna get for him would cover most of his body. But I’m worried about feeling guilty over potentially damaging something so expensive. 😭 But I suppose it’s inevitable. Just gotta do what I can to prevent it. I’m absolutely going to invest in protective gear, and I’ll also ask the artist I’m commissioning about potentially lining the clothes, so hopefully that’ll be enough!

I do have one question though. How fragile is the face up? I’ll do my best not to touch it on accident, but I found myself being a little paranoid about that in particular lately so I’m wondering how much it would take to actually damage it.

1 hour ago, MrsHaitani said:

I do have one question though. How fragile is the face up? I’ll do my best not to touch it on accident, but I found myself being a little paranoid about that in particular lately so I’m wondering how much it would take to actually damage it.

I don’t have any custom heads so I can’t speak from experience, but as I understand it, they’re very delicate, far more so than the printed masks used by the companies that produce these dolls. You’ll want to avoid touching the face anyway, since if the face gets stained there’s no real way to fix it other than sending it for another faceup, which costs money.

24 minutes ago, ragnamuffin said:

I don’t have any custom heads so I can’t speak from experience, but as I understand it, they’re very delicate, far more so than the printed masks used by the companies that produce these dolls. You’ll want to avoid touching the face anyway, since if the face gets stained there’s no real way to fix it other than sending it for another faceup, which costs money.

Oof, I’ll definitely have to be careful then. There are precautions I can take to prevent any major stains on the body so I’m not that concerned about it, but I feel like I’m gonna be stressing about the face a bit. 😭

Tips I have as a fellow non-shelf DD person!

If hugging and cuddling is something you wanna do regularly, I'd recommend buying him his own set of clothes for that.

9S is my regular snuggle buddy currently, so he has his own pajamas. Long sleeves, long pants, white/light colored socks. So there's not contact between your skin and the vinyl. It's not the end of the world if it happens, but it's nicer to not have to take them apart to wash them. No dirt has ever gotten on my DDs that warm water and some dish soap didn't fix.

HOWEVER, this does not apply of course to the faceup! To make it last as long as possible, avoid touching or washing the face.

As for travel, take a look at doll carry bags and travel pillows. Watch out for ANY risk of a zipper of a bag coming near your doll's faceup. I learned that one the hard way with one of my smaller dolls with a faceup I did at least. The zipper will scratch the sealant or chip it. When I take my dolls out for travel, if it's short, they get wrapped tightly in a soft all white towel. If the distance is long or on a plane, I use a faceup protector and bubble wrap in addition to the towel.

Agreed on getting him a body suit for stain protection and wig cap if he has a darker hair color. And a good doll stand if taking pictures is a focus of yours!

It can seem scary at first, but the reality of handling your doll often is that small damage here and there will happen over time. But the big stuff is avoidable! Of the two dolls I cuddle and handle ALL the time(One is 7 years old and the other is 4), most damage they have is light staining on the undersides of their feet from socks. I never even see it.

Try not to stress about it too much and have fun with your DD when you get him! 🥰

A few of my dolls get handled a lot, and I mean hand on vinyl contact, and they don't have any permanent damage, but I keep my hands clean. I wouldn't touch the face, even with clean hands, but the body doesn't have paint to rub off, and I haven't seen any damage to unpainted vinyl. 

I do have a large, round, soft-bristled paintbrush that I use as a duster to keep them clean. 

57 minutes ago, Noxxbunny said:

Tips I have as a fellow non-shelf DD person!

If hugging and cuddling is something you wanna do regularly, I'd recommend buying him his own set of clothes for that.

9S is my regular snuggle buddy currently, so he has his own pajamas. Long sleeves, long pants, white/light colored socks. So there's not contact between your skin and the vinyl. It's not the end of the world if it happens, but it's nicer to not have to take them apart to wash them. No dirt has ever gotten on my DDs that warm water and some dish soap didn't fix.

HOWEVER, this does not apply of course to the faceup! To make it last as long as possible, avoid touching or washing the face.

As for travel, take a look at doll carry bags and travel pillows. Watch out for ANY risk of a zipper of a bag coming near your doll's faceup. I learned that one the hard way with one of my smaller dolls with a faceup I did at least. The zipper will scratch the sealant or chip it. When I take my dolls out for travel, if it's short, they get wrapped tightly in a soft all white towel. If the distance is long or on a plane, I use a faceup protector and bubble wrap in addition to the towel.

Agreed on getting him a body suit for stain protection and wig cap if he has a darker hair color. And a good doll stand if taking pictures is a focus of yours!

It can seem scary at first, but the reality of handling your doll often is that small damage here and there will happen over time. But the big stuff is avoidable! Of the two dolls I cuddle and handle ALL the time(One is 7 years old and the other is 4), most damage they have is light staining on the undersides of their feet from socks. I never even see it.

Try not to stress about it too much and have fun with your DD when you get him! 🥰

First of all, thank you SO MUCH! 💜 This honestly eases my mind a ton. As soon as I got the idea of getting a DD into my head, I knew that I was gonna wanna have him with me a lot. But I’ve heard so much about them being fragile and staining easily, so I started getting paranoid that even just hugging him would damage him somehow (accidentally touching his face, messing up his wig, staining and all that). Especially considering how expensive he’s gonna be + the fact he’s a full custom so barely any of him would be replaceable except for like… his right arm and leg cuz the whole left side of his body is gonna be tattooed. 😭 But knowing that I should still be able to cuddle him and have him with me around the house without stressing too much makes me feel so much better! 

His clothes are actually going to cover a majority of his body, so I should be fine leaving him in those (I was a little concerned since he wears almost all black, but I plan on getting a body suit and asking the artist about lining), but tbh I might get him pajamas anyway cuz I think that would be really cute. He wears a little gray sweatshirt and sweatpants at one point in the series so I might just have to get that for him hehe. 

As for bags, are there any specific ones you’d recommend? I was actually looking into bags specifically for dolls a bit ago but couldn’t tell what was what (and when I looked up doll bags I was getting more results for doll accessories rather than carrying bags LOL).

Thank you so much again! I feel like I might still worry about the faceup and how easy that might be to damage if I accidentally touch it, but overall I think I can relax a lot more now!

15 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

A few of my dolls get handled a lot, and I mean hand on vinyl contact, and they don't have any permanent damage, but I keep my hands clean. I wouldn't touch the face, even with clean hands, but the body doesn't have paint to rub off, and I haven't seen any damage to unpainted vinyl. 

I do have a large, round, soft-bristled paintbrush that I use as a duster to keep them clean. 

I’ll definitely keep that in mind, thank you! The face is definitely the main thing I’m worried about now I think. I’d hope it would need to be touched a lot for it to be damaged tbh cuz I don’t wanna have a heart attack if I ever do touch it by accident or something brushes against it. 😭

If he's gonna have body paint, 1000% on the body suit for sure then! You won't want any of that to rub or chip off.

I'm not the most cautious person anymore, so tbh I just use a travel backpack. I use one similar to this for the large main pocket and for the way it unzips more like luggage so I don't have to pull the doll out and risk scratching if the towel I use shifts or anything. Tons of room in these for dolls, a stand, towel or pillow to wrap them in etc.

7 hours ago, MrsHaitani said:

so barely any of him would be replaceable except for like… his right arm and leg cuz the whole left side of his body is gonna be tattooed.

Body art and blushing will probably come off over time. I don't have a lot of experience with that on vinyl dolls, but I'm told that putting clothes on will rub that off over time. I think @baldylox has a doll with full body tattooing, and @Oculae has some dolls with very extensive face art, so they might have more to add. 
 

If preserving the body art is going to be an issue, you could have a second body for wearing clothes, and display him on the tattooed body in minimal clothing. 

With an f3 body, if you play with him a lot, you are going to need to disassemble him periodically to adjust the tension on the frame, and getting the arm and leg frame out to adjust the screws takes a lot of effort, and you will have to grip those parts pretty hard to do it. 

3 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

Body art and blushing will probably come off over time. I don't have a lot of experience with that on vinyl dolls, but I'm told that putting clothes on will rub that off over time. I think @baldylox has a doll with full body tattooing, and @Oculae has some dolls with very extensive face art, so they might have more to add. 
 

If preserving the body art is going to be an issue, you could have a second body for wearing clothes, and display him on the tattooed body in minimal clothing. 

With an f3 body, if you play with him a lot, you are going to need to disassemble him periodically to adjust the tension on the frame, and getting the arm and leg frame out to adjust the screws takes a lot of effort, and you will have to grip those parts pretty hard to do it. 

Oh dang I hadn’t even considered that that might end up being a problem. I’m not entirely sure how the artist is planning on doing the tattoos exactly, so I might have to ask them about what the best way to preserve it might be. They’ve been working with DDs for almost a decade now, so I’m hoping that they’ll be able to give me some advice on how to not damage anything. 😭

8 hours ago, Noxxbunny said:

If he's gonna have body paint, 1000% on the body suit for sure then! You won't want any of that to rub or chip off.

I'm not the most cautious person anymore, so tbh I just use a travel backpack. I use one similar to this for the large main pocket and for the way it unzips more like luggage so I don't have to pull the doll out and risk scratching if the towel I use shifts or anything. Tons of room in these for dolls, a stand, towel or pillow to wrap them in etc.

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely look into some of these. 🙏

7 hours ago, MrsHaitani said:

I’m not entirely sure how the artist is planning on doing the tattoos exactly, so I might have to ask them about what the best way to preserve it might be.

Vinyl is notoriously hard to dye after it’s been set. All paint is likely to come off with friction and dyes supposedly seep out with time. The best way to go about this that I can think of would be to attach the tattoos as stickers, or to have them as part of the bodysuit/a nylon cover that covers the limb.

12 minutes ago, ragnamuffin said:

Vinyl is notoriously hard to dye after it’s been set. All paint is likely to come off with friction and dyes supposedly seep out with time. The best way to go about this that I can think of would be to attach the tattoos as stickers, or to have them as part of the bodysuit/a nylon cover that covers the limb.

The artist has previously used stickers/decals for smaller tattoos before from what I’ve seen, but they did mention something about paint when I was messaging with them so again I’m still not sure how they’re gonna do it. But as I mentioned in another reply, they’re extremely experienced with doll customs so I’m sure they know what they’re doing. I’ll definitely be sure and discuss it with them just to be safe but I’m hoping they’ll know what precautions to take and will be able to advise me on how to prevent damage as well. 

I have several dolls with full body blushing and freckles.  In all of those instances, my face up artist used a different type of sealant than the regular MSC.  She had to apply it with an airbrush and I had to let the sealant cure/dry for one full week before I could put the dolls back together again.  I don't know the name of this sealant but it has protected all of those dolls extremely well over time.  There have been zero staining or wearing issues except for one or two small rubs where the frame rubs against the vinyl.

I haven't had any problems with changing clothing on ANY of my girls that have their nips painted or if they have other painted parts like my androids do.  Unless you're really being rough with your dolls when changing their clothes, I think it'll be ok.  Some of the silicone busts I have seem to lose color on their nips over time but silicone is notorious for absorbing colors so I think most of this is due to that.

 

 

Billy

2 hours ago, baldylox said:

I have several dolls with full body blushing and freckles.  In all of those instances, my face up artist used a different type of sealant than the regular MSC.  She had to apply it with an airbrush and I had to let the sealant cure/dry for one full week before I could put the dolls back together again.  I don't know the name of this sealant but it has protected all of those dolls extremely well over time.  There have been zero staining or wearing issues except for one or two small rubs where the frame rubs against the vinyl.

I haven't had any problems with changing clothing on ANY of my girls that have their nips painted or if they have other painted parts like my androids do.  Unless you're really being rough with your dolls when changing their clothes, I think it'll be ok.  Some of the silicone busts I have seem to lose color on their nips over time but silicone is notorious for absorbing colors so I think most of this is due to that.

 

 

Billy

That’s a lot more reassuring, thank you! I really do hope there won’t be any issues. I’m trying not to stress too much but it’s hard not too when he’s so expensive. 😭 I’d feel awful accidentally damaging something like that.

On 7/20/2024 at 10:21 AM, MrsHaitani said:

I’ll definitely keep that in mind, thank you! The face is definitely the main thing I’m worried about now I think. I’d hope it would need to be touched a lot for it to be damaged tbh cuz I don’t wanna have a heart attack if I ever do touch it by accident or something brushes against it. 😭

Honestly, you don't have to worry TOO much about touchinh his face with bare skin, as long as your hands are clean. With the faceups it is more about not getting any oil from your skin on it, because that's just not very good for the material. Even with hand painted faceups it is not like you will damage the actual sealant or paint just by touching it.

I am fairly careful with my dolls, but I usually do not wear gloves to handle them, because I do like how the material feels, haha.

45 minutes ago, MoiBakaDesu said:

Honestly, you don't have to worry TOO much about touchinh his face with bare skin, as long as your hands are clean. With the faceups it is more about not getting any oil from your skin on it, because that's just not very good for the material. Even with hand painted faceups it is not like you will damage the actual sealant or paint just by touching it.

I am fairly careful with my dolls, but I usually do not wear gloves to handle them, because I do like how the material feels, haha.

Oooh, I see! That makes me feel a lot better, thank you! I guess I got a little paranoid since so many people told me to avoid touching his face because of how delicate the faceup is. I probably should’ve assumed it would only damage if you touched it excessively or like… rubbed at it ig but with how many people were putting emphasis on not touching it, I started worrying it would like rub off or smth. 😭 I’ll still be careful ofc but it’s a huge relief knowing it’s not as easy to damage as I was probably thinking. 

An update in regards to this topic: I finally spoke to the artist and they said that his clothes are going to be lined! I also asked them about the tattoo and faceup, and they said that as long as I’m careful and don’t accidentally scratch it, I shouldn’t have any issues with it rubbing off or anything. But on the off chance that it does chip or something, they said they’d send me a small brush so that I’m able to fix it. 🥺 So in general I feel a lot less worried now! There shouldn’t be any major damage as long as I’m careful, and anything minor SHOULD be able to be fixed. And if somehow he gets a mark that I can’t get off or fix, I’ll just say he got into a fight since he’s a delinquent LOL.

On 7/22/2024 at 2:02 AM, MrsHaitani said:

I probably should’ve assumed it would only damage if you touched it excessively or like… rubbed at it ig but with how many people were putting emphasis on not touching it, I started worrying it would like rub off or smth. 😭 I’ll still be careful ofc but it’s a huge relief knowing it’s not as easy to damage as I was probably thinking. 

I've had to clean bits of dust off, so no, a few touches aren't going to ruin it, but over time it adds up so I'd touch as little as possible. I normally use a size 20 round goat hair paintbrush as a duster for their bodies and faces, just never use it for paints or cleaning anything that might get on the doll. 

Even Volks handed me white cotton gloves when I arrived at their shop to pickup two dolls, so I'd stand by using gloves as a good idea. I honestly use them more with outfits though, the fabrics are so fine that my dry skin snags them and dames the weave. 

I used gloves at first, but as time went on I stopped. I wash my hands, but for me I feel I enjoy the dolls best when I can touch them. As others have said, the material is really nice to touch and personally I really love the feeling of moving the joints lol. It's up to you though, find a good balance between enjoyment and protection that works for you.

If it hasn't been said, I'll say it now: dolls don't last forever. They can last a long time with good care, but eventually they will yellow, or break, or just not be something you want anymore. You will change, the doll will change. So enjoy them. Use the fine china.

1 hour ago, BeyondTime said:

I've had to clean bits of dust off, so no, a few touches aren't going to ruin it, but over time it adds up so I'd touch as little as possible. I normally use a size 20 round goat hair paintbrush as a duster for their bodies and faces, just never use it for paints or cleaning anything that might get on the doll. 

Even Volks handed me white cotton gloves when I arrived at their shop to pickup two dolls, so I'd stand by using gloves as a good idea. I honestly use them more with outfits though, the fabrics are so fine that my dry skin snags them and dames the weave. 

I’ll definitely be keeping that in mind, thank you!

11 minutes ago, sunlightandtea said:

I used gloves at first, but as time went on I stopped. I wash my hands, but for me I feel I enjoy the dolls best when I can touch them. As others have said, the material is really nice to touch and personally I really love the feeling of moving the joints lol. It's up to you though, find a good balance between enjoyment and protection that works for you.

If it hasn't been said, I'll say it now: dolls don't last forever. They can last a long time with good care, but eventually they will yellow, or break, or just not be something you want anymore. You will change, the doll will change. So enjoy them. Use the fine china.

Honestly, I doubt that I’ll be using gloves either. It definitely seems like a good solution for some people, but I personally feel like it would be a little much for me. I’ve mentioned it before, but my doll is gonna be like my lil buddy. He’s gonna be with me a lot, and while it might be better for protection, gloves would probably just make me feel even more like I’m handling something I’m not supposed to be. 😭 I gotta be a little more relaxed. 

And honestly, that’s a really good point. I think that my main issue is that because of how expensive he is, I got it in my head that this thing needs to last until the day I die. The idea of something costing this much and being this special to me but only being temporary made me paranoid. But the sooner I accept that he’s inevitably gonna wear out over time, the more I’ll be able to relax. And like… even if he gets damaged and worn, he’s still gonna be with me. He won’t be perfect forever, but that doesn’t mean that he’s going anywhere. He’ll always be here, I just need to accept the eventual imperfections. I’m not paying for a luxury item. I’m paying for a friend. 💜