Whether you are learning to do hair on someone else or yourself, a mannequin head is very helpful. I am not making any money off of clicks in this post by the way.
Makers of mannequin hair heads that are the most reliable in consistent quality are:
- Pivot Point dolls are of the highest quality if they are in your budget.
- HairArt makes dolls for every budget
- Diane by Fromm Beauty are also budget friendly heads.
- Marianna makes budget friendly dolls with hair that cooperates for practice.
And don’t forget the base! Your mannequin head needs something to keep it in place. See my suggestions further down.
Here are some mannequin heads I use for tutorials. The images with the colorful hair are actually mine that I have processed with bleach and color. All dolls usually require a little hair trim when they first show up at your doorstep to get the ends more even. It is to be expected.
You might also like: Vintage Inspired Salon Capes
Good Mannequins On A Budget
The Erika doll from Pivot Point
Erika has shorter hair, but is a great price for quality hair to work with.
The Susie by HairArt
The Susie is a classic head that has quality hair. She is affordable, because her hair is not extremely long, but great for practice.
Mannequin Splurges
You can of course splurge on a longer haired doll. They will give you great hair for updos and for practicing vintage waves.
Emma deluxe mannequin head by Diane by Fromm Beauty
Emma use to be in my affordable category of mannequin heads, but recently the price really went up. I am not sure she is worth the price currently being charged, but I have her from a previous purchase and I still like using her for tutorials. Emma has strong hair that is great for practicing pin curls and wet sets on. It isn’t long, so she might not be great for updo practice.
Madi and Nadine from Pivot Point
Both have great hair to work with. The Nadine has more layers in her hair than the Madi.
The Linda doll by HairArt
Linda is a splurge, but she has lot of long hair for practicing intricate updos.
Bases for stabilizing mannequin heads
I personally prefer a tripod with stabilizing foot peddles.
Diane Mannequin Head Tripod w/ stabilizing base peddles
Tabletop mannequin clamps are also great for stabilizing the head.
The height on this one will do a good job of saving your back.
But a simple clamp like this one will work as well.
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