Washing and styling rooted mohair without losing a strand

Rooted mohair is real hair set into silicone one small bundle at a time, which means it behaves like a baby's hair and tangles for the same reasons: friction, dryness and over-handling.

Use a wide-tooth comb or your fingertips, never a bristle brush. Work from the ends upward in short sections, holding the hair above the root line so you are never pulling against the scalp.

Wash sparingly — twice a year is plenty for a display piece. Mist with cool water, work through a pea-sized amount of baby shampoo with your fingers, rinse by misting again and blot with a soft towel. Keep water away from the eye sockets and the cloth body.

For curly toddler sculpts such as Aurelia or Lily, scrunch a drop of leave-in conditioner through damp curls, then leave her lying flat to dry naturally. Heat tools of any kind will melt the fibre and can damage the root holes permanently.

If curls relax over time, a light mist of water and a night resting on a folded towel will usually bring the shape back without any product at all.