Open Nose

Over the years I have come to know that one of the biggest challenges, especially for a new Reborner, is opening the nose holes. With many of the new silicones and soft vinyl's you may choose not to open the nose, especially if they are very small or odd shaped like many of them are today. The Berenguer's are perfect for learning to open the nostrils and they are made of a stiffer vinyl so they are easy to work with. The silicone types are more of a challenge, and eventually you will know what noses should stay intact.

Before I spend any length of time on a doll and risk the chance of ruining the face, I always like to open the nose holes as soon as the paint and glued on hair has been removed. You have to plan your approach in a systematic way. You will find what works best for you as you gain experience and many of the steps can be done in what ever order is comfortable for you. Use my instruction only as a guide. Once the nose has been opened and no damage has occurred you will have made it over another big hurdle and have a lot more peace of mind.

It's terrible to do a lot of work and then when you open the nose it nicks the face, and it can't be repaired.

I've been there myself, and cried because the baby was damaged after doing so much work on her face.

I want to make sure this doesn't happen to you.

This type of damage cannot be repaired or covered up.

It could be a nice baby for a child but not a baby you would want to sell.

It's best to know the nose holes are finished and the worst is behind you before you go any further.

Some Reborner use a dremel or drill to open the nose holes.

I still prefer to open the nose holes by hand.

It gives me complete control over the situation, and less chance of damage.

It is important to hold the head, so the drill bit goes in at an angle and never touches the upper lip of the doll.

This is the most common injury related to opening the nose.

If you nick the vinyl it will show, and when you paint over it, it looks even worse.

I use a small 1/8th inch drill bit to do this job by hand.

Hold the head unside down as shown in the photo below.

Begin by applying a little pressure on the nostril indentation with the bit.

Start to turn the drill bit back and forth gently, but with a little pressure.

It doesn't take much to break through the vinyl.

The Berenguers are the easiest and fastest to do.

The holes are very clean and nice.

Soon it will pop through and the bit will be inside the nose.

Notice the angle of the drill bit...this is important to prevent nicks.

You will end up with a nice clean opened nose.

Make sure you always use a sharp drill bit.

Remember that all vinyl's and silicone mixes vary from model to model.

Once in a while there are a few little burrs that are left behind on the nose.

If you feel really confident, and have a gentle touch, you can use a very small, pointed Exacto knife to remove any little left over burrs.

I use the very tiny kind used for scrapbooking .

Be careful not to use force or pressure with the Exacto Knife, as you can easily cut a piece of the nose away.

Gentle is the key word here.

It is often possible to avoid the Exacto knife by gently moving the drill bit in and out as you turn it.

The 20" LaBaby is the easiest of all the dolls to open the nose on.

You may opt not to do even do this in the beginning and you can paint it instead.

It's not always necessary to open the noses, especially on the smaller preemie type dolls,as the risk is not worth it.

There will be many types of silicone dolls where you will paint the nostril opening instead.

Practice with your Berenguers and build your confidence.