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  if your going to root you might want to sand the lines out but if your keeping the doll it your choice .the lines can show thru the hair . i use a dremal type tool to sand them. it also thins the vinyl which helps when rooting but don't get it to thin. if you use a wig don't worry about it.                                 sage  

  you can get a dremal-type- tool at big lots for about 10.00.i've been trying to find my power sander too---- with boys your tools tend to wander    . after you get rid of lines go over it with a finer grade to smooth it. don't get to fancy ,texturing in the sanded area as it tends to grab the paint so you might have to make due with just plain flesh tone there.                                      sage 

That is a good explanation of getting the eyes out. I also believe they are plastic. Not good quality and they will either melt or fog with either the heat gun or if you put the head in the oven. So yes, best to pull them out. You can always put Secrist "Real Eyes" brand doll eyes in. Those Berenguers look a lot more realistic with them.

As far as sanding hair lines... you can do it with a dremel or a sander, or you can just strip the paint and leave them, yes. One thing you have to be careful of with those dolls is that the vinyl is NOT poured evenly inside the heads (or anywhere else for that matter). You'll have thick and thin spots and don't want to sand through the head or make spots so thin that when you root the needle with be like a perforation and ruin the scalp. So you must:
1. make a decision on if you want to do this or not
2. be extremely careful with whatever sanding method you use
3. be careful rooting
4. sand very carefully as it will leave the scalp rough and it will grab the paint and get into crevaces and the like

Painting is an option, don't know about the modge podge thing.

At least you can look at your options. Since you are working with the Berenguers, you may want to google reborning them and see what you can come up with. Someone might have other ideas for you. We mostly speak to the Secrist/AV reborning kits here but others do have information and help on other items. :)
Hope this helps

I have seen a few done like Pat said, just strip the paint and rooted overtop leaving the grooves and they turned out great. I have sanded one myself and it's quite a big job. Took me forever, covered in shavings but as Pat say beware of depth. It's easy to go a bit too thin.

Next question about the eyes...How do I know what size to replace them with? These doll heads are discontinued, so it's hard to find out what they had. Any ideas? I'd like to get some eyes soon!

  liselle,you need to get an eye caliper. it measure the eye size,i know secrist carrys them--- might be about 4.00. different size/model berengers take different sizes----   poor linda tryed to help me with eye size for a berenger snookie kit.the seller said one size the company said another  ,i bought both. so a caliper is your best shot for being sure.                             sage 

I remember that, Sage.  Liselle, a caliper is a great investment.

    liselle it depends on the baby -- i bought 16mm,18mm,20mm berenguer eyes for mine . so yes it is possible .               sage 

  liselle you measure from the inside corner to the out side corner of the eye.that should give you your eye size. what color are you getting--- i'm hoping to buy some violet eyes in a couple of weeks,i'm broke right now.....i wonder why......hehehe. sage 

I look at the face, the color of hair and the general look of the doll to decide what color eyes I put in. :)