G3 G3 Disintegrating Hair Syndrome

[starbeam]

You're welcome to share photos from the listing--the more information we can accumulate here, the more helpful it will be to the rest of the community.

Thanks for the heads up!

The pics are not very good, but there seems to be nothing left on the washer, which is exactly what happened to my Petal Blossom a few days back. It’s not really confirmed though, as this is not my pony and the seller’s only description was “missing tail”, but the fact that this line uses poly hair (confirmed using the water method) and the head has sun damage (extreme sun exposure/heat speeds up the process iirc) it’s extremely likely it disintegrated

 

[MintamenaPie]

Does the listing also say sun damage? Like you said it’s not the best picture but to me it looks like the regular color mismatch that we see in a lot of the ponies nowadays where the head is made from a different material in the body. That being said I did come across my Diamond Mint in the sale pile packing for PFF and gave her a few tugs, and she seems sturdy.

Great now we’re all gonna be paranoid about every pony ever XD

 

[starbeam]

Does the listing also say sun damage? Like you said it’s not the best picture but to me it looks like the regular color mismatch that we see in a lot of the ponies nowadays where the head is made from a different material in the body. That being said I did come across my Diamond Mint in the sale pile packing for PFF and gave her a few tugs, and she seems sturdy.

Great now we’re all gonna be paranoid about every pony ever XD

LOL yeah, i’m going crazy checking all of my G3s lately!! which is good, considering I managed to catch one before it became a problem (and its who my mom has lovingly named alopecia pony)
As for the listing, I think the seller isn’t a collector and just sells second hand toys, since all it says is “missing tail” and the pony’s name. However, it’s all an assumption, since the only other DM i’ve seen this badly aged was clarified to be sun bleached. Do they just tend to fade like this normally?
I’ll be leaving a screenshot of the description just in case, but I still hold a slight belief it must’ve disintegrated, because a cut tail doesn’t leave what seems to be an empty washer behind.

 

[MintamenaPie]

Could be that the child pulled it out. If it disintegrated there should be bits left inside the… butt cavity? Whatever you wanna call that. Since the hair pokes out a little on that interior side. XD But again it’s hard to tell from the pictures.

 

[starbeam]

Could be that the child pulled it out. If it disintegrated there should be bits left inside the… butt cavity? Whatever you wanna call that. Since the hair pokes out a little on that interior side. XD But again it’s hard to tell from the pictures.

Ah, you could be right! Still a little odd though.. maybe for this specific line it should be left up for speculation/unconfirmed? since it’s not unheard of G4s having disintegration problems anyways, but could also still be a little early for these late line ponies… I could also try and ask the seller for more pics, but since it’s through mercari that might prove a little difficult >.<
of course, I’ll be keeping an eye on mine as well, if I catch a hint of it I’ll make sure to report back

 

[BubbleTea]

Not sure if it’s appropriate to post, but keep an eye on later line G4s!
Me and a friend confirmed our water cuties (we both have Diamond Mint) have poly hair, and I recently saw one for sale with only the washer left :/
if it’s okay to attach the pictures from the listing, I’ll update later, but man it sucks since it’s difficult to rehair WCs without breaking them apart

most g4 ponies after 2013 have at least some poly hair. At first it was only the tails that were poly (which explains why the tails can get super frizzy/dry even when the pony has a nice mane) but after a few years most releases had fully poly hair. The tall styling g5's also have poly tails, despite having really soft nylon manes.

 

[Leave a Whisper]

Thanks for the heads up!

View attachment 81565View attachment 81566
The pics are not very good, but there seems to be nothing left on the washer, which is exactly what happened to my Petal Blossom a few days back. It’s not really confirmed though, as this is not my pony and the seller’s only description was “missing tail”, but the fact that this line uses poly hair (confirmed using the water method) and the head has sun damage (extreme sun exposure/heat speeds up the process iirc) it’s extremely likely it disintegrated

Crud. I have Diamond Mint. I wonder if I should get rid of my g4s while their hair is still there?

Clear plastic fades and discolors very easily. So any kid who played with the water cuties or has a sunny room will probably run the risk of having the pony fade. Mine has a faded head, but I used stained glass paint to bring back the color.

 

[LadyMoondancer]

The Water Cuties ponies have a different way of securing the tail compared to other ponies. Basically, there is a cylindrical inset in the hard plastic that the base of the tail is inserted into. It's not really "inside" the body compared to other ponies (who aren't filled with water, lol) and they don't have a round washer to keep the tail from being pulled out.

To me it looks like a kid just pulled Diamond Mint's entire tail out of the inset. If the hair broke off there would be a tuft of tail left around the base of the pony's butt.

 

[starbeam]

Unfortunate update: the gumball machines have it, at least the Twinkle Twirl one does. Pulled her out for repair and turns out her hair disintegrated in storage. It affected her orange stripe, the pink seems to be doing well.

(Last picture is from MLW, first picture is my machine)
I might rehair her the same way as a Dream Beauty since her head can’t come off without breaking her completely (unless its possible?)

 

[MustBeJewel]

(Added, @starbeam, thank you!)

Can You Help?

We're looking for exact color matches to re-hair ponies shown and listed on page 1.

Please post your recommendations ​

 

[jazzmatazz]

I checked on my Jazzmatazz that has never been in the sun, opened new from bag and the hair issue has finally hit her

 

[ky-chan]

A bit worried that Lily Lightly might have fallen victim to this. She's an older childhood pony I recently took out of storage. Part of her tail came out and a bit of her mane as well from just brushing my fingers through her. I wanna fix her mane up but after this I'm honestly hesitant to even touch it anymore

 

[hedgie_doll]

G3 Disintegrating Hair Syndrome


It's been known for a long time now that certain G3 ponies are prone to what I've been referring to as "Disintegrating Hair Syndrome."


1. What does this look like?
2. Why is this happening?
3. What ponies does this affect?
4. What other ponies have been reported?
5. Full text list of reported ponies
5. How can I help??




1. What does this look like?


View attachment 52058

View attachment 52059



.....and eventually....




View attachment 52060

View attachment 52061



It's as simple as that. With so much as barely a touch, the hair breaks off and disintegrates.
This isn't a few loose strands--this hair breaks so easily that you don't even feel it breaking when it happens.
It requires pretty much no effort, it just all but turns to dust. As you can see above, it's just the tinsel that gets left behind if there is any.


Sadly, there is no cure for Disintegrating Hair Syndrome. Once the hair has started to fall apart, it's too late.

At that point, re-hairing is your only option.

Some may choose to leave their DHS-prone ponies without brushing and to display them however they look. Be aware though that
as soon as you move a pony that has DHS, or pack or ship it, or if it falls over, or if a breeze from an open window blows too hard,
the pony is still going to lose its hair eventually.





2. Why is this happening?


There are theories but no one knows for sure. It is unlikely to be the glue, since the hair disintegrates all over, not just detaching from where it's sewn into the head. Because it tends to affect certain ponies more than others, most seem to think it's just a poor quality of the hair used on those models deteriorating over time. It may or may not be worsened by sun exposure.








3. What ponies does this affect?

Disintegrating Hair Syndrome is mostly found in certain sets of ponies, such as discount chains and AVON exclusives, but has been reported in others outside of these sets.





NOTE: NOT every single pony
(every single Autumn Crisp, for example)
will have this problem.






Reported ponies prone to Disintegrating Hair Syndrome (with photos):


​

View attachment 52066View attachment 52061
Autumn Crisp - CONFIRMED
2005 Discount Chain Exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MustBeJewel)



View attachment 59241View attachment 59242View attachment 59243
Baby Romperooni - CONFIRMED
2004 Super Long Hair bonus pony
(photo: @Spoosh, @OctoberMoon, @blueming )



View attachment 80461View attachment 80460
Blossomforth [Wing Wishes] - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @Iridescent )



View attachment 59246View attachment 59245
December Poinsettia - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Lindsay S.)


View attachment 80456View attachment 80457
Dream Drifter - CONFIRMED
2007
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @starbeam )



View attachment 59248View attachment 59247
Glitterbelle - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, @SweetNightmare)



View attachment 52071View attachment 52087

Green Apple - CONFIRMED
2006 Discount Chain Exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Mandi P.)



View attachment 80464View attachment 80462
View attachment 80466View attachment 80463
Jazz Matazz & Wave Catcher - CONFIRMED
2005 AVON exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MeowFactor)



View attachment 81529View attachment 81528
Midnight Dream - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Melissa R.)



View attachment 59249View attachment 59250
Petal Blossom - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, heckyeahponyscans)




View attachment 59251View attachment 52085
Secret Wish - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, Peri K.)



View attachment 80468View attachment 80467
Soakey Dokey - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, @Mlp Sunsparkle )



View attachment 59258View attachment 59259
Sparkleworks (McDonald's) - CONFIRMED
2005
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @GracefulSlumber)




View attachment 59260View attachment 59261
Sparkleworks (II) - CONFIRMED
2003
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @buddafly)




View attachment 52073View attachment 52086
Sunrise - CONFIRMED
2006 Discount Chain Exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Benjamin Ben)




View attachment 59252View attachment 59253
Tangerine Twinkle - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MustBeJewel)



View attachment 80458View attachment 80459
Tea Lily - CONFIRMED
2005
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @BabyNightmare )



View attachment 59254View attachment 59255
Tripsy Daisy - CONFIRMED
2005
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MustBeJewel)




View attachment 59256View attachment 59257
Twirlerina - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @Magpeye)

5. Full Text List of Reported Ponies
Red = Confirmed above

Please comment with any photos you may have of the following ponies reported to be afflicted with Disintegrating Hair Syndrome:

​

- Autumn Crisp​

- Baby Romperooni​

- Blossomforth [Wing Wishes]​

- Breezy​

- Comet Tail​

- December Poinsettia​

- Dream Drifter​

- Flippity Flop​

- Frilly Frocks​

- Gem Blossom​

- Glitterbelle​

- Green Apple​

- Jazz Matazz & Wave Catcher​

- Midnight Dream​

- Peachie Keen​

- Peach Surprise & Tea Lily​

- Petal Blossom​

- Piccolo​

- Pretty Parasol​

- Rainbow Flash​

- Secret Wish​

- Soakey Dokey​

- Sparkleworks I, II, III, McDonald's​

- Strawberry Sunset​

- Sunny Daze (Dress-up Eveningwear 2004)​

- Sunrise​

- Tangerine Twinkle​

- Tripsy Daisy​

- Tulip Twinkle​

- Twirlerina​

- 2011 Comic-Con Pony​

- 3.5 Cheerilee (the one with changeable pigtails - Super Long Hair Ponies)​

​

Other products:​

- G3 Bubble bath toppers​

- G3 Twinkle Twirl gumball machine​

6. How Can I Help??

Help us fill out this list! If this has happened to you with a G3 pony,
please comment with its name and if possible, a photo of the damage.



​

Additional photo credits:
Green Apple: Mandy P.
Daybreak: Benjamin Ben
Midnight Dream: Melissa R.
Secret Wish: Keri P.
December Poinsettia: Lindsay S.

Additional info credits:
View attachment 52095

I wonder if there could be a climate factor in this as well? I have multiple of the ponys on this list and they are all completly fine. I know not all the toys on this list will have the issue all the time but I've got 2 of the unsafe sparkleworks and I've had two of the McDonald's sparkleworks (I have one now since I customized the other) and none of them have this issue. I got them all at one local thist store so it's likely they have been in the same climate.

 

[Cooliver.s]

G3 Disintegrating Hair Syndrome


It's been known for a long time now that certain G3 ponies are prone to what I've been referring to as "Disintegrating Hair Syndrome."


1. What does this look like?
2. Why is this happening?
3. What ponies does this affect?
4. What other ponies have been reported?
5. Full text list of reported ponies
5. How can I help??




1. What does this look like?


View attachment 52058

View attachment 52059



.....and eventually....




View attachment 52060

View attachment 52061



It's as simple as that. With so much as barely a touch, the hair breaks off and disintegrates.
This isn't a few loose strands--this hair breaks so easily that you don't even feel it breaking when it happens.
It requires pretty much no effort, it just all but turns to dust. As you can see above, it's just the tinsel that gets left behind if there is any.


Sadly, there is no cure for Disintegrating Hair Syndrome. Once the hair has started to fall apart, it's too late.

At that point, re-hairing is your only option.

Some may choose to leave their DHS-prone ponies without brushing and to display them however they look. Be aware though that
as soon as you move a pony that has DHS, or pack or ship it, or if it falls over, or if a breeze from an open window blows too hard,
the pony is still going to lose its hair eventually.





2. Why is this happening?


There are theories but no one knows for sure. It is unlikely to be the glue, since the hair disintegrates all over, not just detaching from where it's sewn into the head. Because it tends to affect certain ponies more than others, most seem to think it's just a poor quality of the hair used on those models deteriorating over time. It may or may not be worsened by sun exposure.








3. What ponies does this affect?

Disintegrating Hair Syndrome is mostly found in certain sets of ponies, such as discount chains and AVON exclusives, but has been reported in others outside of these sets.





NOTE: NOT every single pony
(every single Autumn Crisp, for example)
will have this problem.






Reported ponies prone to Disintegrating Hair Syndrome (with photos):


​

View attachment 52066View attachment 52061
Autumn Crisp - CONFIRMED
2005 Discount Chain Exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MustBeJewel)



View attachment 59241View attachment 59242View attachment 59243
Baby Romperooni - CONFIRMED
2004 Super Long Hair bonus pony
(photo: @Spoosh, @OctoberMoon, @blueming )



View attachment 80461View attachment 80460
Blossomforth [Wing Wishes] - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @Iridescent )



View attachment 59246View attachment 59245
December Poinsettia - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Lindsay S.)


View attachment 80456View attachment 80457
Dream Drifter - CONFIRMED
2007
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @starbeam )



View attachment 59248View attachment 59247
Glitterbelle - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, @SweetNightmare)



View attachment 52071View attachment 52087

Green Apple - CONFIRMED
2006 Discount Chain Exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Mandi P.)



View attachment 80464View attachment 80462
View attachment 80466View attachment 80463
Jazz Matazz & Wave Catcher - CONFIRMED
2005 AVON exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MeowFactor)



View attachment 81529View attachment 81528
Midnight Dream - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Melissa R.)



View attachment 59249View attachment 59250
Petal Blossom - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, heckyeahponyscans)




View attachment 59251View attachment 52085
Secret Wish - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, Peri K.)



View attachment 80468View attachment 80467
Soakey Dokey - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: @Spoosh, @Mlp Sunsparkle )



View attachment 59258View attachment 59259
Sparkleworks (McDonald's) - CONFIRMED
2005
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @GracefulSlumber)




View attachment 59260View attachment 59261
Sparkleworks (II) - CONFIRMED
2003
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @buddafly)




View attachment 52073View attachment 52086
Sunrise - CONFIRMED
2006 Discount Chain Exclusive
(photo: Strawberry Reef, Benjamin Ben)




View attachment 59252View attachment 59253
Tangerine Twinkle - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MustBeJewel)



View attachment 80458View attachment 80459
Tea Lily - CONFIRMED
2005
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @BabyNightmare )



View attachment 59254View attachment 59255
Tripsy Daisy - CONFIRMED
2005
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @MustBeJewel)




View attachment 59256View attachment 59257
Twirlerina - CONFIRMED
2006
(photo: Strawberry Reef, @Magpeye)

5. Full Text List of Reported Ponies
Red = Confirmed above

Please comment with any photos you may have of the following ponies reported to be afflicted with Disintegrating Hair Syndrome:

​

- Autumn Crisp​

- Baby Romperooni​

- Blossomforth [Wing Wishes]​

- Breezy​

- Comet Tail​

- December Poinsettia​

- Dream Drifter​

- Flippity Flop​

- Frilly Frocks​

- Gem Blossom​

- Glitterbelle​

- Green Apple​

- Jazz Matazz & Wave Catcher​

- Midnight Dream​

- Peachie Keen​

- Peach Surprise & Tea Lily​

- Petal Blossom​

- Piccolo​

- Pretty Parasol​

- Rainbow Flash​

- Secret Wish​

- Soakey Dokey​

- Sparkleworks I, II, III, McDonald's​

- Strawberry Sunset​

- Sunny Daze (Dress-up Eveningwear 2004)​

- Sunrise​

- Tangerine Twinkle​

- Tripsy Daisy​

- Tulip Twinkle​

- Twirlerina​

- 2011 Comic-Con Pony​

- 3.5 Cheerilee (the one with changeable pigtails - Super Long Hair Ponies)​

​

Other products:​

- G3 Bubble bath toppers​

- G3 Twinkle Twirl gumball machine​

6. How Can I Help??

Help us fill out this list! If this has happened to you with a G3 pony,
please comment with its name and if possible, a photo of the damage.



​

Additional photo credits:
Green Apple: Mandy P.
Daybreak: Benjamin Ben
Midnight Dream: Melissa R.
Secret Wish: Keri P.
December Poinsettia: Lindsay S.

Additional info credits:
View attachment 52095

I had a comet tail with this problem! The lowest strand started to break off when i brushed it, later on there was less left than this, but this is the only pic i have of the problem on her. The other colors were fine, and her tail was okay too, just that color was affected.

 

[PsychoElectricAngel]

@MustBeJewel I can confirm that my Sparkleworks III has DHS
The tinsel is the only thing staying in her hair..

 

[Rats]

Oh no now I'm scared to detangle my twirlarinas hair 0_0
Her hair is way too tangled compared to the rest of my ponies to really tell just from touch, it just feels nasty and tangled. I guess it won't really matter if it falls out when she gets her spa day if there is nothing you can do about it, which is really sad. poor pink fellas

 

[CocoChipooRocks]

This is so sad! Haven't brushed any of mine out in a while and now I'm scared to even touch the ones I own on the list

 

[MustBeJewel]

Twinkle Bloom has been added to the list on the first page.

 

[Leave a Whisper]

Twinkle Bloom has been added to the list on the first page.

Seriously? Ugh!

 

[MintamenaPie]

Almost got all the G3s out of my parents place, and this happened in the middle of dusting. Right into the swiffer. XD Morning Glory. She’s so pretty too, I keep thinking the one saving grace is that this magenta color is super common, so I don’t think anybody able to reroot is gonna have problems.

It doesn’t quite look like the magenta color in this picture but I’m 95% sure it is. I had a rough day yesterday getting her out and it was super dirty so that’s why the coloring looks off in the photo. She’s currently buried in a box full of ponies waiting to be cleaned, so I can’t dig her out to be sure. I think the color theory is making it look a little different on the website. But I’m pretty sure it’s that magenta striking again.