The Hidden or not so Hidden Health Cost of BJDs

Saw this thread and thought I'd chime in. I have asthma so I'm hyper aware of the dangers! Lucky for me, I have a balcony to work from. My doctor knows about my hobby and also warned me about inhaling the fumes.
One other thing gang! Your pets are as vulnerable to these fumes as much as you are, if not more. Most of the fumes and the resin dust can kill a pet bird almost instantly.

 

I brought a couple of BJD boxes home from the PO by bike with no harm done, despite not being able to see over the LUTS Abadon one . No, but seriously, I don't think this is an overly harmful or dangerous hobby. I don't think enough resin dust gets rubbed off joints to do harm. I did accidentally breathe in a little MSC once while spraying outside and have been using a respirator every time since. Yikes. I now use a respirator while removing faceups as well because Mr. Thinner has some wicked fumes, too.

My father was a safety inspector for years, and I worked in a safety/first aid department, so I've always been a pretty safety conscious. I wear helmets when appropriate, etc., and so I try to use the appropriate equipment when doing customizing, too. People are often a bit funny about safety. I've often had to defend my use of safety equipment to other people whether riding horses, bikes, or doing hobby stuff. Even if they were right and I didn't need to, it certainly doesn't harm me to use protective gear.

 

I'm not planning to do any of these things myself anytime soon, but I have a friend who wants to try doing faceups and eventually making her own dolls when she gets her own apartment, and I'm worried about her. She's not the type to do risky things, but still! I feel like I'm going to be bugging her asking if she used the proper safety equipment every time she works on a doll. ^^; I'm overly paranoid like that.

 

I love doing face-ups, it's one of my favourite parts of this hobby! I know the chemicals are dangerous, but I bought myself a gas mask (if I could just learn how to wear the dratted thing) so it's not going to stop me. I've already got asthma, and various incarnations of bronchitis when it gets cold, so I figure my lungs are pretty much done anyway. I've also just started to experiment with modding- I've got two little projects that I'm working on -but only one involves sanding, and I'll definitely take precautions. I'd just never consider giving up the things I love because of the risks involved (unless said risks were like, immediate death or something.)

 

The risks in this hobby are pretty low in comparison to some in all reality. So, wearing a mask when sanding and/or face-upping is not exactly that high-risk. I know some people are of course overly cautious due to the fact they suffer from certain allergies or have some other issues, but for the average person in this hobby, it's no great risk. Common sense prevails in this hobby. If I am using sealant or spray paint, I use a mask or try to do it outside if the weather is reasonable (which is a rarity here in UK). The area is well ventillated, and my little boy knows if I am doing this and he wants to come chat with me then he needs to wear a mask too. Just a basic white mask from DIY shops, not some bloody great World War gas mask mind! I don't do the sanding work myself, my best friends husband does that for me as he has a proper work area for that kind of things, and I'm not generally a modder. Face-up wise, I don't see any great risk in nail-polish remover (just don't inhale it), acrylics, pastels etc.

 

About Snow: I know I currently live in Texas but I lived in Michigan for 20 some years. There are health risks to walking in snow because if it IS in Michigan, it's lake effect snow which is extra wet and usually has a layer of ice to sit on. Ice is slippery and falling in snow is only fun if there's grass underneath and not concrete. :3 Although the real risk is getting hit by a car that has lost control on the slick roads.

About Health Issues: I am of the school that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So while I do customize my dolls, I have not sealed them all because I do not have the proper respirator. I did it once outside on my balcony and the SMELL alone warned me that it was a bad idea to do something like that again without that safety precaution.
Most of my other hobbies actually come with lots of health benefits compared to this one. Gaming is supposedly helping my memory and problem solving skills. And kung fu is improving my heart. Although I'm switching to Tai Chi because on an emotional level I'm not receiving benefits and I get hurt kind of easily. My doll modding...I'm sure will be emotionally satisfying IF I EVER FINISH. *shame* been modding these two dolls for nearly a year now!

 

Health complications and art have gone hand in hand for many many years. Most artsits who work with oil pants eventually end up with serious health issues related to the constant use of turpentine and things such as bestine(sp?).

 

There are of course possible risks to your health in this hobby but it only really applies to those who don't bother wearing a professional respirator mask when doing face-ups with sealant or when sanding resin. Just holding your breath when applying MSC is not at all adequet, yet I have heard of people doing this and then complaining of a troublesome sore throat afterwards. Scary. Getting sealant down your lungs is REALLY bad. Also some people are often tempted to blow on suspected resin dust but these tiny particles can linger in the air and be digested so it's best to gently wipe any dust away with a cloth/sponge. You don't want resin dust lingering around in your room/home. I don't have anywhere in my house appropriate to do face-ups and store the materials, equipment needed etc which is why I never do them myself. For me I'm happy to either pay for a company face-up or to commission someone who knows what they are doing to do a face-up for me. I'm not interested in modding either.... well not the type of modification that requires you to sand resin anyway. I'm only interested in customising clothes & accessories, I hope to give wig making a try later on as well. If i'm not happy with a doll the way it is I just don't buy it. I don't mind hybriding (is that even a word lol) by putting one company head on another company body if they fit but that's as far as it goes. I have a very sensitive throat and have problems just using super glue which makes my throat burn so I use very little of that now, I don't even like the smell of resin as it sometimes gives me a migraine especially if it is quite pungent with a newish doll so messing around modding them just isn't something that appeals to me. I'm not likely to consume resin in its solid form so all in all any potential health risks to me personally are minimal. I keep them away from my dog just to be on the safe side too. I don't want to come across as a nagger but it does genuinely concern me when I hear folks aren't using the necessary precautions when doing face-ups or sanding resin and so forth. It isn't worth risking your health now for a hobby that may not be so important to you in the future just for the sake of giving it a face-up. A respirator mask may be pricey but it will repay you dividends and is such a worthwhile investment for those of you who enjoy doing modifications etc.

 

Spending money on my car or spending money in dolls...eh. -pets her car- My useful baby, hehe.

I haven't had any health issues/concerns with my dolls. They just sit there not doing anything. XD I use a hemostat, head puller, and stringing tool whenever I have to restring. I'm fairly strong in comparison to most it seems? I've been pinched maybe one or two times and that was before I bought proper tools. I spray outside whenever I do anything faceuppy and that's it. Unless you plan on going hard into resin carving/sanding or painting it's a very safe hobby.