Doll Modification
Doll Modification is any sort of permanent change to a doll to give them different features. This is most often used to make custom dolls, including boys.
As American Girl only offers specific options in hair color, eye color, and skin tones (even within the Create Your Own Line), customization is the most popular way to have more unique dolls into a collection.
Official Modifications
American Girl currently only offers three modifications to dolls outside of the Create Your Own line:
These were initially only available for 18" Dolls, in particular modern dolls. Starting in 2018, WellieWishers dolls can get ear piercings.
Dolls can also be modified to display limb difference through the company A Step Ahead Prosthetics at no cost; however, the company policy is to only offer customized dolls to children who have faced or are facing limb loss/limb difference in order to aid in the strengthening of their foundation and self-confidence during their early developmental years and this modification is unavailable to the general public.
Unofficial Modifications
Some common types of unofficial modification are:
Unofficial modifications, especially extreme ones, are likely to result in a doll being unable to be repaired by the American Girl Care Center.