Hmm, yeah not sure I have a whole lot of suggestions myself.

I would second the suggestion to test out a small version of half Mod Podge, half matte medium to see which gives a nicer effect for the image transfer.

I think the surface you end up transferring to will play a big role. Could also try painting it with some sort of colorful/textured background?

More intricate patterns in the hair? Though, I may be a bot biased toward tiny details 😁