Plop your way to frizz-free curls!

If you have curly hair, you know that drying it can be a time-consuming and challenging process. Fortunately, plopping is an excellent way to speed up drying time while keeping your curls intact. We’ll discuss the how’s and the why’s of the techniques and what you need to get started. So let’s dive in!

How to plop curly hair, tutorial:

So, What is Plopping?

Plopping is the word for literally plopping wet hair directly onto an accessory designed to protect and gently absorb water from wet hair. This is the safe-curly-alternative to twisting it like we see in the movies. The key is to bunch up curly hair into the accessory instead of twisting it. We’re going to talk about the different types of accessories you can use for it and ideal texture types for which this is relevant. 

Why Do We Plop?

Plopping is really a drying technique used to enhance curls and prevent frizz. The goal of plopping is to remove excess water from your curls while they’re still wet, without breaking/ without disturbing the curl pattern.

By reducing the amount of water in your hair, you speed up the drying process, which helps prevent frizz and other unwanted effects. Additionally, plopping affects how the hair products saturate in your hair.

Types of Plopping

Today, we’re going to talk about three different types of plopping: 

1. Plopping with a towel or t-shirt towel
2. Wet plopping, 
3. Micro plopping

1. Plopping with a Towel or T-shirt

Plopping with a towel is the original method of plopping, and involves wrapping your hair in a towel to speed up the drying process. For fine hair, or those wanting to retain more water you’ll want to use a thin towel. For thicker hair or wetter hair that takes longer to dry, you’ll want to use a thicker towel.

To plop with a towel, start by flipping your wet hair onto the towel. Then, wrap the towel around your head and secure it with a clip or hair tie. Leave the towel on for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your hair or for some people (like me) the time depends on how long your scalp can endure it. My sweet spot is under 7 minutes. Plopping more than 7 minutes dries my hair out. You will have to experiment a few times to find your sweet spot.

Remember the ultimate goal is to speed up drying time, not to dry your hair completely with the towel! 

@honestlizhere

2. Wet Plopping

Let’s discuss Wet Plopping. The term was coined by  @HiF3licia .

This method uses a plastic shower cap to allow time for your hair to saturate with product before starting the drying process. This particular type of plopping doesn’t actually dry your hair out – it’s meant to help products saturate well in your hair. Drying is separate!

So, you’ll start with wet hair and apply your usual hair products. Then, you’ll put on a plastic shower cap and leave it on for about 5 to 7 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the shower cap and proceed to the drying process.

This method is great if you have thick, coarse hair or if you  need more time for the saturation into hair and want to add extra moisture to their hair. Great for fine hair or anyone needing more volume around the roots! 

3. Micro Plopping

Finally, let’s talk about Micro Plopping. This technique involves gently cupping small sections of wet hair with a microfiber towel to squeeze out excess water without disrupting the curl pattern. There is no wrapping involved here. To do this, you’ll need a microfiber towel.

Microfiber towels are soft and absorbent, which makes them perfect for removing excess water from your hair. Brands that I use and love are Bambonn Haircare, TPlopee towels, and Curly Ellie microfiber towels.

To start, wet your hair and apply your preferred hair product. To micro plop, simply cup your hair with the microfiber towel and gently squeeze out the excess water. Do not rub your hair with a towel, as this can cause frizz.This technique is especially effective for people with anyone who prefers styling on soaking wet hair.

Should you plop curly hair overnight?

No. But maybe yes, if you have coarse hair that is feeling super brittle? I do that from time to time. I apply oil on dry hair and plop in a shower cap, keep that overnight. There were also times in my bleached-hair-era when I have plopped my damp hair in hair mask. That is just me.

And there you have it – three different types of plopping using different types of towels. No matter which method you choose, plopping can help you achieve defined, frizz-free curls.

Thank you for watching & reading!

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