To plop or not to plop! Plopping is great and when done right it can bear amazing results - juicy clumps and well-defined curls. It is similar to scrunching in a way just that you have to keep a fabric wound around your hair for a couple of minutes. Here is your hair-plopping guide taking you through everything plopping.
What is plopping hair?
Plopping is a technique that uses a cotton T-shirt or a microfiber towel to dry the wet curls on top of your head. Plopping hair with t-shirt helps to increase definition and cut down on frizz.
Why plop instead of twisting your hair in a towel?
When you wrap and twist your curls in a towel, your hair gets stretched out, deforming the curl pattern. It also causes frizz! Plopping down keeps your wet curls intact and scrunched. Your roots stay volumized, your clumps aren't broken, and your hair stays smooth.
What do I need to try hair plopping?
- A leave-in conditioner
- Defining hair gel
- A cotton t-shirt or microfiber towel
- A blow dryer with a diffuser (optional)
How to plop?
- Finish applying your stylers on soaking wet hair
- Get a big-size cotton t-shirt/microfiber towel and lay it flat on a surface
- Now flip your wet hair over and onto the t-shirt/microfiber towel
- Press your head down on the curls like an accordion
- Hold the sides of the t-shirt and roll them to your forehead
- Tie the ends touching your nape creating a 'bag'
- Don't tie too hard. You don't want to squish your hair
How long should I plop my hair?
It varies from 5-10 mins to 15-20 mins. Plopping time also depends upon hair type, length, porosity, and lifestyle, so you need to experiment and understand what the sweet time for your curls is. However, plopping overnight or for long hours is not ideal as keeping your hair wet is not good for your scalp.
Hair plopping mistakes
Here are some common mistakes we curlies often do while using the plopping technique.
- Plopping direct without making an accordion or simply folding the curls. If not done properly your curls might end up being wonky.
- Not laying your microfibre towel or t-shirt flat on the surface is another common mistake while plopping. Laying the fabric flat allows wrapping all the hair to be in the plop and not make a hot mess!
- Clinching the fabric roughly or tightly. Clinching tightly can crush your curls and disrupt your curl pattern. You don’t wanna do that!
- Going 100% dry while plopping. Oh no, you don’t want to do that! Keep your plop for as long as 10-15 mins (max 20mins) so that it is almost 80-90% dry.
Plopping wavy hair is quite common as it gives more definition to your curls and makes them frizz-free. Although, it cuts on volume a little bit. Plop and tell us what has worked for you the best!