A. Hair Plopping 101: The Viral Styling Technique for Defined Curls
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Between thick lights, a trench base and hair loss, the quarantine spawned several beauty trends that no one imagined (much like my newfound addiction to puzzles). If you had told me a year ago that I would be home for most of 2020, I would have predicted my most beautiful hair days yet. With nowhere to go and plenty of time for cleaning, deep conditioning treatments and hair masks, the lockdown looks like a recipe for dream curls.
However, I found that my predictions were wrong, since lately it has been more difficult than ever to overcome my complications. I don’t know if it’s due to split ends (like most, I didn’t cut my hair in a minute), but lately I’ve been making an effort to untangle my hair, no matter how much conditioner I use, and thanks to the extremely stubborn knots, I lost more hair during detangling.
When I heard curly girls praise hair loss at TikTok – a styling technique that results in curly, defined and hydrated locks – I was there. I thought that finding a way to reduce the wrinkle could mean less headache after the wash rolls again.
1. What is hair plopping?
Hair loss is nothing new – curly girls on YouTube have been demonstrating the modeling technique for years, but with the recent revival of TikTok, people are rediscovering the benefits of #PlopLife.
This is how popping works: first, apply your normal styling products to damp and freshly washed hair. Then place a microfiber cloth – non-traditional; This is the key to minimizing frizz – or placing an old T-shirt on a flat surface. So, and that’s where the name of the technology comes in, bend over and let your hair fall on the towel or shirt.
Finally, wrap the fabric around your head like a turban and attach it to your back to keep it in place. Your locks are then “accordion” on your head, joining them as they dry, resulting in a defined texture without the dreaded crunch that requires a lot of gel and finger tightening.
It also allows water in your hair to penetrate the microfiber cloth or shirt, avoiding the friction that traditional fluffy towels can cause.
2. How long does hair plopping take?
You were supposed to let your hair fall out for at least an hour, but I kept mine a little longer while I was working (the small achievements of living in quarantine). Although it looked like Pillsbury Doughboy, I found it kind of cute, and when I took it out I could see that my curls had a better texture than if I just let them air dry.
3. What are the results of hair plopping?
After you let go of your hair, it probably won’t be completely dry and you decide whether you want to break it or let the air do it. If you have time, you can adjust the results with a great diffuser (I recommend the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer). Or if you want to take a break from the heat, relax and start the day.
When I looked at TikTok a little more closely, it looked like falling hair is better for loose curl patterns that aren’t as curly (2A to 3B) – but it’s still worth trying, even for firmer curls. However, I suspect that the accordion effect encourages wavy hair to texturize rather than fall out, but I am tempted to try again with a diffuser in the future.
B. Your Plopping Hair Guide: How to Plop Curly Hair the *Right* Way
Mmmkay to be honest, if you have curly hair and have never tried (or committed), you missed some of the best hair days of your life. Same. Bulky curly hair – that is, using a specific drying technique to highlight your wet hair and reduce frizz / flaking during drying – was not only the key to adding more volume to my fine, straight hair, but also to making my curls appear uniform (!) defined.
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1. What is wet Plopping?
Popping is a technique that uses a cotton T-shirt (or a pillowcase or microfiber cloth) to dry your wet hair in an autonomous pile on your head, adding definition and reducing frizz. Basically, the curly alternative is to wrap a towel around your head.
Why is plopping better than the old twisted towel situation? Well, because when you wrap and twist your curls in a towel, they will be stretched (with the twist) and curly (with your rough and protruding towel). However, the plop keeps your wet hair compact and accordion-like wrinkles on top of the head, leaving your roots voluminous, agglomerating your curls and keeping your hair cuticle smooth (thanks to the soft cotton fabric).
2. How do you drop your hair
So there are some variations on how you can style your hair depending on what you are wearing (for example, a T-shirt, microfiber cloth or pillowcase). I tried all three and found the easiest method with the best and most consistent results that come from wearing a t-shirt – especially a huge long-sleeved shirt. With that in mind, here’s how to comb curly hair:
- Get a large T-shirt. The Internet’s unofficial favorite selection? A long-sleeved XXL cotton T-shirt (I wear this men’s Soffe t-shirt for the cheap price of $ 9. Whattup).
- Before jumping into the shower, put your T-shirt upside down – that is, with your sleeves and the neck hole close to you – on the bathroom counter, chair or toilet seat (hey, I put it on) at this point in the whole school and I’m fine).
- After showering and applying stylers (especially stylers you normally use on wet hair, such as conditioner or rinse-free gel), turn wet hair to the center of the shirt and press the curls of your head like an accordion.
- If your head / hair is still upside down, reach out and grab the bottom of the shirt and place it over your hair / head (so that it touches the nape and completely covers the hair). You are basically creating a small protective pouch around your curls.
- While holding the ends of the shirt to the back of the neck, hold the sleeves close to the forehead and twist them together to tighten the “pocket” around the head.
- Wrap the twisted sleeves around your head and tie them tightly to prevent the shirt from slipping or falling. If you look like you’re wearing a wet helmet, congratulations – you got it right.
After turning your head back, all your curls will remain perfectly nestled in your head like a pile of compressed slinkies, allowing them to dry in their natural formation, untouched by the gravity, moisture or roughness of a towel. That said, by the time you unpack your shirt, your curls will have started to dry with better definition and volume, without frizz.
3. How long should you flop your hair?
There really is no right or wrong answer here – some plop only 5-10 minutes, some plop 15-20, others plop an hour and some swear to plop at night while sleeping. It all depends on your hair type, length, porosity and lifestyle. So this is one of the times when experimentation is needed.
Personally, I found that soaking my thin, low porosity wicks for 15-20 minutes is the ideal place to add definition and absorb just enough excess water. Anything over 20 minutes will dry my curls a little too much, making it difficult to add products later, without the risk of frizz or messing up my curl pattern. I also tried to flambel during the night and found that – as a common complaint – my hair got too damp and my scalp ended up itching (dandruff / yeast growth loves a damp scalp).
C. How to Plop Curly Hair: A Curly Girl’s Guide
If you’ve been gifted with curls, you’ve probably noticed that your curls are elegant and defined with wet hair, but when they’re dry, the story is different. You not only lose the definition of the curls, but you also tend to frizz. What you do with wet and dry hair is essential for a good hair day, which leads us to the curly hair method.
Plopping is a technique that was born here on the NaturallyCurly forums and is an indispensable step in our routine. You shake your wet hair after applying the styler and before you start drying your hair. It will straighten your curls and help them maintain their defined spiral shape, even after drying.
1. T-shirt against towel
Traditional plush towels “absorb a lot of the moisture needed for curly hair,” explains Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl: The NEW Handbook. Therefore, the first step is to avoid using terry cloth and instead choose a T-shirt or microfiber fabric. Both methods work and we are not here to sell you an extra tool you don’t need. If you decide to wear a t-shirt, follow the steps above to wear a t-shirt, and if you have a microfiber cloth t-shirt, we have a tutorial for you below.
2. Instructions
- After getting out of the bath, squeeze out the excess water and apply your leave-in conditioner (we like Kinky-Curly Knot Today) and styler. For many curls, the sequence is leave-in, oil and cream for curls – also known as the LOC method. Now it’s time to plop.
- Place a T-shirt (long sleeve works best) or microfiber cloth on a chair or bathroom counter with the sleeves closest to you at the end.
- Rotate your head forward and bend at the waist so that all hair is in the center of the towel and on top of the head.
- Take the fabric flap behind your head and fold it over your neck. Then tie the long sleeves of the shirt (or the extra fabric from the microfiber fabric) with a knot behind the head.
If you have extra material or are wearing a long-sleeved shirt, roll the extra length of the sleeves forward and tie the ends together. This will make your turban safer.
3. The benefits of plopping
The shirt will absorb moisture without causing frizz as your hair dries, which will significantly reduce drying time. Curlies are happy, you know that drying can take forever! The shirt or towel also absorbs the excess of the product, so that you don’t get hard and crunchy curls.
If you have thin or looser hair, dropping it can create buoyancy at the roots, as the hair on your head will dry rather than weigh. And on some days, if your waves or curls tend to fade or look soft, this will improve your curl pattern, bringing the curls together as they dry. Putting your hair on the towel with a chair or counter creates an “accordion” effect that stimulates the formation of your curls. If you are not using the chair (as in the second set of photos), your curls will be stretched as they dry.
