This morning on the show, I explained what “plopping” is when it comes to curly hair. Honestly, I didn’t know about it until a year or so ago. This all came about because one of my friends mentioned that my hair looked good. So, I started explaining that I’d been able to leave it “plopped” a bit longer that morning and it makes a huge difference. What’s funny is… I don’t have naturally curly hair. If anything, my hair is slightly wavy. But I did get a perm a couple of years ago to try to even out my waves/curls. And the friend I was explaining plopping to has naturally curly hair… and she’d never heard of it.
Plopping For Curly Hair
So, what is plopping? The best way I’d describe it is: after washing and conditioning your hair, you lean your head over and get all the hair at the crown of your head. Then you place it on a t-shirt or microfiber towel. You wrap it up in a way that keeps the hair “plopped” on top of your head. It helps absorb the water and dry your hair. The idea is that using a t-shirt helps minimize frizzy hair.
How I Learned About Plopping
Honestly, I can’t remember how I first learned of it. I do have a friend who has naturally curly hair that may have mentioned it. But I’ve also seen a lot of it on TikTok, of course! When I got my perm a few years ago, I started digging into the best methods for curly hair. While the perm started out great, I got to a point where I just felt like my curls weren’t looking as good as they could. I’ve tried a variety of products and styling methods throughout the years, but I will say, plopping is the best for my curly hair!
How To Plop
I have seen plopping done a few different ways. The way I do it is a bit different than most of the videos I’ve found but still gets the job done. I use a short-sleeved t-shirt, but I do think a bigger, long-sleeved t-shirt would be easier. Then, I use the bottom part of the t-shirt, and wrap that around my hairline. I hold it in place with one hand while folding the top part of the shirt back to the nape of my neck. Then I take the sleeves one at a time and bring them to the front and tie them there. Again, probably not the easiest way, but that’s what gets it done for me. I’ll share a few plopping videos below… and a few other curly hair methods that I have tried and like.
Another Trick
When I’m in the shower, I put conditioner in my hair, flip my head upside down, and rinse the conditioner out while combing through with a wide-toothed comb. Before I get out of the shower and start to plop, I will “squish” my curls (see explanation below) to get as much water out as I can. Then I try to keep my head upside down as I get out of the shower and immediately put product in and plop! Currently, I use the Blueberry Bliss Leave-In Conditioner by Curls and John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls.
