How to Plop Curly Hair

Plopping is the practice of wrapping freshly styled, wet curls on top of your head in a smooth cloth and leaving them there for a while. The name is unfortunate. The technique is sound, and for wavy and curly hair that dries flat, it is one of the few changes that costs nothing and shows a difference the first time.

What it does

Wet hair is heavy, and for as long as it hangs, the weight of the water pulls the curl pattern straighter, most of all at the root. Plopping takes gravity out of the equation for the first part of drying. The curls sit compressed in their natural coiled shape, on top of the head, while the cloth draws out the excess water.

The results are fairly consistent:

• More lift at the root.
• Tighter, more defined curls and waves.
• A shorter drying time afterward.
• Less dripping down your back.

What you need

A long-sleeved cotton T-shirt works well and is where most people start. A smooth microfiber hair towel is easier to secure. What you should not use is a terry bath towel, whose loops rough up the cuticle and cause frizz.

The method

1. Style first

Plopping comes after your products, not before. Apply your leave-in and your gel or mousse to soaking wet hair, as described in The Wash Day Routine. If you plop first and style afterward, you will disturb the curl clumps the plop has just set.

2. Lay out the cloth

Spread the T-shirt or towel flat on a bed or a closed toilet lid, with the sleeves or the long edge nearest you.

3. Lower your hair onto it

Bend forward at the waist so your hair hangs straight down over the center of the cloth. Lower your head slowly until your curls fold down onto themselves, like an accordion, and the top of your head touches the fabric.

4. Wrap

Bring the far edge of the cloth up and over the back of your head to the nape of your neck. Gather the sides, twist them away from your face and tie or tuck them at the back. With a T-shirt, the sleeves tie neatly behind the head. It should feel secure without being tight.

5. Wait

Ten to twenty minutes is enough. Then unwrap gently, and do not rake your fingers through. Either leave your hair to air dry or diffuse it.

Plopping does not dry your hair. It gives the curl a head start before gravity gets involved.

How long is too long?

You will see overnight plopping recommended. We would not. A scalp that stays damp and covered for eight hours can become irritated, and curls pressed flat for that long tend to dry in odd, crushed shapes. If your hair is still very wet after twenty minutes, your cloth is saturated; swap it for a dry one for another ten.

Who should skip it

Plopping suits wavy and curly hair best. For very tight coils, which already have plenty of lift at the root and are prone to shrinkage, it offers less, and compressing the hair can encourage tangles. Very long, heavy hair may also find the accordion fold creates creases; try a shorter plop, or the micro-plop described below.

Micro-plopping

If the full wrap is not for you, there is a simpler version. After applying your stylers, take a microfiber towel and gently squeeze sections of hair upward toward the scalp, holding each for a few seconds. This removes water without disturbing the pattern, and it is the better choice for fine waves that a full plop can flatten.

Troubleshooting

• Flat on top. You wrapped too tightly, or left it too long. Loosen and shorten.
• Frizz. Usually a rough cloth, or not enough product underneath.
• Odd bends near the root. Lower your head more slowly, so the curls fold evenly.