Kristina is the founder of Lockenbox & Lockenexpertin. She has been intensively involved with the topic of curly hair care since her youth, when her straight hair suddenly turned into curls.
Plopping or the plopping method is on everyone's lips in YouTube videos, blogs and Instagram posts of the curly community. Most curly-heads have therefore probably come across this term before.
But what exactly is hair popping? And what advantages does it offer for natural curls and waves? We'll look into it and find out what exactly curl popping is all about and what the best method is for creating curls with a T-shirt!
What is plopping actually?
Plopping is a hair drying technique that is especially suitable for people with curly or wavy hair . It gives the curls a very good definition and helps reduce frizz .
Plopping the hair is part of the Curly Girl Method according to Lorraine Massey . The essence of the technique consists in wrapping the still wet hair (hence the wet plopping technique ) in a certain way with a T-shirt or microfiber towel after washing and drying it .
The use of a normal (terry cloth) towel is not necessary .
- This reduces hair damage and frizz .
- In addition, popping helps to optimally bundle the individual curl strands, as they are kept in shape during drying.
- The hair also gets more shine and bounce.
Plopping hair is a trick for drying hair and defining curls, which is why it is extremely popular with curly-heads. The word "plopping" comes from the English term "to plop" and means something like "to splash" or "to plop".
And that's exactly what you do with your curls with this method: You let your curls "plop" into a shirt or towel, where they can then dry in peace.
What are the advantages of the plopping method?
The wonderful thing is that plopping is a drying method but also a styling method at the same time. This means that high-maintenance curls can be styled into a perfect look with very little effort. What's more, the whole thing works without heat , which is particularly good for sensitive curly hair, as the method is very gentle.
- This will make your hair look particularly well-groomed and shiny.
- The gentle way of drying the hair with smooth cotton or microfiber also helps very well to prevent the unwanted frizz .
- The plopping method is so universal that it can be carried out anywhere. Basically, all you need is a T-shirt/microfiber towel, so you can leave your straightening iron or other styling tools in the closet.
- With the plopping method, the term “beauty sleep” takes on a whole new meaning, because if you like, you can even go to bed with your popped hair in the evening and then wake up in the morning with defined curls full of bounce.
That definitely makes you want to try out the T-shirt method for curls, doesn't it?
How does the plopping method work?
The plopping method is used on wet hair after washing . It is really easy to do and can produce great results with little effort.
We will show you step by step how to pop your hair .
- First, wash your curls as usual with a mild, suitable shampoo and preferably a suitable conditioner for curls .
- Then add some leave-in conditioner or curl cream to your hair. This makes the plopping more effective and helps define your curls .
You could also apply a holding styling product such as curl mousse or curl gel to your hair now.
- Now take a cotton T-shirt (or our Rainbow Curls "Like a T-shirt" Curl Towel ) or a microfiber towel and lay it out in front of you, for example on your bed or a chair.
- The most important thing is that the plopping towel is not made of terry cloth fibers . These have a very rough surface and quickly cause frizz in sensitive curly hair.
Once you have a T-shirt or microfiber towel ready, you can start popping your hair.
For the sake of simplicity, we will explain popping using a T-shirt . The opening for your head should be facing you. Now bend over the T-shirt and place your hair in the middle of the fabric.
- The curls should “collapse” from the tips of the hair towards the head, because you want to enhance their curly shape through plopping.
- Now place the bottom of the shirt behind your neck and fold up the sides so that you can tie the sleeves of the T-shirt together at the back of your head.
- This way, the curls will lie nice and close to the head . That's it! The T-shirt fabric will now remove excess water and styling product from the hair, reducing frizz and making the curls even more defined.
- After 10-30 minutes, carefully remove the turban. To prevent the hair from getting tangled again when it falls down, slowly remove the turban while holding it upside down and slowly lift your head over the side so that the hair falls evenly onto the back of your neck.
- Et voilà. Now diffuse your hair or let it air dry.
Plop Hair: Step-by-Step Picture Instructions
How long do I have to pop my hair?
Most curlies only dry their hair for a short time in a plopping towel to allow the curls to set nicely and then use a diffuser or let the curls finish drying in the air.
However, you can also wait until your hair is completely dry . Depending on the density and thickness of your hair, this can take several hours under the turban.
However, there is a risk that your hair will be super defined, but will dry in an uneven and rather awkward shape in the turban .
For this reason, we do not recommend the method of completely drying with popped hair.
Expert tip: It is important that you leave the popped hair alone and do not open the shirt or the microfiber towel or move it back and forth on your head. Otherwise you will destroy the curls and your hair will become frizzy and disheveled.
Is the plopping method suitable for me?
Plopping hair is perfect for anyone who has naturally curly or wavy hair , as plopping has the ability to strengthen your wavy texture or natural curls .
This creates voluminous and bouncy curls. Unfortunately, you cannot create curly hair this way if your hair is naturally straight .
What do I need for popping?
The great thing is that you only need very few tools for the plopping technique .
Leave-in conditioner or a curl cream: This helps your curls to hold together and, in addition to moisturizing, also provides more definition and bounce.
A simple cotton T-shirt or a microfiber towel: If you're looking for the benefits of T-shirt fabric with a perfect fit, you can also treat yourself to the Rainbow Curls "Like a T-shirt" Curl Towel , which is available in three colors. Now you can start popping!
How do I style my hair after popping?
We recommend applying all holding styling products , such as curl gel or curl mousse, to damp hair after your hair washing routine (consisting of shampoo, conditioner, leave-in/curl cream).
Are you unsure which styling products to use to give your hair hold? Let us surprise you with your personal lockbox.
After popping, limit your styling of the curls to a final finish without any holding styling products .
To finish, you can shake out your dried curls loosely , pluck them with your fingers or run your fingers through the roots to create a little more volume.
Don't forget to knead the gel cast out of your hair if it has formed. Many curlies also swear by styling curls with a hair pick , such as the Afro Pick from Rainbow Curls . This makes it easy to shape the curls perfectly.
Can I use the plopping method overnight?
The plopping method is perfect for anyone who likes things simple and effortless. Hair plopping can also be used overnight .
The best way to do this is to do your hair washing routine in the evening and, after blow-drying your hair, leave the turban on your head overnight while you sleep.
This way, your curls will have enough time to dry and form overnight. In the morning, carefully remove the curls, gently shake out your hair or shape it with a wide-toothed curling comb, and you're done for bouncy, defined curls!
But be careful: Depending on the fit and sleeping position, the curls can dry unevenly under the turban! This could lead to an unpleasant surprise in the morning. Popping your hair over a long period of time is therefore no guarantee for perfectly fitting curly hair .
FAQ about the Plopping Method
If plopping is new to you or you still have a few questions after trying it out for the first time, we will try to answer the most frequently asked questions about hair plopping here.
Which towel is best for plopping?
It's up to you whether you want to do the plopping with a T-shirt or a microfiber towel. The advantage of a T-shirt is that its smooth surface doesn't roughen up your hair and is very gentle. For some people, however, a T-shirt fabric may be too thin, so you can easily use a microfiber towel.
For a perfect fit and a turban that always sits perfectly, there are even special towels for curls, such as the “Like a T-Shirt” Curl Towel from Rainbow Curls .
No matter what you choose, it is important that you do not use towels made of terry cloth . Although towels of this type are common and very popular, the surface of terry cloth is very rough and rubs against your hair when used.
This can cause the cuticle layer of the hair to stand up and the hair to become dull and look straw-like. Terry cloth also increases the risk of hair breakage and split ends . You should therefore never rub curly hair dry with a terry cloth towel!
Does plopping dry your hair?
Whether your hair gets dry when plopping depends entirely on how long you leave your hair in the popped state.
Some curly-haired people prefer to use plopping to style their hair for only a short period of time until the curls have settled.
The hair is then left to air dry or styled using the diffuser attachment .
Others prefer to let their entire mane dry completely in the turban.
It's best to try both and see what suits you and your curls best. Every hair reacts differently and some curlies achieve stunning results with a short plop time, while other curls look simply perfect after a long drying time.
Conclusion
Popping your hair can be a real game changer for the look of your natural curls and waves. The method is as simple as it is effective and can be easily incorporated into your existing curl care routine.
You probably have a cotton T-shirt lying around to try out first. You will be amazed at how beautifully your curls can form when they are dried in this gentle and hair-friendly way.
If you have curly hair and haven't tried this method yet, it might be worth giving it a try! Curlies, let's plop! :)
