The Curly Hair Trick We’re Obsessed With

If you were blessed with curls, then you have probably discovered by now that when your hair is wet, your curls are smooth and defined, but when it's dry, it's a different story. Not only do you lose the curl definition, but you're susceptible to frizz.

What you do to your hair in-between its wet and dry states is crucial to having a good hair day, which brings us to the curly-hair method of plopping. It’s not the most beautiful name we’ve ever heard for a beauty
technique, but for many women with wavy, curly, and coily hair, this four-letter word is a lifesaver. 

Plopping is a technique that you can use after you’ve applied your styler and before you start to dry your hair. It will accordion your curls, helping them keep their defined, spiral shape even after they dry. Here's how you do it.

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After you get out of the shower, scrunch out excess water and apply your leave-in conditioner and stylers. For many curlies, the order is leave-in, oil, then curl cream — which is also known as the LOC method. Now, it's time to plop.

Lay a T-shirt (long-sleeved works best) or a microfibre towel out on a chair or bathroom counter with the sleeves at the end closest to you. Make sure you avoid the typical terry cloth towel, as those “absorb too much moisture, which curly hair needs," explains Lorraine Massey, author of Curly Girl: The Handbook. "The harsh fibre will ruffle the hair’s cuticle, causing frizz.”

 

Flip your head forward, bending at the waist, so that all of
your hair is in the centre of the towel and on top of your head. 

Take the flap of fabric that is behind your head and flip it up over your neck, then tie the long sleeves of the shirt (or extra fabric of your microfibre towel) behind your head in a knot. If you have extra material or used a long-sleeved shirt, wrap the extra length of the sleeves around to the front and tie the ends in a knot. This will make your turban more secure. The T-shirt will soak up moisture without creating frizz while your hair dries, significantly cutting down your drying time. Curlies rejoice, you know drying can take forever! 

The T-shirt will also help absorb any excess product, so you don’t end up with hard, crunchy curls.

If you have fine hair or looser waves, plopping can create lift at the roots, since your hair is drying on top of your head rather than being weighed down. And if on some days your waves or curls tend to disappear or look limp, this will enhance your curl pattern by scrunching up the curls while they dry. 

Many women plop for 10-20 minutes before they diffuse or air-dry their hair, and some even keep their hair like this overnight. Experiment with the duration and find what works best for you!