Dear curly-haired friends,

It’s been a little while since I last posted on the blog. Please forgive my absence—there’s always so much to do, and unfortunately, the blog has had to take a back seat. But I’m back now! 🤗 Hello, everyone!

Today, I’d like to dedicate a blog post to the topic of plopping.

Why plopping?

Plopping is a styling tip for curly hair that helps your curls retain their shape as they transition from wet to dry. You use this method after applying styling products to your wet hair, but before the curls are dry. When you plop your curls, you fold them like an accordion, which helps them retain their shape even after they’re completely dry.

Plopping for natural curls

If you're lucky enough to have natural curls, you probably know that when your curls are wet, they're beautifully bouncy, soft, and defined. But... once they're dry, it's a different story. Curls lose their definition and are more prone to frizz. The way you treat your curls between wet and dry makes a small but important difference, which brings me to the plopping method—well, almost ☺️.

Plopping to enhance curls

Another use of the plopping method is to define "weaker" curls. Hair with loose curls tends to flatten under the weight of its own body and the styling products that weigh it down, causing it to lose its curl shape. For this “loose-curled hair,” plopping helps the curls retain their shape. I will now move on to the plopping method itself.

How the Plopping Method Works

Step 1

After getting out of the shower, gently squeeze the water out of your curls with your hands, then apply your leave-in conditioner and styling product (gel, lotion, mousse, smoothie). The order is as follows: leave-in, oil, and then your styling product. This order is also known as the LOC method. ( You can find more information about the LOC method here) ...Now it’s time for plopping.

Step 2

Wearing a T-shirt (or a microfiber cloth) in front of you, with the sleeves facing you.

Step 3

Lean forward so that your curls rest on the T-shirt and are positioned "on top" of your head, as if you were doing a palm tree hairstyle.

Step 4

Now, lift the hem of the T-shirt over your head toward the back of your neck so that the neck opening is at your forehead, and tie the T-shirt by the sleeves behind your head. If you're wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt, you can also tie the sleeves at your forehead.

Step 5

Leave the turban on your head for 10 to 20 minutes, then dry it with a diffuser or let it air dry. If you wash your curly hair in the evening, you can also leave the turban on until the next morning. Experiment with the timing and find out what works best for your curls.

Why a T-shirt and not a terry cloth towel?

Traditional terry cloth towels absorb too much moisture, which curls really don’t like because they need moisture. Plus, the coarse texture of a towel causes frizz, which is something we also want to avoid. The T-shirt fabric simply removes excess product residue and moisture from the curls without completely "stripping" them.

There you go, my dear curly-haired friends, that's all from me—I wish you all the best!

Best regards,
Yours

Rosa Maria