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How to Plop Your Hair For Curls

FYI: You Should Probably Be Plopping Your Curls — Here's What That Means

Have you ever made it through a long wash day — hair masks, deep treatments, and all — only to examine your hair afterward and discover that, even after all that maintenance, your curls are still a little frizzy and undefined? Well, same. If you're confused about why that happens, your answer might fall in the way you're drying your hair after you wash. Enter: plopping.

Plopping is a technique used by lots of people with curly hair, and it's basically just code for drying your curls with a cotton t-shirt as opposed to simply wrapping it up in a towel, as many of us have likely been accustomed to for as long as we can remember. The objective behind it is for the t-shirt to reduce frizz and absorb more water in a way that a towel can't, leaving you with bouncier, tighter curls. There's really not much to it, and there are tons of tutorials on the internet that can guide you through the entire process. Read ahead for our step-by-step guide and a visual.

Step 1: Grab Some Hair Products and a Large T-Shirt

After you're finished shampooing, make sure your hair is still damp before adding products (leave-in conditioners, oils, creams, etc.) to your hair as you normally would.

Step 2: Position Your T-Shirt

Lay your t-shirt out on your counter, a chair, or wherever it's convenient. The end with the sleeves should be the closest to you. Then, once your products are applied, flip your hair over so that it points towards the centre of the shirt.

Step 3: Grab the Sleeves and Tie Them

Once you flip the shirt onto your head with the bottom of the fabric sitting at the nape of your neck, grab the sleeves and twist them with the fabric before tying the longer sleeves in a knot at the back of your head.

Image Source: Getty / We Are
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