Image courtesy of @ariellelydiasmith
Curly hair girls, you already know by now, that when your hair is wet your curls are perfectly smooth ringlets, but dried is different story. The definition is gone, the lustre is lost, and the frizz, oh man the frizz takes centre stage.
If you have never heard of hair plopping before, you’re missing out on some of the best hair days of your life. Plopping is a drying technique that keeps your natural texture intact without heat styling. An alternative to the towel twist and tie, that leaves your curls with an unruly halo of frizz from stretching and ruffling up your hair’s cuticle.
Ideal for all curly types, and those with a wave to their mane, all you need are your go-to styling products, and a bamboo hair towel - or cotton tee will do in a pinch.
There are a ton of ways to plop, but our tried and true technique offers you the most effective way to enhance your curls.
Step 1. On freshly washed, soaking wet hair use your base stylers; leave-in conditioners, gel serums, curl creams, spray or scrunch in from ends upward - do not comb through your hair! Combing and pulling on your curls disrupt the natural pattern. (PRO TIP: the best time for combing is in the shower, with conditioner in your hair and a wide toothed comb.) Layer your products as you normally do.
Step 2. Bending at the waist, gently flip your hair over the centre of your hair towel. We love TO112 Bamboo hair towels to plop. The bamboo fibers are smoother than the cotton fibers in your typical towel. Cotton will snag at the cuticle and can lead to breakage, plus bamboo is more eco-friendly and has natural antimicrobial properties!
Step 3. With the hood and button on your forehead, gently lift your hair in the towel towards your head, accordion-style. Your hair should be sitting in the hood. Again, you don’t want to pull on your strands, only scrunch. With your towel in place, and your head still down, twist the tail at the nape of your neck and bring it over your head to secure the loop over the button. This is a single scrunch-into-place kind of motion - not the usual squeeze-all-the-water-out repetitive kind of scrunching.
Step 4. Keep the towel on for 20-30mins (get into your skincare routine or makeup or outfit selection and let it hang in the hood as long as possible for maximum absorption). When it’s time to unravel your towel, be gentle and go slow, you don’t want to undo all your work.
Step 5. Let it finish air drying and voila! Enjoy your perfect, heat-less curls!
Master Stylists Picks for Best Curly Product:
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Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil
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Oribe Featherbalm Weightless Styler
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TO112 Curl Mousse
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