How to Plop Your Hair: The Right Way to Define Your Curls or Waves

• Wash and condition your hair before you apply styling products like leave-in conditioner or curl-enhancing cream.
• Spread a T-shirt flat and flip your hair onto it. Then, fold the T-shirt over your hair and tie the sleeves into a knot at the back of your head.
• As an alternative to a T-shirt, try a microfiber towel. Avoid using a standard bath towel, which can contribute to frizz.
• Plopping works best for wavy or curly hair since it enhances the natural hair structure.

Best Plopping Technique

Shampoo and condition your hair. You don't have to do anything special to your washing and conditioning routine—use your favorite hair care products that are designed for your hair type. It's totally fine to wash and plop your hair before you go to bed. You can sleep with your hair plopped and remove the T-shirt or towel in the morning.

Apply styling products to your wet hair. Don't comb or brush your hair—you want your waves and curls to hold their natural structure. It's probably easiest to do this while you're still in the shower—tilt your head to 1 side and gently work your curl-enhancing cream, leave-in conditioner, or frizz-fighting serum into your wet hair. Then, tilt your head to the other side and repeat the process. If you use a mist or spray product, apply it evenly to your wet hair. Don't towel-dry your hair before this step—you can simply wrap a towel around to help with dripping.

Spread out a T-shirt and lower your hair onto 1 side of it. Arrange the shirt so the sleeves are closest to you. Then, bend over so your hair falls directly down onto the shirt near the neck. Remember, don't brush your hair before you plop or it won't hold its shape. Keep lowering your head down so your hair coils naturally on the shirt. If you don't have an old T-shirt to use, spread out a microfiber towel towel. You can use a short-sleeved or long-sleeved T-shirt. You might find that it's easier to tie a long-sleeved shirt, but this will add more weight to your head. You don't need to arrange your hair in any specific way on the T-shirt—just let your hair pile naturally onto the shirt.

Fold the shirt over your hair and tie it at the back of your head. While your head is still bent forward reach over and grab the opposite end of the T-shirt or towel. Fold it over your hair so it comes to the back of your neck. Then, take the shirt sleeves or towel ends and tie them into a knot at the back of your head. Finally, lift your head up and tuck in any loose ends of the T-shirt or towel. You can also use large hair clips to clip the ends of the T-shirt or towel to your wrapped hair. Make your knot tight enough that the T-shirt or towel won't come loose on its own.

Keep your hair plopped until it's mostly or completely dry. It's totally up to you how long you keep your hair wrapped—the goal is to let the towel absorb excess moisture while your hair structure sets. If you've got short or fine hair, start checking your hair after 10-20 minutes since it dries faster than long or tightly-coiled hair. Keep in mind that if you let your hair dry completely while it's plopped, you may have to run your fingers through it to loosen some of your curls or waves.

Let your hair finish air drying or use a diffuser to dry your hair. Unwrap your hair from the T-shirt or towel and shake your head gently to loosen your hair. Work your fingers along your part and that's it if you're air drying your hair! If you want to blow dry your hair, stick a diffuser attachment to the end and blow dry your hair until it's mostly dry. If you're sleeping with your hair plopped, just shake it out in the morning since your hair will dry completely overnight.

What are the benefits of plopping?

Plopping cuts down on drying time and frizz. If you're like most curly or wavy-haired people, you probably let your hair air dry, which can take a while. Plopping reduces drying time because it absorbs excess moisture. Since you already applied styling products and you're not rubbing your hair with a towel, plopping also prevents frizz. If you tend to apply styling products with a heavy hand, plopping will absorb the excess product, too. This way, you won't have crunchy ringlets!

You'll notice more volume and bouncier curls from plopping. If you've got medium to long hair, the length can drag your curls or waves down so they're a little limp. By plopping, the curls and waves stay closely coiled on your head. When you unwrap your hair, you'll see more volume. If you've got short or low-density hair that's fine, plopping can help you get volume near the roots. This has the overall effect of making your hair look fuller, wavier, or curlier.

When is the best time to plop your hair?

Plan on plopping as soon as you get out of the shower. Have a T-shirt or microfiber towel laid out and ready to go so you can plop right after you've applied styling products. You don't want your hair to start drying before you've wrapped it. Your hair should still be really wet so your hair has time to set in its wavy or coiled shape.

Will plopping work for straight hair?

Plopping won't make straight hair curly, but it can create a slight wave. Since plopping works by enhancing your hair's natural structure, it won't turn your straight hair curly or extremely wavy. Instead, it temporarily makes loose waves that can give straight hair a beachy waves look. To play up beach waves, spritz your dry hair with sea salt spray and scrunch it into your hair for texture. You can also use a texture spray with a pomade on the ends of your hair so they hold a wave pattern.