Hair Plopping Is the No-Heat Curl Trick That Adds Shine, Definition and Bounce—Here’s How to Do It
See the simple steps that enhance curly and wavy hair—all without hot tools!
If you have wavy or curly hair, you know how real the struggle can be when it comes to finding a curl routine that results in ringlets with definition and shine. But thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, it’s now easier than ever to get tips and tricks for your hair that actually work. One of our viral favorites? Hair plopping. If you’re looking for an easy way to bring about definition in your locks, allow us to introduce you to this heatless method “popping” up all over social media. It’s a fool-proof hair technique that’s perfect for curls and waves, leaving them looking bouncy and frizz-free and lasting for days on end.
“Hair plopping is a great way to add curl definition and volume to any curl pattern,” says Brendnetta Ashley, curly hair expert and Schwarzkopf Professional Ambassador. Interested in finding out more? Just keep scrolling for everything you need to know about hair plopping.
What is hair plopping and why is it trending?
It’s by no means a new technique, however, with the rise in popularity of good-for-you and heatless hair methods, hair plopping is seeing a resurgence. “Plopping has been a curly hair routine for years now,” says Ashley. “I think we are seeing it become more popular because we are seeing more tutorials for different curl types. Also, heatless styling is the way to go!” Rather than twisting your hair into a towel to dry your curly strands, this method calls for literally plopping your hair into a cotton t-shirt or microfiber towel.
The benefits of hair plopping for curls and waves
Hair plopping is a heatless curl method
One of the most common ways people style their curly hair is with a diffuser. But unfortunately, diffusing requires heat, which can cause stress and damage to strands. So it’s not a method we suggest using every time you get out of the shower. This is where hair plopping stands out: it gives you gorgeous curls that look like they have been diffused without requiring any heat! After all, your hair deserves all the TLC and a break from your hot tools every now and again, right? Plus, it’s so much easier—and perfect for some rinse-and-go simplicity during the warmer months.
Hair plopping prevents breakage and adds volume
When we dry our hair with a regular ol’ bath towel, we could be causing harm to our locks. “Bath towels absorb too much moisture and create friction, which can lead to frizz and breakage, while cotton helps to lock in moisture and is gentler on your strands,” explains celebrity hairstylist Annadjid “Kee” Taylor. With the plopping technique, you use a microfiber towel or cotton T-shirt (which we get into in more detail later). “This method adds volume to the hair, dries quickly and prevents breakage caused by friction,” says Taylor.
This is especially important for women over 40, as hair thinning is a major concern many of us deal with. Ashley tells us, “Plopping gives that thinning hair more volume while still maintaining curl definition.”
Hair plopping reduces frizz
If you’ve been looking for a way to simultaneously define your waves or curls while also reducing frizz, hair plopping might just be your new secret weapon. When we experience frizzy hair, it’s often because our hair is lacking moisture. “Because your hair remains wrapped while drying, plopping helps lock in extra moisture and minimize frizz, leaving your natural curls bouncy and defined,” says Taylor.
Which hair types work best for hair plopping?
Hair plopping is meant to help define curls and waves, so it won’t do much for those with stick-straight hair. It’s best for those with naturally curly or wavy hair, and more specifically, finer curly or wavy hair.
“I personally think plopping works best on fine and medium texture wavy hair or fine and medium texture spiral curls,” says April Kayganich, hairstylist and educator for Hairstory. “For most coarse texture waves, spirals or coily curls, or even if your coils are fine texture, I would avoid plopping. Thicker strands of hair—fine is the thinnest strand, medium is next and coarse is the thickest—require a lot of hydration for effective styling, and because the plopping method requires you to squeeze out excess water, it’s not going to give you the best result.”
Your step-by-step guide to plopping your hair for best results
Now that you know about the popularity and benefits of hair plopping, it’s onto the fun part—learning how to plop hair!
1. Set up your plopping station
You want to first have all your materials ready to go before you start the plopping method. “Set up your plopping station—something that’s accessible to you, whether it’s a countertop or your bed, and set out either your microfiber towel, long sleeve T-shirt or even a plop wrap—yes, they make them now,” says Kayganich.
2. Wash your hair
Next, you’ll want to shampoo and condition your hair as you normally would, brushing through your locks with a waterproof comb in the shower while the conditioner is still in. You can try using a shampoo and conditioner specifically made for curly hair, such as Rizos Curls Hydrating Shampoo and Deep Conditioner.
3. Apply your hair products
After washing comes the time for your moisturizing leave-ins and curly hair products—you’ll want these set up in your shower. “Add your styling products in the shower to soaking wet hair,” advises Kaygarich. “Then use your hands to gently squeeze out the excess water.” Wavy and curly hair typically needs all the moisture and hydration it can get, which is why it can help to apply product directly to soaking wet hair.
A leave-in is a great product to start with. Taylor likes HASK Twist Tamer Leave-In Conditioner “to further repair past damage and boost hydration” (we also like Ouai Leave-In Conditioner and Hairstory Hair Balm). Follow up with a curly hair-specific product, such as Schwarzkopf Osis+ Bounty Balm: “It controls frizz, nourishes the hair and improves the overall health,” Ashley says of the product. “It’s lightweight, so your curls won’t feel hard.” Other picks to try are Kerastase Curl Manifesto Hydrating Leave-In Cream and Matrix A Curl Can Dream Curl Cream. Just make sure to scrunch the product into your hair in sections, as opposed to sliding your fingers through in a brushing manner.
4. Plop hair
Most of us wrap our hair in a turban style using a towel, but that isn’t the case with hair plopping. Instead, you’ll want to get your hands on a microfiber towel or even a cotton T-shirt you have at your disposal. “Gently lower your head towards the plop prop of your choice–slowly lowering the hair helps give it a gentle scrunch,” suggests Kayganich. “Then, you will start by creating a wrap by criss-crossing the corners of your towel (or sleeves of your long-sleeved T-shirt) so you’re able to wrap these toward the front of your head as you slowly lift. You’ll gently tie or tuck the part you wrapped toward the front and you will be left with a flap of material that you will gently pull over your hair and tuck into the front.
Ashley says to wait anywhere between 15-45 minutes, however long it takes for your hair to be mostly dried. “Depending on your curl pattern and hair type (fine, medium or coarse) will determine the exact time for you,” she tells us. “It will take a few tries before you discover the best time for you!”
5. Let strands dry
After you remove your hair from the towel, it will likely still be a bit damp. You can let it finish air drying if you want to go the heatless route, or, if you’re in a time crunch, you can finish off the process with a few minutes of diffusing. It’s completely up to you!
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