What Is Plopping and Why Does It Work?
Plopping is a drying technique where you wrap soaking wet styled hair in a microfibre towel or old cotton T-shirt and leave it for 15-30 minutes before air drying or diffusing. It removes excess water without disturbing curl clumps, whereas a regular towel creates friction that separates strands and causes frizz. The result is faster dry time and dramatically better definition.
How to Plop Correctly
Lay your microfibre towel flat on a surface. Bend forward, flip your hair down, and lower your hair ends onto the centre of the towel. Bring the far end up to your neck, then wrap the sides around and secure at the top of your head. The hair should be scrunched up inside in a natural pile — not stretched or flattened. Leave for 15-20 minutes before releasing and diffusing.
The Fabric Matters
Regular terry cloth towels have a looped surface that grabs individual hair strands and creates friction. This is exactly what causes frizz. Microfibre towels have a flat, ultra-fine surface that absorbs water without friction. An old cotton T-shirt works almost as well and costs nothing if you have one handy.