Plopping 101: How and Why It Works

Plopping is a drying technique that wraps freshly styled, product-coated curls up inside a T-shirt or microfiber towel on top of the head, letting curls set into shape while soaking up excess water — without the rubbing and friction that causes frizz.

Why It Beats a Regular Towel

Rubbing hair dry with a terry cloth towel roughs up the hair cuticle and disrupts the curl clumps formed during styling, which is a major source of frizz for curly hair. Plopping absorbs water through gentle contact instead, while also encouraging curls to hold their shape as they dry.

How to Plop

Lay a T-shirt or microfiber towel flat, flip styled hair forward into the center, then wrap the fabric up and secure it — typically by tying the sleeves or ends at the nape or twisting and tucking. Leave it in place for 10 to 20 minutes, longer for thicker or denser hair.

What Happens After

Unwrapping reveals hair that's noticeably less wet and already holding curl shape, ready for air drying or diffusing to finish. Plopping doesn't fully dry hair — it's a step that shortens overall drying time and improves the end result, not a replacement for finishing the dry.

When to Skip It

Very fine, loose-wave hair sometimes ends up with less volume after plopping, since the technique can press curls flatter against the scalp. For that hair type, air drying upside down or diffusing without plopping tends to preserve more root lift.

Combined with a good product routine, plopping pairs well with a full wash day sequence as one of the final steps before letting curls finish drying.