What’s Plopping?!
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Oh hey! What’s Ploppin?! Lol…
There are two types of curly people; those that are volume seekers and those who are trying to “contain” their curls. If you are anything like me, it’s Volume, Volume, Volume!
About 2 years ago, I decided that I wanted longer hair, not realizing that the rules of gravity also applied to me, Go Figure! Longer locks can translate to added weight at the root / scalp area. If your curls are more on the wavy side of the spectrum this will cause an elongated curl pattern.
Add in the fact that I now have to use more products then I did before, my curls are stretched to the max.
Then I found: Plopping!
For those of you who are not familiar with plopping, it is a technique that utilizes cotton material ie: (pillow case, microfiber towel or your husbands favorite T shirt) to dry your wet curls in a self contained mound on the top of your head. This technique will help increase curl definition while also helping to eliminate frizz.
This solution is ideal for anyone with easily weighed down, loose curls or waves. Once you start your washing your curls, the added weight of water and product will pull the curl pattern down before it has had a chance to dry properly. By putting your hair up on the top of your head, it allows your hair to dry without the stretch, leaving you with a more defined look.
If the internet has taught us anything, it’s that everyone has a slightly different approach to all things curly. Some of it works….and some of them are just an epic fails. We’ve all had to “kiss a few frogs” before to find out what method works best your specific curl type. These are the steps that work for my long wavy hair, feel free to modify to make it yours!
On wash day, I go through my normal shampoo and condition routine. (Click Here to check out my blog from July if you missed it)
– Still in the shower, I scrunch in I Create Volume by Innersense. If you are using liter sizes like I am, this equates to about 1.5 pumps of the gel.
*PRO TIP: Apply your styling products to soaking wet hair. Also use a little more product then you are used to factor in what will be absorbed by the T-shirt / towel when starting to dry.
– Out of the shower, while hanging my head upside down, I scrunch out as much water as possible utilizing either a micro fiber towel or t-shirt. I’ll flip left, then right and lastly center, making sure I give every curl some LOVE.
– Finally, I add in a second round of I Create Volume, followed by wrapping my hair in an old tee.
– In the morning, my hair is usually still a touch damp; mostly at the roots. When I take my hair out of t-shirt, I allow my hair to continue to air dry.(usually about an hour, or until my hair forms a cast.) At that point, I can scrunch my hair until it feels soft.
*PRO TIP: Always wait until it is 100% dry.
On days that I am crunched for time, I will use a diffuser to speed things up. However, it does get a little frizzy, but I call that good frizz.
*PRO TIP: Wavy hair will tend to look more like day 2 hair, shortening your in between wash days.
Even though Pineappleing works most of the time for me, once my hair gets past day 2 the weight and the scrunchy used for pineappling almost pulls the little bit of curl I get out at the roots. Recently, I have added what I call, “dry plopping” to my routine to combat this and keep my locks looking good.
You will need; A t-shirt, light weight styler(optional) and a spray bottle filled with water and your regular conditioner. My go to condish is Color Radiance by Innersense. I have found that a ratio of 7oz of water to 1/2 oz of conditioner works well for me. Make sure you always shake well before using!
First, flip your hair upside down. Next, take your spray bottle and mist your curls all over until about 25% of your hair is damp.
*PRO TIP: Use extra solution for hair that has an excessive amount of frizz.
– Use your hands to scrunch as much as possible for curl encouragement
Add in a light weight styler. I use I Create Lift by Innersense. (This will depend on what your hair feels like. If you prefer softer styles, then you may want to skip this step.)
– Wrap head in t-shirt. Give yourself about 10-20 mins to allow the hair to start to dry.
-Finally, take down your hair and scrunch out any cast that may remain…Viola! Killer curl definition without washing your hair.
