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Hair-care guide

How to Plop Curly Hair With a T-Shirt or Towel

TheWashDay editorial · Updated · From the American Academy of Dermatology · How we compare

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Plopping means wrapping wet, styled curls in a cotton T-shirt or microfiber towel on top of your head for a while, so water soaks away without rubbing and curls dry with more lift at the roots. Do it after your leave-in and styler are on, then air-dry or diffuse. There’s no set time: leave it on while you get ready, and keep it shorter on dense hair, which stays damp inside the wrap.

The steps

  1. Lower curls onto the shirt
  2. Fold it over and tie
  3. Unwrap, then dry
Diagram. Lower the styled, wet curls onto a T-shirt laid flat, fold it over and tie it, then unwrap and let the curls dry with lift at the roots. The numbered steps below say the same in full.
  1. Put on your leave-in and styler while hair is still wet, as their labels say.
  2. Lay a T-shirt or microfiber towel flat on a counter or bed.
  3. Lean forward and lower your hair onto the middle of it, so the curls pile up on top of your head.
  4. Fold the back of the fabric over the nape of your neck.
  5. Twist the two sides and tie them at the front or back.
  6. Leave it on while you get ready; there’s no set time.
  7. Unwrap gently, then air-dry or diffuse without touching.

When it goes wrong

Flat or odd-shaped spots usually mean the fabric was tied too tight. Frizz usually comes from a rough terry towel; use a T-shirt or microfiber. Very long plops on thick hair can leave the inside damp for hours, so keep it shorter on dense hair.

Flat roots Frizzy curls

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