Plopping your hair is the best way to prevent water from weighing down your curls after you’ve washed them. It also helps to preserve your curls for a longer period of time.

Depending on what materials you have available, there are different techniques that you can use to plop your hair. In this post, I will share a few different ways to plop your hair using items that you may already have at home.

Check out my post on some easy ways to style your curly hair at home after your plopping your hair with the methods below!

How to Plop Hair with Microfiber Towel

Microfiber towels are great for plopping hair because they can absorb moisture thoroughly which will help you achieve your desired curls in a shorter period of time.

Here’s How to Plop Hair with a Microfiber Towel:

1. Shampoo and condition your hair and rinse clean.
2. Using a dry towel, soak out any excess water in your hair. You want your hair to be damp and not dripping wet. Do this with a separate dry towel and not your microfiber towel.
3. Apply a leave-in conditioner and comb out the hair to distribute the leave-in conditioner evenly. Cover your hair from roots to ends. This will help to maintain shine during the plopping process.
4. Lay the microfiber towel in front of you flat on the bed. I find that working on the bed is best because it provides a soft cushion for your head.
5. Lean over the microfiber towel so that your crown is facing down above the center of the towel.
6. Flop the ends of your hair over your head and place curls end first into the center of the microfiber towel. Try to gather the hair together and bunch them up on the microfiber towel. This step requires some practice as not many people like to keep their head in a downward position. If you find that you’re not working fast enough, tilt your head back up and restart this step.
7. Pull the top part of the towel over to the back of the head, make sure that the back of your head is covered.
8. Roll the front of the towel (the part closes to you) up towards your forehead.
9. Twist the ends, pull toward the back of your head and tie. You can tilt your head slightly upward while doing this.
10. Tuck all loose hair into the towel.
11. Remove the towel after 30 minutes to reveal beautiful natural curls. If your hair is not dry by that time, just let it air dry.
12. Add a diffuser to maximize the volume of your curls.

How to Plop Hair with Hair Turban

Conventional turbans are usually 82 inches long and 8 inches wide. Due to its long length, the process for plopping your hair with a turban would be slightly different from using a microfiber towel.

Here’s How to Plop Hair with a Turban:

1. Shampoo and condition your hair and rinse clean.
2. Using a dry towel, soak out any excess water in your hair. You want your hair to be damp and not dripping wet. Do this with a separate dry towel.
3. Apply a leave-in conditioner and comb out the hair to distribute the conditioner evenly. Cover your hair from roots to ends.
4. Lay the turban in front of you flat on a bed.
5. Make sure you are positioned towards one end of the turban, lean over the turban so that your crown is facing down above the turban.
6. Flop the ends of your hair over your head and place curls end first into the center of the turban. Try to gather the hair together and bunch them up. As with a microfiber towel, this step requires some practice as not many people like to keep their head in a downward position. Tilt your head back up and restart this step if you want to take a rest.
7. Pull the top part of the turban over to the back of the head, make sure that the back of your head is covered.
8. Roll the turban at the back of your head towards your neck.
9. Roll the front of the turban up towards your forehead.
10. Tilt your head back up.
11. Twist the short end of the turban.
12. Wrap the long end of the turban around your head. You will need to fold the long end of the turban in half to decrease its width while wrapping. Wrap the top and sides of your head and end at the back of your head. Tie the ends together at the back of your head.
13. Remove the turban after 30 minutes to reveal beautiful natural curls. If your hair is not dry by that time, just let it air dry.
14. Add a diffuser to maximize the volume of your curls.

How to Plop Hair with a Bandana

One of the most effective ways to plop hair is with a bandana. However, since bandanas are usually smaller than a t-shirt or towel, it does take some practice to get it right. Bandanas will also not be able to hold your hair as effectively as a towel or t-shirt.

Here’s How to Plop Hair with a Bandana:

1. Shampoo and condition your hair and rinse clean.
2. Using a dry towel, soak out any excess water in your hair. You want your hair to be damp and not dripping wet. Do this with a separate dry towel.
3. Apply a leave-in conditioner and comb out the hair to distribute the conditioner evenly. Cover your hair from roots to ends.
4. Fold the bandana so that it forms the shape of a triangle.
5. Lay triangle flat on the bed, place the point of the triangle furthest away from you.
6. Flop the ends of your hair over your head and place curls end first into the center of the triangle. Try to gather the hair together and bunch them up to the center.
7. Pull each corner of the triangle to the base of the neck and tie in a secure knot.
8. Remove the bandana after 30 minutes to reveal beautiful natural curls. If your hair is not dry by that time, just let it air dry.
9. Add a diffuser to maximize the volume of your curls.

How to Plop Hair with a Pillowcase

Plopping hair with a pillowcase is similar to using a microfiber towel. However, since a pillowcase is usually much smaller, it’s only recommended to be used for people with smaller heads (like a child).

Here’s How to Plop Hair with a Pillowcase:

• Shampoo and condition your hair and rinse clean.
• Using a dry towel, soak out any excess water in your hair. You want your hair to be damp and not dripping wet.
• Apply a leave-in conditioner and comb out the hair to distribute the leave-in conditioner evenly. Cover your hair from roots to ends. This will help to maintain shine during the plopping process.
• Lay the pillowcase in front of you flat on the bed.
• Lean over the pillowcase so that your crown is facing down above the center of the pillowcase.
• Flop the ends of your hair over your head and place curls end first into the center of the pillowcase. Try to gather the hair together and bunch them up. This step requires some practice as not many people like to keep their head in a downward position. If you find that you’re not working fast enough, tilt your head back up and restart this step.
• Pull the top part of the pillowcase over to the back of the head, make sure that the back of your head is covered.
• Roll the front of the pillowcase up towards your forehead.
• Twist the ends, pull toward the back of your head and tie. You can tilt your head slightly upward while doing this.
• Tuck all loose hair into the pillowcase.
• Remove the towel after 30 minutes to reveal beautiful natural curls. If your hair is not dry by that time, just let it air dry.
• Add a diffuser to maximize the volume of your curls.