Plopping not always best?

kristie911 · 09-08-2010, 12:18 PM

I've been trying CG for about a week. The cowashing has definitely helped and even though I'm still getting some weird results, I'm bound and determined to figure this out.

My question is: Am I the only one that finds plopping just doesn't work?

I plopped several days in a row and while I did get curlier results, by the time I diffused it dry, it was so clumpy the top of my hair was just totally weighed down and looked greasy. Is it possible to get too clumpy? It seemed like it was just too wet when I started drying and I ended up with big heavy clumps of hair and it was not attractive!

The last couple of days, I did everything the same except I wrapped my hair in a regular towel. The curl was more managable but I got more frizz.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? Or is there a technique somewhere between plopping and just wrapping hair in a towel?

Help!! 6 days of CG and I'm still wearing my hair in a ponytail every day (but it is a nicer pony tail!)

amanda68d · 09-08-2010, 02:44 PM

i never liked to plop...i feel my hair looks better when i defuse and air dry..thats just me!!

wendi.wendy · 09-09-2010, 01:02 PM

Before I plop, I use a flour sack towel and scrunch out as much water as I can. I tried plopping right out of the shower without doing the scrunch-out-the-water thing first, and my hair was just too sopping wet. I'm not sure if you're already doing this, but I thought I'd mention it.

kristie911 · 09-09-2010, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendi.wendy

Before I plop, I use a flour sack towel and scrunch out as much water as I can. I tried plopping right out of the shower without doing the scrunch-out-the-water thing first, and my hair was just too sopping wet. I'm not sure if you're already doing this, but I thought I'd mention it.

No, I wasn't. This morning I wrapped it in a towel for a few minutes and then plopped it, rather than when it was soaking wet. It was a little better but still got frizzy...but that may be a product issue, not a drying issue. It's still going flat really quick though...I'm getting frustrated!

BeachCurlGurl · 09-10-2010, 08:11 AM

I have been getting inconsistant results from plopping. I think it works better for me when I squeeze and scrunch out as much excess water I can before I plop. I did this this morning and I am having a great hair day! I have nice volume & some root curl. I plan to try this a few times more before I decide for sure that plopping is for me.

Robin-in-FL · 09-10-2010, 05:04 PM

Try these:

scrunching water out with a t-shirt instead of plopping

scrunching water out with a t-shirt then plopping

scrunching water out with a t-shirt then plopping hair in the wet from scrunching t-shirt.

and

scrunching water out with a t-shirt then plopping loosely so you can get dressed but not mashing the hair into the plop very hard.

LynnInColorado · 09-11-2010, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin-in-FL

Try these:

scrunching water out with a t-shirt instead of plopping

scrunching water out with a t-shirt then plopping

scrunching water out with a t-shirt then plopping hair in the wet from scrunching t-shirt.

and

scrunching water out with a t-shirt then plopping loosely so you can get dressed but not mashing the hair into the plop very hard.

That is a very scientific approach if the same products and amounts are used! I find that scrunching most of the water out and plopping (hair loosely piled and not squished by cloth) for 15 minutes helps increase volume at the top, but I often don't bother. Because I don't have much hair or it's very fine or whatever, I have to be sure the curl pattern isn't messed up by plopping for too long or too tightly, diffusing or even bunching the hair up with clips. So many variables with products, weather, etc. Every day is a surprise!

TeachDeafies · 09-12-2010, 11:36 AM

The problem I've noticed in your posts is that you said you use a towel, but you haven't specified if it's microfiber or what. Regular towel fabric will result in frizzies and a bad hair day all around, IME. Invest in either a microfiber towel, a Curl-Ease towel, or using a HUGE t-shirt to plop and let us know how it turns out!

kristie911 · 09-13-2010, 08:20 PM

I've just been using a regular bath towel.

I was plopping with a t-shirt but it just WAY too wet after a 10 min plop. I tried squeezing the water out with one shirt and then plopping with a second but the hair was so clumpy it just went totally flat and heavy. I hated it.

I've been wrapping carefully in the bath towel after adding my leave in and curl cream. Then I scrunch in mousse and it's much, much better. The plopping was definitely not working for me.

I'm still getting a bit of frizz here and there but I think I just dry it too long with the diffuser...I hate the feeling of damp hair. I've been trying to back off alittle bit with the dryer and I'm getting better results. It's definitely trial and error.

Mausi · 09-22-2010, 11:43 AM

Deleted.

robinbeths · 09-29-2010, 07:39 PM

I also do not like my hair with plopping much. I find it mashes the top against my scalp no matter how loosely I wrap in a tee shirt. Too bad though, because I really like having my hair out of the way for dressing and such.

Anyhow, I find that scrunching w/a microfiber towel and/or an old tee shirt with head upside down right out of the shower works well for root lift and for not disturbing the curls.

Hope everyone's info helps and that you find what works best soon!

MimsTX · 09-30-2010, 07:21 AM

Your hair's not weird, I promise. I cannot plop. Ever. With anything. For any amount of time. I get those weird massive clumps like you're talking about, and it's flat at the roots and the curls have strange kinks in them... blech, no thank you.

And yes, there is such a thing as too much clumping. Ask whatsercurl too, I know she has the same issue. I typically diffuse my hair until its 100% dry, that's the only way I've found I can get consistent volume at the roots and less clumping overall so it doesn't look like I only have 4 GIGANTIC curls.

WurlyLox · 09-30-2010, 08:53 AM

I almost never plop any more. I just get better results using the Super Soaker method followed by Smasters method and then finish by air drying. It dries just as fast as if I plopped.

MMAkitten · 10-11-2010, 04:47 PM

OMG, I'm so in love with your hair. I want to steal it.

Anyhow, I just got my first Deva cut this weekend, and with how fine my hair is, she said never, EVER plop, and to diffuse until 100% dry. She said she never recommends this to her curly girls but my spirals are so loopy and prone to limpness, that plopping will just crush them and leaving any moisture in them will just weigh the curl out.+

Spiralli · 10-11-2010, 05:12 PM

Plopping broke up my curls too much, especially on the top layer. I used to plop when I first started CG. I get much better clumping by just combing with a wide-tooth comb and gently scrunching to get my curls going.

rymorg2 · 10-12-2010, 05:05 PM

I used to plop when I had longer hair, but now I just use a Curls Like Us towel....it works MUCH better. Sometimes I get in the mood to plop though, but I save it for the weekends so if it turns wonky it's ok.

curlykenzi · 10-16-2012, 05:39 PM

When I tried plopping, my roots would get the curl that I was looking for, but by the end of the day I would "triangle" (my ends would be really dry and frizzy, therefore going east-west) I never liked the result so I stopped doing it.

seamelody14 · 10-16-2012, 08:44 PM

I don't like plopping for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I have a pretty strong curl pattern, so I don't notice major curl enhancement, just more clumps, which I don't always want, especially at my roots.

Dsotomayor · 10-17-2012, 09:54 PM

I'm new to this forum and just started cg method about a month ago. I started plopping about two weeks ago and after reading all these posts I think I know why my curls have become flat all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure it's the plopping. I use a tshirt to wrap my hair up after putting in my styling products (devacurl arcangel) then I get dressed before using a diffuser. My hair had the prettiest spiral curls before I started plopping! I thought it might be the weather but I'm going to have to go back to letting my hair just dry on its own after scrunching and forget the plopping to see if thats the problem.

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zumbagirl · 11-17-2012, 07:41 PM

I turn shower off, scrunch in wen sweet almond mint, plopp in Xxl men's Hanes tshirt. Rinse out shower. Then after I have applied body lotions, I unplop. upside down and diffuse. Total time plopped about 5 min. I gently squeeze out moisture. I have done this for 3 years w great results. Hair is long, thin, fine 3a