By Caitlin Heikkila, Allure
Curly folks,
listen up: The search is over. The secret to obtaining the frizz-free
curls of your dreams is to, simply put, lose the hot tools. Forget
blow-drying. Don't even think about pulling out the diffuser. The
easiest (and fuss-free) way to dry your coils — without attracting added
static — is to plop.
Silly name aside, "hair plopping"
is a heat-free drying technique that utilizes a cloth to air-dry curls,
says Wes Sharpton, resident hairstylist at New York City's Hairstory salon.
The idea is that by placing your hair atop your head, loosely wrapped
in a cloth, curls will almost scrunch themselves — like an accordion —
in a faster fashion when compared to traditional air-drying.
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"The more that you touch hair while it's drying, the more it
has a tendency to become frizzy," says Sharpton. So, in order to skip
the potential for static cling altogether, he recommends using a
lightweight, absorbent cloth, like a towel, which will, in turn, speed
up the drying process.
And while wrapping your hair in a
curly hair-specific type of towel is certainly acceptable, Sharpton also
recommends a much easier (and affordable) hair plopping vessel: an old,
oversized T-shirt. "It's something that you typically already have at
home," he says. "Plus, it's cotton, which means it's really absorbent."
To use, simply place your hair in the center of the shirt,
and then use the sleeves to tie around your head. It's that easy. So,
the next time you wash your hair, skip the hot tools post-shower and
instead reach for that old ratty tee your ex left behind — at least it's
finally being put to good use.
