T Shirt Towel for Curly Hair: How to Plop Your Hair and Prevent Frizz

Do you want to try using a T shirt towel for curly hair? The technique of wrapping wet hair in a cotton T-shirt, pillowcase, or microfiber towel is called “hair plopping”. Hair plopping is a popular drying method for curly hair since it helps to reduce frizz and give curls more definition. This post shows you how to plop your hair, as well as the best t-shirts and microfiber towels for plopping!

A Guide to Hair Plopping and the Best T Shirts and Microfiber Towels for Curly Hair

Curly hair tends to be drier and more prone to frizz than straighter hair. It is important therefore not to use a regular towel on curls since the coarse texture and dryness of the material can dry the hair out more and create frizz.

Why is Curly Hair Drier than Straight?

A head of curly hair has around 100,000 hair strands whereas a head of straight hair has around 120,000 hair strands. This means that curly hair has less hair follicles and fewer sebaceous glands to produce oil than straighter hair types.

As well as this, oil from the scalp finds it harder to travel down curly or coily strands than straight hair. This means the ends of curly hair are more likely to be dry and brittle.

How Does a T Shirt Towel Help?

Curly hair is delicate and needs to be treated with extra care. Regular terry towels can cause too much friction on the hair, damage the cuticles, and leave strands brittle and frayed.

T shirts or microfiber towels however don’t contain harsh fibers that could ruffile the hair’s cuticle and cause frizz. They help to dry the hair without absorbing too much moisture, and keep the curl clumps together so they will be left bouncy and defined.

T- shirts also absorb any excess product on the hair so you are less likely to be left with hard or crunchy curls. Since they help to dry your hair and define your curls, you are less likely to cause damage by using hair dryers or brushes.

How to Plop Your Hair with an Old T-Shirt

If you want to plop your hair with an old t-shirt, try to find a long-sleeved shirt as they are easier to secure on the head. After you have washed your hair, scrunch out any excess water and apply your styling cream. Then follow the steps below.

Lay the t-shirt on a flat surface like a bathroom counter with the sleeve end closest to you.
Lean forward so your hair falls onto the center of the t-shirt
Take the bottom of the shirt and place it at the nape of your neck.
Tie the shirt sleeves in a knot behind your head.
Tuck in any loose ends and tighten the knot until it feels secure.
Leave for 10-20 minutes before air drying

Can I use any T Shirt to Plop my Hair?

You can use any cotton t shirt to plop your hair (long sleeved works best) or a mircofiber towel or pillow case. An old t-shirt works fine however there are some great hair towels designed specifically for hair plopping. They are easy to use and come with gently elasticated edges.

I find it easier to use a microfiber towel. I use the one in the photograph below which has elasticated edges.

Curly Hair Tips and Products

If you follow the curly-hair method by Lorraine Massey you may find the following posts useful.

Which Products Are Curly Girl Approved?

Check out the following posts to find out whether your favourite hair care brand is CG approved.

POST FROM OTHER BEAUTY BLOGS

If you found this article helpful, you may enjoy the following posts from other beauty blogs that I follow and trust.

NATURALLY CURLY

BYRDIE

CURLY NIKKI

MANE ADDICTS

This post was about how to use a T shirt towel for curly hair

Thank you for reading my post about how to use a t shirt towel for curly hair. If you have tried any of the products recommended please leave me a comment below and let me know how you got on. A large t-shirt or microfiber towel is much kinder to curly hair than traditional terry cloth towels! In time you see your natural curl pattern become more enhanced – this is whether you have tighter curls or looser waves!