Most seasoned naturals know about the p-word.  Yes, I'm talking about plopping.  I've read a few articles on the subject, but I was never inclined to try it.  Why?  Well for one thing my wash, scrunch, and go routine seemed to be the way to go.  I'd experimented with protective styles and had been disappointed.  Why oh why would I risk having a few bad hair days to try a new technique?  For those of you who are just starting out, I offer you a piece of advice.  Never be afraid to experiment with your hair on your natural journey.  I know it can be overwhelming with all the protective styles, moisturizing tips, and wash-n-go secrets out there.  When I first started, I was overwhelmed too.  I had to figure out that some things just weren't for me like protective styles.  So here I was faced with a dilemma to plop or not to plop.

    My curiosity about plopping was renewed when I ran upon an article describing an easy way to plop.  I decided that maybe the time had come for me to step outside my comfort zone and try something new.  I shampooed and conditioned my hair being careful to leave a little conditioner in my hair (yet another experiment).  Afterwards, I ran Shea Moisture's Curl Enhancing Smoothie through my hair after dividing my hair into ten sections.  I finished by running a bit of coconut oil through my hair to seal in the moisture.  Then the awkwardness started.  I had to figure out how get my hair in the center of my old cotton t-shirt while holding my head upside down.  Space is somewhat limited in my bathroom, so laying the shirt across the sink was out of the question. The only option left was the toilet.  Now let me explain something to you about the person who built this bathroom.  They built it for someone of petite stature.  The sink is low and the toilet sits even lower.  In order to position my hair over the t-shirt properly, I had to both bend at the waist and at the knees.  I was about to fall over when I finally got my hair in the center and began twisting the ends of the t-shirt while pressing my head onto the shirt (majorly awkward let me tell ya).  

    After I'd twisted the ends tightly, I secured them behind my head to form a sort of turban.  I was supposed to leave it on for about 20 minutes, but I think I left it on longer.  When I removed the t-shirt, I shook out my curls and allowed them to air dry the rest of the way.  At first I was worried that I wouldn't like the way my hair looked.  I was right...I didn't.  Well not at first, but when I slid my glasses on for a closer look I decided that it had turned out well enough for me to avoid embarrassment.  Then a hurricane hit and I didn't care anymore because no one but my family saw it anyway.  Wash day came the day after the rains finally stopped and the sun came out.  I wrestled with whether to plop again.  While my hair hadn't turned out badly the first time, I still wasn't sure whether I wanted to try it again.  After all, I'd grown comfortable washing, scrunching, and praying I didn't get a cold before it dried. I thought about the pros of plopping.  1. My hair dried faster. 2. I didn't have to worry about it getting in the way when I did other things. 3.It allowed my curls to clump better.  4. It seemed to dry sexier.  Okay, I know that last one seems like a stretch, but when I shook my hair out, the front pieces/bangs fell over my eye like those Noir movies vixens of old. That was about as far as I got on my list.  I was sold.

    I know it seems silly to stick with a styling option because of how your bangs fall.  The truth of the matter is it was a domino effect.  When my bangs fell just right, I felt sexier.  When I felt sexier, I felt more confident.  When I felt more confident, I would hold up my head and strut no matter what was going on around me.  I guess what I'm saying is that sometimes experimenting with your natural hair can be the extra confidence boost that you need.  In my case, that extra boost was plopping.