Hi, my microplopping friends! This article is for people who want to microplop their hair but are unsure how. I microplop my hair pretty much every day, especially when I bed. Micro-dunking your dreadlocks in a mixture of water, conditioner, and oils, so they clump in uniform micro-sized locks (5mm).
What is Microplopping?
Microplopping is a method that micro-locks your hair. The micro-sized lock is about 5 millimeters or 1/4 inches in diameter, which means microplopped hair will be stiffer than the average dreadlock. It’s similar to back-combing, but microplopping doesn’t require any tools besides your hands. The result is tighter, neater dreads that look fresh out of the shower! There are several ways of microplopping; you can use our original microplop method, or micro loop bands (which we recommend!).
Why do we need Microplopping?
Microplopping is better than micro-dunking because microplopping uses less conditioner. This makes microplopped dreadlocks dry faster and easier, making them more aerodynamic for windy situations like raves, outdoor concerts, or festivals. If microdunks aren’t appropriately dried before they’re installed, they may stay wet for a few days before drying out completely! Microplopped hair can also take up to half the time to install as other types of dreadlocks because microplops are almost already fully formed when you take them from the water.
Here’s how it works:
Microplopping is a straightforward micro-locking technique that can be done anywhere.
Just follow these easy steps:
1) Start with clean, unconditioned hair. Conditioning your hair is not necessary unless you have very dry dreads.
2) Make sure to a section of the roots of the area you are microplopping (you don’t microplop the ends of your hair). You can use microloom bands or rubberbands to divide your locks into small sections. If you are using microlooms, place them about an inch apart from each other. This will make it easier for microlooming later on in this process. It’s always better if microlooms are closer together!
3) Apply microplopping gel evenly on your roots. Follow the instructions on the microplop tube for this step. It’s usually good to add some water (about 3 parts water) into the microplop mix like in the microloom method.
4) Dip your microplopped section in a microplopping mixture—this is when you will be using shampoo and conditioner instead of microplop gel. Make sure not to dip the dread in-between your microlooms/bands!
5) Rinse out like in a typical washing process, but make sure you squeeze hard while rinsing so that all of the microplopping mixes is out of your hair. If you still feel some mix in your hair after rinsing, just micro-dunk your dreadlocks in a microplopping mixture of water and conditioner.
6) Repeat steps 3-5 for microplopping the other parts of your hair that have been divided into microlooms/sections. You can microplop all at once or choose to microplop one section at a time (this is what we recommend).
After microplopping:
Once done microplopping, put on a shower cap and let it air dry for an hour. After an hour, please take off the shower cap and apply some leave-in conditioner (we highly recommend Knot Today) onto the locks, then gently finger detangledetangle (finger detangledetangle only). Let your microplopped hair air dry for another hour.
How often should I microplop?
When you micro-dunk your hair, it falls apart slightly, so it will be looser while wet. Microplopping your dreadlocks will make micro-sized locks. Also, the micro-sized lock is very tight. So microplopped hair will be tighter than microdunked hair on wet days! If you microplop every day, then microplopped dreads would stay dry for up to 3 days.
Difference between Microplopping and Plopping:
Microplopping is micro-locking hair; Plopping is micro-dreading.
Plopping:
Plopping is a method that makes micro-sized dreadlocks with microplastic rings or bands. Plopping is micro-dreading.
Microplopped:
Microplopped is micro-locked using your hands and conditioner.
How Plopping works:
1. Start micro-dreading your hair with microplastic rings or microplastic bands, and spray conditioner.
2. Continue micro-dreading until the microplastics are covered in dreads.
3. At least once a day to maintain plopped micro dreadlocks (at night is the best time to do it).
4. Keep spraying the microplastic ring or band with water and conditioner after each wash/rinsing to make sure they don’t dry up and slip off the hair quickly if you want your micro dreadlocks to stay for a long time (the longer they stay on, the longer you will wait to install fresh micro dreads again).
5. remove plastic bands when micro dreads are fully dry.
OR micro-dreading microplastics with micro locks and sprinkling chemicals on them to make micro dreadlocks.
How to care for microplopped hair:
You must micro-dunk your microplopped hair in a water mixture and conditioner once it has dried. This will re-activate the microplopping gel so your locks can stick together better. Another way of doing this is by micro-dunking your locks 2 times a day (once in the morning, once at night) or whenever they feel dry/frizzy/unkempt!
What products do you use after microplopping?
Knot Today Knot Today is our favorite leave-in conditioner to use with microplopping. It’s cheap! It does the job well (moisturizing and detangling microplopped hair). Knot Today comes in 3 scents: lavender, peppermint, and unscented.
After microploping, you can use microplop gel to lock in your microplops. Or if you want to use microloom bands for microplopping instead of microplop gel, then MOOP butter would be a great choice because it comes with microloom bands inside each pack. Don’t forget to re-activate your microplops once they have dried by putting them in water/conditioner mixture, or just moisturize them after the shower!
Use of the right conditioner:
The microplopping technique uses microplop gel, which is a solid hold cream. To get microplops, we need to solidify the microplop cream between each micro dreadlock and add more water. So, for this reason, it’s best to use moisturizing conditioners over leave-in conditioners because they’re thicker and don’t drip off easily after microplopping.
Stop Using Hot Water:
It will be best to stop using hot water on microplopped hair. The microplop gel will not work or re-activate if your dreads are exposed to too much heat. We recommend styling microplopped hair with cold water only!
Stop Shampooing:
After microplopping, it is best to wait for some time before you shampoo again. This waiting period can speed up the locking process while giving your scalp some time off from harsh detergents that strip essential oils of our scalp and dry out microplops (if they haven’t dried out already). You can still keep microplops moisturized during this waiting period by applying Knot Today at night and putting a shower cap on.
Change your pillowcase:
It is essential to use a microfiber pillowcase so microplop gel won’t be transferred from your dreads onto your microfiber pillow. If you don’t have microfiber pillowcases, you can use microplop cream or microloom bands.
Wash With Knot Today:
It is best to shampoo with Knot Today after micro Plopping, especially if it’s been more than a week since the micro plopping process was done. You can also use soapnuts if you want, but Knot Today works well, and it’s not too expensive (just under $5 per bottle).
Detangle With A Wide Tooth Comb:
When microplopped hair starts drying out, we recommend using a wide-tooth detangling comb to take microplops apart and remove tangles gently. It will also help separate microplops so they won’t clump together.
Re-apply microplop gel:
After microplopped hair has completely dried, it is best to micro dunk your microplopped locks into a mixture of water and conditioner or just moisturize them and re-activate the microplop gel because this will re-stick/re-lock all of your microplops back together! If you’re using microloom bands instead of micro plop gel, then MOOP butter can be used to stick down large/loose dreads, but for some tighter ones, you might have to re-bun microplops.
Scrunch microplop gel:
After microplopping hair, micro plop gel will not feel stiff, so we recommend scrunching your microplopped locks with Knot Today to get rid of any leftover microplop cream and add more moisture so microplops don’t dry out! Micro loop bands or MOOP butter can be applied after micro dunking and re-activating the micro plop cream.
Stop Combining Dreads:
It is best to stop combing dreads when locking them faster because when you separate individual dreads, they speed up the locking process but then when you put them back together again, they go back into their typical micro dreadlocks state. So it’s best to stop combing microplopped locks if you want them micro locked together.
Stuff microplop gel in micro dreads:
After microplopping hair, the topmost layer of micro dreads will look like loose hair, but when you start squeezing it between your fingers, it will feel like the rest of your micro plops! This is when micro plop gel can be pushed down into individual micro dreads for extra strength and moisture. This step isn’t needed if you’re using microloom bands or MOOP butter because these products are already in their natural state (unlike microplop cream, which needs to be activated with water).
What microplopped hair looks like:
Micro-dreading creates dreadlocks that look like loose hairs and causes them to stick out in every direction (which some people like and some hate). Micro-dreading has more volume than traditional dreads. It takes at least 3 months before micro-dreads start looking like microplopped dreads. Micro-dreads take longer to dry than microplopped dreads, which is why micro-dreading your hair can be unhealthy for your dreadlocks (dreads drying out too quickly).
So microplopping is thicker and flatter micro-dreadlocks, but they’re equally as messy-looking as micro-dreads! They look like dreadlock extensions, making them look fake/phony; however, microplopping is 100% natural even though it looks fake. You can use microloom bands instead of microplop gel if you want tighter locks/microlooms.
Microplop gel vs Moop butter:
Moop butter comes with microloom bands inside each pack. microloom bands are more comprehensive than microplop gel microlooms, so micro-dreads made with microloom bands take longer to lock together. Micro loop bands are not as strong as microplop gel, but they’re still pretty strong once they’ve dried!
Micro Plopping vs. micro dreading:
Micro-dreading is best for people who want natural-looking micro dreadlocks that look like loose hairs all over their head. They also fluff up when you sleep on them and when it’s windy outside because of their weight (unlike regular/traditional dreads).
On the other hand, microplopping is the best way for people who flat dreadlock extensions that do not pull apart when microplopped. microplopping gives micro dreadlocks more volume than micro-dreads, so microplopping the micro dread extensions looks so good when you wear them down. Microplop gel has a much stronger hold than butter, but it’s harder to wash out because microplop gel hardens.
Microplopped hair vs. traditional dreadlocks:
There are many differences between micro Plopping and traditional/classic locking techniques that make micro plopping different from other locking methods.
Traditional locks are thicker and take longer to lock together, making them less messy (traditional dreads aren’t as loose). Because of this, they tend to be heavier on your head; therefore, micro-dreading micro dreads is healthier for micro dreadlocks.
Micro plopped micro dreads are less heavy and more flat than micro-dreaded micro dreadlocks because microplopping pulls them closer together, making micro-dreads flatter on your head. And micro-dreads get pulled apart very quickly, especially the ones at your scalp, because they’re thicker and heavier than micro dread extensions.
Traditional locks also take a long time to dry, while microploolmed hair dries almost immediately after each shower!
In other words, traditional/classic techniques have a much stronger hold than micro Plopping but micro plopped hair takes 1-2 days to lock up entirely, while traditional locks can take months depending on how often you do it/how much you micro-dread. microplopped micro dreads look fake/phony initially, which is why microplopping can be deceptive to beginners who don’t know the difference between microplop gel micro dreadlocks and micro dread extensions.
Micro dread extensions vs. micro plopped micro dreads:
If you want fake-looking something, then get micro dreads or microloom bands, but if you want 100% natural-looking hair, then get micro plops.
Micro dread extensions are loose hairs attached to your scalp instead of hanging down your head because they’re attached with a rubber band. They’re also thicker than regular traditional dreadlocks because it takes several hours for each section to tighten up once all the loose hairs have been micro-dreaded onto your scalp. Micro dread extensions are also 100% natural Indian Remy human hair that’s micro-dreaded onto your head just like microplopping micro dreads. Micro dread extensions can be microplopped with microplop gel. Still, micro plopping them would make them look fake because they’re attached to your scalp, not hanging down like regular/natural traditional/classic dreadlocks (micro dreads).
The best thing about micro-dreading micro dreadlocks is that you don’t have to wash your hair every week with other locking techniques unless it gets dirty or smelly, which makes it easier for people who cannot shampoo their hair every week. Also, if you’re Indian (and dark-skinned), micro dread micro dreadlocks are the best option compared to microloom bands/beads because it’s hard for people with brown skin tones to micro-dread beads/bands due to their dark hair color.
Probably the most significant difference between micro plopped micro dreads, and micro dread extensions is that micro plopping micro dreads will take 1-2 days while micro dread extensions can take 6 months or longer depending on how often you micro-dread them because microplopping takes just a few minutes which makes it faster than traditional locking techniques.
Micro plop gel contains Dimethicone which is very sticky, unlike moop butter which makes microplopping much stronger than moop buttering, but too much moop butter can weaken micro dreads. Micro plopping micro dreads is gentler on your scalp than microlooming/beading because micro blooms have a stronghold, and microbeads are hard to remove from your head if you don’t micro-dread them correctly, which makes microplopping the safest locking method for beginners.
Benefits of Microplopping:
Micro dread extensions in less than an hour
Micro dread micro dreadlocks in 1-2 days (stronger hold compared to microloom/beads)
Micro dread micro dreadlocks are 100% natural human hair (Indian Remy) that’s micro-dreaded onto your head just like microplopping micro dreadlocks
The best choice for people with dark skin tones is because you can’t micro-plop brown beads/bands very well due to their dark color. If you’re Indian, getting micro-plopped micro dreads is a no-brainer!
Disadvantages of Microplopping:
It takes 1-2 days before your hair dries up completely, making it harder to wash your micro plopped micro dreads for the first week. You can micro-dread micro dreadlocks in less than an hour, but it takes at least a few hours before they dry up completely.
Microplopping your micro dread micro dreadlocks will make your scalp very sticky/tacky, making it harder to wash your hair during the first week. Try not to touch/play with your wet micro dread micro dreads because they can also weaken them. You have to let them dry naturally, just like natural classic/traditional locks
FAQ
How long does microplopping last?
Our microplops lasted a week, some microlooms even longer! With proper care and re-activating your microplops in a water/conditioner mixture after the shower, microplopping will give you an extra few days of styling power before your hair starts to feel dry. If you micro-dunk micro blooms every day, they will stay moisturized for months! Microlooms become best friends with our Knot Today leave-in conditioner.
Will microplopping damage my dreadlocks?
No! Putting your dreads through the microloom bands process will not damage them. Microplopping works just like micro-locking only micro-dreads are locked into microlooms instead of rubber bands.
Will microplopped dreads get moldy?
No! The microplop gel creates a barrier between your locks and the microplop solution so that no mold will grow inside your dreads. It might get smelly, but there is no mold inside your dreadlocks.
Can microplopping cause my dreads to fall apart?
No, microplopping does not weaken or damage hair in any way; on the contrary, it strengthens hair because it strengthens the bonds that hold each strand together while keeping individual hairs moisturized. Microplopping micro-locks microlooms into micro dreads so microplops are locked in for good!
What are microlooms?
Microlooms are micro-locks that come in different forms, the most popular form being microloom bands. Microloom bands can be used to micro-lock single dreads into micro-locking loops, or they can be used to microplop your hair by locking micro plots into your micro dreads.
You can also check out our other articles on wavy hair.
Conclusion:
Microplopping your hair is an excellent choice for people who want micro-locking micro dreads in just 1-2 days without the harsh microlooming process. Microplopping micro dreadlocks are considered safer than microloom/beading by many micro reading enthusiasts because micro Plopping doesn’t require complex chemicals or harmful instruments that damage your scalp. Micro plopping micro dreadlocks is the best choice for people with dark skin tones because micro loom bands can’t be used with micro plopped micro dreads.
