A few things a new natural should know

1. It is natural to have more than one curl type or texture on your head.
If you have 2 or 3 curl types on your head that is normal and not unique. It is common for the curl type to be loser above the nape area. It is also common for the curl to be tighter in the crown. It could also be the opposite for you. 

2. Shrinkage is natural. How much your hair shrinks is most likely not different from the next natural.
Shrinkage is a sign of healthy hair. Shrinkage is actually your curls filled with water. Shrinkage should not be viewed as a bad thing. It is just what happened to curly hair. Most do not like shrinkage because it takes their length. That is just the nature of curly hair. 

3. Two factors to growing longer hair.
UNDER THE SCALP IS HAIR GROWTH 
How much your hair sprouts from under the scalp each month. The average rate of hair growth per month is 1/2 inch. You might get more or less than the average. How much your hair grows each month is based partly on genetics, hair regimen and your health. 

HAIR ABOVE THE SCALP IS GROWTH RETENTION  
How much of that growth you keep on your head. How much growth you keep is called, length retention. You can greatly affect your length retention depending on how you handle your hair. Most people who feel their hair does not grow, are really having a problem with length retention, not the hair growth. Their hair regimen is not conducive to them retaining length. 


4. Know your normal hair growth rate
It would benefit you to know how much your hair normally grows each month.  Then your will notice the change, if  your hair begins to grow slower. Simply track your hair growth every 30 days, for 7 months. At the end of those 7 months calculate the average from each monthly rate. 

YES YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR NORMAL HAIR GROWTH RATE

5. Get use to finger combing 
The fastest way to retain length is to finger comb. When you do not comb or brush your hair you will retain more length and reach your length goals faster. Combs and brushes pop and break curly hair.  The top cause of breakage is raking a comb or brush through your curls. 

6. Just like food natural is always better
Buying products with the most natural ingredients is important. What you apply to the hair goes into the scalp. You want the ingredients to be healthy as they lay on your scalp and seep into your hair follicles. It is worth spending a few dollars extra for a better quality product. Than it is to use products with cheap ingredients. Those cheap ingredients work at first, but they lead to dry hair and breakage down the road. Avoid a setback, invest in healthy products. 

Stay away from

Aussie Moist

Garnier Frutus

Pantene

Hello Hydration

and most other brands with cheap harsh ingredients.

7. The deal with porosity     
You will see a lot said about hair porosity. Someone will recommend the water sink, float test. The popular sink float test for porosity is not accurate.  Do not get  tied up in trying to figure out your porosity. Most have it wrong. You can use any product you like that you are not allergic to. All hair absorbs water, some might take a few seconds  more to absorb it but they still absorb it nonetheless.  Those who claim to be low porosity still have shrinkage. Think about that. It is okay to know your current porosity, but that does not dictate which products you can or cannot use. Porosity is important for your stylist to figure out when giving your any type of chemical service.