The irony of complaining about shrinkage is that shrinkage actually indicates healthy hair. However, shrinkage is one of the most common complaints we hear from the natural hair community. The tighter your curls, the more shrinkage you’ll experience because length is lost in forming the shape of your coils. Shrinkage is normal in all curly, kinky, or coily hair the only hair without shrinkage is pin-straight hair.
It has taken time, but you’ve achieved length! You wash your hair, style it, you’re loving your look, and then… your hair dries and shrinks, losing 2, 3, 5, or even 8 inches in length. So, you started your natural hair journey and you’ve been painstakingly caring for your hair as it grows.