dreads progress & shrinkage

hi everyone!i am on month 3 of my re-dread journey. started about 6 months ago but i panicked and brushed them out..this time ive committed to them and after t&r i left them alone to do what they will, and boy did thery ever!!when i started them my hair was about mid way to my butt, now my dreads have shrunk all the way up above my shoulders..normal?they have millions of loops and curves which i expected of course.they have all (but maybe 3) rolled themselves into teardrop shaped head testicles as i call them. some go straight and make a hard left or right, they are all basically flat and curvy. i love them, im just curious if its normal to have them shrink sooo much in such a short time? and will they add any length as they form up or does it have to grow back out? thanks for any advice or help on my head o dreads!
updated by @april-parker2: 01/13/15 10:05:58PM

long hair shrinks the most drasticly

and it will grow but will take a few years to get back to butt length

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Well, I can wait. Besides , it gives my head character! Haha thanks SE

It shrinks!!!!

Here is my hair's length when I started (it's hard to see, but my hair is down past my waist over my butt at the longest point): Here is the length after 12 months:

And it is even shorter now at the 15 month mark!

I would say it is now about half as long as it was, and considering my hair grows 6-8" a year -- that is a LOT of dreading!!! But I love all of the curls and loops and knots.

I will say one thing, if I want to pull my hair back, I can barely put an elastic tie around it because it is so thick. I used to be able to double and even triple loop one of those things before dreads!

updated by @maria-tyler: 02/05/15 10:12:49AM

I know exactly what you mean with the elastics Maria! My hair was thick before but now it's a miracle if I can one around all of them. I can barely grab them all with my hand lolI'm fine with the shrinkage, I know it's a process..I'm just new at this and thought maybe it was happening to soon. Everyone's dreads grow differently though . And that's what I like about them. The most unique (and beautiful IMO) hairstyle out there.

Your dreads will be beautiful!