Losing length?

So I'm on like day 6 now of natural dreads. I made a twist and rip one to see how it would make my scalp feel and to see how much it would shrink cause im worried about losing too much length. My hair is about an inch short of being half way down my back. Do natural dreads shrink as much as tnr ones do? And I imagine just because natural dreads are a longer process my hair will have time to grow more before becoming actual dreads right? Also when should I start section ing? I've been trying to keep the sections as sections but they keep getting all tangled together. Do I just let them for now?
updated by @rachel-parsons: 01/13/15 09:33:03PM

it varies but generaly long haor shrinks more natural dreads are gradual so shrinking can be less drastic

dont worry bit seperating untill theres something to seperate ..knotted togetber

when 2 sections join as 1 or form as a big section

t sections iyself but when sections knotthey can knot together and thats whyen u start to seperate

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Okay cause I have a few sections at the back that keep knitting together and I have to keep separating them and as soon as I do an hour later they're back together. Maybe I'll just let them they seem to really enjoy each others company

they might want to v=be 1 section as long as they arent too big let em but the back will congo the most if u sleep on it

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I did TnR and at 4 months I have about 6" of length gone. I'm not too stressed about it because I would rather they shrink in the summer than in the winter (brrr....)

Anyhoo, from what I hear around the dreadvine is that when you go au naturale it takes longer for the knotting to happen; it's more gradual so you don't notice a ton of shrinkage. Also, everyone has different types and length of hair so where some people lose a couple inches, others loose half their length/

I'd feel extremely heart broken if I lost half my length LOL.