A few questions before I dread
General Questions
I really want to start dreading my hair but I have quite a few questions.
First of which would be what method would be the best? I am in middle school so I don't know if the natural method would work and I don't fully understand it. Do you just not use shampoo in your hair or do I have to avoid washing it all together?
Next my hair is straight, thick, and needs to be brushed a few times a day or it gets tangly and knotty. Other than being straight is that ideal for dreads?
Finally, my hair is a little shorter in the back (around 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 inches). Is that long enough to start or should I wait before I begin my dread journey?
Thanks in advance for the help! I hope this is the correct category for this question. If needed I can put up pictures of my hair at the moment. 
updated by @tyler-chidester: 01/13/15 08:53:12PM