Can any of you relate? No? Let me give you a third example: you just discovered Black Hair Information and read about the importance of not using direct heat and see plenty of tutorials on heat-free styles.
You spend the first six months of your HHJ braiding and twisting your hair nightly and uncoiling in the morning to have resulting waves and curls. You may have even mastered the look and can now do it in your sleep! Excitedly you take your six month progress pictures and are sorely disappointed with the lack of length gained. Later in your journey, you decide to use heat *gasp* in moderation and with an effective heat protectant*. This time around, your six month comparison photos show all kinds of improvement – length, thickness, shine! You’ve learned that YOUR hair responds better to using heat regularly (some even heat train).
The moral of this story is this: as a newbie to your hair journey and even as a veteran, try to avoid making hard and fast assumptions about your hair based (soley) on your knowledge and experience gained prior to the start of your hair journey. Even if your thoughts on your hair are 100% correct at the start of your journey, often your hair changes once you begin to care for it properly. As you go deeper into your journey and your moisture/protein levels become regulated amongst other improvements, your hair will more than likely differ in several ways: texture, requirements, even preferred products and ingredients.
Part of the importance of a HHJ is learning your hair and this is also a big key to having a successful hair journey. Be flexible in your views regarding your hair, allow yourself time to truly get to know your hair, and remember to adapt your regimen and techniques as your hair grows long and healthy.