Considering Cutting Your Hair? You May Want To Consult The Moon First
Where would you turn to for haircut inspiration? Instagram, a chic celebrity or Pinterest, perhaps? Either way, I’m willing to bet you’re searching on your phone. Yet, while the days of bringing a magazine tear-out into the hairdresser are long gone, it seems we should consider consulting more than just social media apps before making any changes to our appearance. In particular, the ones you may head to for your horoscope.
It will come as no surprise that interest in astrology is booming. In 2021, the global astrology industry was valued at $12.8 billion (£10 billion), a huge rise from its $2.2 billion (£1.72 billion) evaluation in 2018 and an equally far cry from the $22.8 billion (£17.81 billion) it’s predicted to hit in 2031, according to Allied Market Research. In practice, this has led to terms such as ‘Mercury is in retrograde’ becoming a common excuse for an expansive range of mishaps, from dropping a freshly bought latte on the floor to messing up a work assignment or even a bad first date. Yet how this relates to our hair is the key question.
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'The moon’s energy affects us all, including our hair,' explains Sabrina Picot, senior stylist at HARI's. 'Its influence on our astrological chart and the energy it emits during different phases can significantly impact hair growth, strength, and overall health,' she adds, introducing me to the world of lunar haircare, a concept that is starting to gain some real traction.
Thought to have stemmed from ancient Almanac and Mayan culture, 'lunar haircare is the method of optimising your hair health and care routine according to the moon's energetic cycles,' adds Armin Morbach, a hair expert working with Schwarzkopf. 'Moon phases are a powerful force that rule the tides, the night’s sky and are even thought to influence human bodies, leading some to say the moon can even impact your hair with the lunar cycle, allowing it to grow stronger as well as haircare and styling products working better with certain phases.'
Esther Segura, co-founder of Spanish beauty and salon brand Secretos del Agua, has been using the lunar cycle to guide beauty treatments for over twenty years. She claims capillaries are more dilated during a full moon, increasing blood flow for all hair types. Picot adds that hair masks and other treatments tend to be more effective during the ascending moon as the hair regenerates much faster. While Morbach shares that the best time to colour your hair is in the waning phase of the moon, and when the moon is waxing, your hair growth could be accelerated. 'So if you want your hair to grow quickly after a haircut, consider getting it cut between the new and full moon. On the other hand, if you wear your hair short and you want it to grow as slowly as possible, you get it cut during the waning phase of the moon,' he explains.
As with most astrology concepts, however, there is no credible scientific evidence to support the principles of lunar haircare. Instead, its virtues have been passed through traditional cultures to modern-day experts in the field who are sharing their findings with their communities, whether that be Secretos del Agua’s lunar beauty treatment calendar, Schwarzkopf’s blog or wider beauty brands such as Inlight Beauty incorporating the moon into their business practices (here, herbal ingredients are exposed to sun and moonlight to obtain extra energy).
Taking a slightly different approach, Susan Miller, an accredited astrologer and founder of the app Astrology Zone, explains the moon's impact on our hair isn’t purely physical. 'The moon doesn't rule beauty, it rules your emotions, your feelings, your memories,' she shares, flagging the importance of additional forces as well. 'We are more affected by the bodies [planets] that are close to us, and the moon is the closest to us,' Miller adds. However, just as with that latte spill, the other planets can also play a part in our experiences.
When asked about using the moon to guide our haircuts, Miller made a compelling point about its practicality. 'We can't always wait two weeks or more to cut our hair. We have meetings, or we might have to take a business trip or something.' She also noted that 'luckily, hair grows again' if things did go awry, and regular trims for hair health are always a good idea.
Adding to the complexity of the lunar haircare learnings, however, Miller does stress that 'you really have to make sure you don't make dramatic moves when Venus is retrograde'. So, there’s a lot to learn if you wish to make the moon your haircare advisor. Best start downloading the apps.
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