Exploring the possible lunar connection to luscious locks
Is there a natural and affordable way to ensure strong hair and growth?
Sarah Lane, mother of two, says she grew her hair out for her wedding by “basing haircuts around the moon’s phases.”
“I started doing it as soon as we got engaged,” Lane says.
Although her wedding was close to 10 years ago, Lane can still recall the noticeable speed that her hair was growing at.
“I used this technique for about eight months up to my wedding,” she says. “My hair grew from above my shoulders to my collarbone, which is quite a bit.”
How does hair grow? What encourages growth and healthy hair?
As the generation notorious for wearing extensions, coloring hair and using damaging heat tools — it is likely that we all want to know.
Lane, who is part of a family of hairstylists, mentions that timing haircuts with moon phases is known in the hair and astrology worlds — but reaching out to those who aren’t involved in either, can be difficult.
“I even thought it was ridiculous at first. I was like ‘Yeah, I’m sure,’ ” laughs Lane.
Lane still doesn’t know much of the science behind it, but she saw the results.
“I still don’t really understand how it works,” she says. “I was told to try it, it was free, it doesn’t hurt to try, so why not?”
Connection between man and moon?
The idea of associating our hair growth with something as distant as the moon seems like an odd idea. We need somebody who has knowledge of hair and beyond.
Edina Jarjoura, a hair stylist at Karma Salon and Spa who also has clients for reiki and energy healing, would seem a perfect representation of the relationship between hair and the moon’s influence.
“The idea that the moon can influence your hair is far fetched for most people,” she says. “You can’t just jump in and say the moon will make your hair grow.”
Jarjoura emphasizes the importance of taking steps toward understanding this connection.
“The moon’s energy, and understanding it along with your energy, can have an influence on your body,” she says.
Like other hairstylists interviewed by the Calgary Journal, Jarjoura says that stress is one of the main things that can determine hair health. She also says hormones play a large role in hair health.
“Moods have an effect on the health of your body. If you can become aware of these moods, the hormones that accompany them and control them — then you can reduce stress,” she says.
“Reducing stress will help you exude that positive energy that you need in order for your body to reach it’s full, nurturing potential — this results in healthy hair.”
This is where the moon comes in. Jarjoura says it can strongly influence our moods.
Understanding the moon
Jarjoura explains that connecting ourselves with the moon can be an in-depth, exact and technical process.
“As a general rule, I tell most people to start tracking. Record when you are most positive, when you are feeling most negative, and what the moon is doing during those specific times.”
The hair stylist says that to grow your hair out, you must trim only the ends, and should do so during the times when your body is in a nourished and positive state. When would this be? She explains that the time cannot be generalized, that it will 
Hairstylist Edina Jarjoura believes in cutting hair based on moon cycles.
Photo by Haleigh Packer have to take research to find each individual’s optimum timing.
Jarjoura says knowing each moon phase’s qualities will help with tracking responses and timing growth.
“This doesn’t mean hair will grow, this means hair will not continue to split and break,” she says. “Usually during the new moon, hair will be stronger and more nourished. It is the time of nourishment and regeneration.”
Anyone feeling behind, wondering what the new moon is?
The moon phases
Karen Shelton, the Texas-based founder of HairBoutique.com and who has written many (and some of the first) articles on the relationship between hair and the moon, says it is vital to know the moon phases.
The new moon is the first phase of the month. It “symbolizes brand new beginnings, rejuvenation, sprouting, and outwardly directed energy,” she suggests.
The first quarter, or second phase “should promote growth, development, [and] shaping things that have already begun,” she says.
The third, or full moon phase, brings “maturing, bearing [of] fruit and abundance. Everything finds its final form,” she says.
She adds that the third quarter or the fourth phase “promotes endings, dissolving, retiring, peace, reflection and closing chapters.”
“Hairstrology,” the relationship between hair and astrology (including the moon, stars, energy, etc.), has been a key topic on Shelton’s website, which she says helps women “understand the condition of and influences on their hair.”
Shelton has clarified the importance of knowing the moon phases in order to properly track your body, and hair’s response to the moon.
“This is how one will be able to notice patterns,” she says.
Shelton has been studying astrology and the moon for 15 years and also has a background in hair styling. She says that she has learnt enough to know that “they are definitely connected.”
It’s up to you
Shelton says that the results turn out best when the tracking of the moon is tied to an individual’s own personal natal chart. A natal chart is an astrological chart that is drawn from the exact time of your birth.
Judith de Haan is a Calgary-based astrologer and practitioner of Gestalt, which applies astrology to daily life and decisions. De Haan is able to provide natal charts with the nitty-gritty information.
Astrologers, like de Haan, are one of the sources we can use to get to know the moon phases and become familiar with our own energy.
“You can become more self aware and self controlling as a result of these sessions,” says de Haan, describing the benefits of learning astrology.
De Haan says that you can learn to encourage, limit or control almost anything to do with your physical and mental health through astrology and self-awareness.
“It starts and ends with observation and correlation,” says de Haan.
Meanwhile, Lane hasn’t continued with timing her hair cuts with the moon phases, as she has cut her hair into a short bob since the wedding. However, she says if she were trying to grow out her hair long, she would do it again.
“You are going to get your hair cut anyways. It can’t hurt to just try and book it around the moon phases and see if anything happens. It worked for me.”
Karen Shelton mentions the following website where you can log on and see the phase of the moon on that day — which will help with daily or monthly tracking.
vpocza@cjournal.ca