The Moon has been guiding human activity for thousands of years (if not hundreds of thousands). Most early hunter gatherer communities and their settled counterparts had the Sun, Moon and Stars at the heart of their belief systems.

A way to connect and stay connected to something larger than themselves. To seek solace, find guidance and know what to do and when, in order to sustain themselves and their way of life.

Our Bronze Age ancestors not only planted their crops by the moon but let the Moon guide them in countless other activities too.

One such activity is cutting your hair.

I know, sounds kind of strange at first but hear it out, it does make sense when you think about it.

The effect of the moon on the earth, and humans, is often underestimated. It may be a well-known fact that the full moon effects the tides in the oceans but what is not so well known is the tremendous effect the moon has on your hair.

Let me explain how cutting your hair by the moon works.

It involves the syncing of your hair trims with the Moon’s phases. The idea is that trimming the hair in time with certain cycles of the moon can bring about longer, stronger, and lusher strands.

At different times on the month, the Moon has a greater or lesser effect on the Earth and also, therefore, on us and our hair.

The Moon pulls on different sides of Earth as it orbits, creating the tides.

As you can see from the photo, when the Moon is full or New, it has the greatest impact on the tides.

If it can pull entire oceans closer to it, it stands to reason it can draw all sorts of things closer to it, no matter how gradually, including our hair.

So, when is the best time for cutting hair by the Moon?

Well, depending on what you want to do and the condition of your hair, here are some options:

Speed up hair growth by the Moon

If you hair is in bad condition, potentially a little dry or dull, then cut your hair on a Full Moon. This way it will heal and grow back shinier, healthier and faster than before. This is also the best time to cut if you want your hair to grow back quickest.

Use the Moon to restore your hair's condition

If you’re looking to deeply condition and nourish your hair, or change the color, do this during the Crescent Moon as this is a time of regeneration

Slow down hair growth on a Waning Moon

If you want to slow down the growth of your hair or make the most of your best cut and style, time your trims for when the Moon is waning.

The best time to cut not only includes the phases of the Moon but the Water and Fire Zodiac signs too. So to really double down on the gifts of the cosmos, look to what the Moon is doing in relation to the signs of Zodiac.

Hair, the Moon and Water Signs

When the Moon is in the Water Signs of Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces, the energies are at their most fertile. So for your hair this means that these are the best periods for repair and recovery and when your hair will grow its fastest.

Hair, the Moon and Fire Signs

Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are the Fire Signs and these are the driest periods, so growth in these signs will be slow. A good thing to do at these times is to time any hair removal treatments, like waxing, as it’ll last longer.

There’s also one more thing bear in mind…

Equinoxes and Solstices

These are the markers of the changing of the seasons. The equinoxes (equinox is Latin for ‘equal light’ as the day is a perfect 50/50 of night and day) mark Spring and Autumn. While the Solstices are the extremes of light and dark, the markers of Winter and Summer and the shortest and longest days of the year.

These supercharge the phases of the Moon.

Summary - when to cut your hair by the Moon

The best days of the entire year to cut your hair by the Moon for exceptional regrowth and condition are to cut your hair by the Full Moon on an Equinox or Solstice.

We’ve also got to take into consideration the current state of your hair, your desired outcome and then we’ve got Full, Waning and Crescent Moons to think about; Fire Signs and Water Signs; as well as Equinoxes and Solstices.

That’s a lot to consider!

You’ll need more than some quickly scrawled notes to plan it out.

Fortunately, I have a Moon Calendar that features all of these aspects that I hand painted in my studio close to the St Michael’s leyline here in Cornwall, UK (don’t worry, we ship from the US too).

Have a look at my Moon Calendar for cutting your hair to see the phases, Zodiac signs, Solstices, Equinoxes and lots more.

I hope you’ve found this helpful – any questions, just leave them in the comments!

Hayley x