When I was a little girl, my mother used to trim my ends every blue moon. I never thought to ask why-- this was the way things had always been, the way my grandmother had trimmed her ends, the way her grandmother had done before her. Some things you didn’t argue with. Some things just were.
Little did I know that our family tradition was deeply rooted in both indigenous wisdom and empirical evidence.
Native peoples recognized thousands of years ago that the natural rhythms of the earth were mirrored within our own bodies. Some cultures deified different aspects of nature, like the sun, moon, and stars, while others worshiped nature itself, building monuments like Stonehenge and Chichen Itza in celebration of astronomical phenomena like solstices and equinoxes.
In the late seventeen hundreds, scientists began tracking tides, spurring them to formally investigate the relationship between the cycles of the moon and changing tide levels. Here’s what they discovered:
- Tides are created by the gravitational force of the moon pulling on water.
- This force is highest when the moon is full or new, because the earth, moon and sun are aligned.
- During the new and full moon, high tides are at their highest and low tides are at their lowest. This is called Spring Tide.
- When the moon is one quarter full, the moon and sun’s gravitational pull cancel each other out, causing the opposite effect: weak or Neap Tides.
So what does the moon’s gravitational pull have to do with getting thicker, longer, stronger, and healthier natural hair?
Nine months ago I discovered an interesting theory by a veteran holistic stylist named Anthony Morrocco, a simple yet profound theory that he has based a multi-million dollar haircare brand around: The same gravitational forces that impact the water outside of your body impact the water inside your body.
Simply put, if you want your hair to grow fast, you should work with gravity, not against it.
The best time to cut your hair to encourage growth is during Spring tide when gravity is pulling water outward. Cutting during Neap tide encourages stagnation, which makes it the ideal time to remove unwanted body hair.
For the past nine months I have been using the Lunar method to promote hair growth, and so far I love my results!
Not only is my natural hair thicker than ever and growing like a weed, I only have to trim my ends four times each year, on the full moon closest to the winter and summer solstices and vernal and autumnal equinoxes.
This year marks a once in a lifetime growth opportunity for naturalistas like me. The last full moon of 2016 coincides with the winter solstice, a once every twenty year or so phenomena that won't happen again until 2094.
That makes this Wednesday, December 22nd the most beneficial growth cutting day for the next 78 years.
During the winter solstice, the sun is farthest away from the earth, causing the tides to swell or ‘bulge’. These bulges have been known to cause high tides or even coastal flooding when the gravitational effect of the equinox is combined with the natural increased pull of the full moon.
For many indigenous cultures, the Solstice also signifies the beginning of a new season and a spiritually significant period of rebirth. That makes it the best possible time to set goals and start the healthy hair habits that will ensure you achieve them.
Here are four simple tips that will help you maximize your length retention on the best beneficial hair-cutting day for the next 78 years.
While your hair is only about five percent water, the scalp it grows out of is over sixty percent water. Healthy hair starts at the roots, so it’s essential that you drink enough water to maintain a strong and healthy scalp. To make sure you’re maximizing growth potential, challenge yourself to drink one ounce per pound of sixty percent of your body weight in water ounces during the week of the solstice. To easily calculate what your ideal water intake is, simply take half your body weight plus ten percent, then switch pounds for ounces.
For example, a 150 pound woman would need to drink a minimum of 90 ounces (75 pounds plus 15 pounds) of water each day.
Sage has naturally antibiotic and antiseptic properties and has been used for centuries to treat hair loss and stimulate cell regeneration. Try this easy three ingredient sage oil to stimulate your scalp before and after the Winter Solstice.
Combine one part whole sage, one part castor oil, and two parts Olive (very dry hair), Sweet Almond (dry hair), or Grapeseed (normal hair) oil in a medium skillet. Heat on low about fifteen minutes or until oil turns dark (but is not burnt or smoking). Strain the oil into dropper or roll on bottle. Apply to scalp nightly, massaging the oil into your scalp for three minutes before bed.
I have tried a lot of crap methods, but to me nothing works better that trimming freshly washed and detangled hair with a pair of nail scissors. The twists allow you to clearly see where ends are split or heat damaged, and the nail scissors are sharp, guaranteeing a precise trim.
I start by detangling my dripping wet hair with a denman brush. After detangling a two inch square section, I twist it loosely into a two strand twist. Once I have detangled my entire head, I trim the dead or damaged ends of each twist with my nail scissors.
Side note-- I save my ends, rolling them up inside a list I make of all the the things I want to leave behind in the coming season. Then I burn the hair and the list in a symbolic ritual of new beginnings; but do you.
Using a seed or carrier oil or butter, fully saturate the last two inches of your freshly trimmed twists. As they dry they will continue to absorb the oil, forming a protective barrier for your sensitive ends and aiding in length retention. You can even use the sage oil from step two to help protect your ends.
These four easy steps will help you maximize hair growth in the upcoming season. By learning the Lunar method, you can harness the power of gravity to improve the condition of your scalp and grow long, strong, beautifully healthy natural hair.
Take advantage of the best possible day to get a fresh start. As the winter solstice begins a new season, consider beginning new healthy hair habits that will benefit yourself and your family for generations to come.
