The Ways of the Maya: New Moon Trims for Faster Hair Growth

The Maya are known primarily for one thing—their calendar, which as we’re all frightfully aware, ends next month (even though according to the Mayans, it’s the end of an era and not the end of the world as many believe). However, aside from the doomsday-conspiracy theories, they were a people who were also known for their luxurious, down-to-there, raven black hair. In fact, cutting your hair short in the Mayan culture was a form of punishment for a crime, and so most took great lengths to keep their great length.

Their notorious calendar, which is not the oldest but the most widely understood, is the first known origin of the documentation of lunar phases and moon cycles. The Mayan people believed the moon to be female and associated the lunar phases with, among other things, fertility and growth, in both people and vegetation. Based on this belief there were optimal days for everything, from planting your garden to, you guessed it, cutting your hair.

This idea of the moon phases and astrology contributing to ideal times for growth has evolved into what many follow in the present day:  The Farmer’s Almanac, a North American publication that has been continually circulated since 1818. The almanac is basically a handbook and calendar that lists the best days for just about anything based on weather predictions and astronomy.

According to The Farmer’s Almanac, cutting one’s hair based on astrology and the moon phases can result in faster, thicker and longer growth, and according to yours truly, who has been testing this method for more than a year, it actually works (or at least delivers a believable placebo affect!).

For faster growth, cut/trim ends during the first two days of a waxing (growing) New Moon.

Dates to Remember:

November: 27 (Today!)

December: 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 24, 25

January: 11, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24

Not a believer? This past August, industry heavyweight Red Door Spas shed light on this method at its Moonlit Hair Event, where signs displayed announced the “best astrological signs for faster, longer and healthier hair [growth] is the New Moon in Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn or Pisces.”  The thought process here is that hair grows its healthiest when you cut during the New Moon in a water or earth sign.

Side note: As well, many believe that to cut hair for thicker growth you should cut/trim ends during the first two days of a waning (shrinking) Full Moon.

If you want to book a hair appointment to get your ends trimmed on one of the prime hair cutting days check out SpaFinder.com for a salon near you!

Have you ever cut your hair based on the moon cycle or done any other beauty treatments based around astrology? Let us know!

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Mii amo Recipe: Mayan Breeze Smoothie