Feng Shui For Hair

This morning I watched a video by Joey Yap, a feng shui and BaZi master, well respected worldwide. He was answering a question he got about feng shui for hair. A lady provided two photos of haircuts with different shapes and asked him to select the one that would improve her luck. His answer? There is no feng shui for hair. You cannot feng shui your hair for more prosperity or good fortune. One hairstyle is not more auspicious than another. A haircut cannot improve your "luck". And he's right!

Or is he?

While I agree that you cannot feng shui your style in the classical sense of the term, styles can be attributed to the Five Elements. And the Five Elements' colors and shapes do have an effect on our personal energy. The way you dress and style your hair does reflect various aspects of the Five Elements, their three cycles and the resulting relationship energy dynamics.

Here's how it works: The more of your own element's colors and shapes that you incorporate into your look, the more affinity you feel with your own personal energy. The more elements of the other Five Elements you include in your look, the more your energy will be affected in the same way a natural element or personal element would affect you. For instance, if a Wood person wears a lot of metal jewelry, that person will be cut off from their own personal energy and they will feel controlled or dominated.

This awareness of elemental influences on our personal energy can be empowering. For example: if a Water person knows she will need a lot of extra energy to get through her day, she might choose to wear red or a red spectrum color because the Fire element makes her feel powerful. That same Water element might choose to sleep in a green nightgown because the Wood element reduces her energy and is calming to her personal energy making her feel relaxed enough to sleep peacefully.

In my book: The 8 Elements: Feng Shui For YOU! I share the elements' colors and shapes and how they are represented in dress and style. I include information on the shape and color, print and texture of apparel, the shape, color and elemental composition of jewelry and accessories and the shape, color and texture of hairstyles. The 8 Elements all have very distinct styles and they usually honor their personal energy with aspects of their personal element without even knowing it. Many also intuitively know what to add to their look to support their energy for whatever their day holds or their life currently requires.

If you have read your personal element profile, you are already familiar with the colors associated with each of The 8 Elements, as well as, their Happy color.

Colors

People gravitate to their personal element's colors and especially their happy color. Wood people tend to go au naturel, although shades of green or auburn leaves might make an appearance at some point in their lives, if only for a day. Fire people might have red hair and Water people raven black or blue black hair. Mountain Earth people may be blondes or dirty blondes and Mother Earth people brunettes. Hard Metal people might get highlights, go bleach blonde or dye their hair gray prematurely, let their hair go gray or pure white later in life or wear rainbow colored wigs.Soft Metal people might have platinum blonde hair, goldilocks, have silver streaks or get golden highlights, dye their hair a light pastel color or let it turn gray or white with age.

While some people keep their natural color all of their lives, other people dye their hair a certain color again and again or change the color quite often. Still others will shave their head, happily go gray or simply wear wigs, hats or beanies.  What color people choose to dye their hair reveals a lot about the current state of their personal energy. If you feel comfortable in your own skin and enjoy an affinity with yourself, you will keep your natural color or dye it a color that matches your personal element. When you have a lot of energy, you may choose to reduce it by dyeing your hair the color of your Peace element or control it by dyeing your hair the color of your Control element. When you are doing a lot of growing or building or developing your personal energy, you may choose to support it by dyeing your hair the color of your Support element. When you need a lot of personal energy, you may choose to empower yourself by dyeing your hair the color of your Power element.

NOTE: To determine your personal element's Comfort, Peace, Support, Power and Control elements, read Element Relationship Dynamics for more information on the Three Cycles of the Five Elements.

Shapes

WOOD - Columns/Pillars, Towers, Cylinders, Vertical Rectangles

FIRE - Arrows, Diamonds, Pyramids, Triangles

EARTH - Squares, Flat Horizontal Rectangles (Planes, Plateaus)

METAL - Arches, Circles, Domes, Ovals, Vesica Pisces

WATER - Amoeba, Asymmetrical, Freeform, Irregular, Kidney Shapes, Spirals, Teardrops

Style

The way people wear their hair, regardless of what they've got to work with in the first place, can be one of the easiest ways to determine a person's element. No matter the length or whether their hair is naturally straight or curly, the cut, the style and the accessories can reveal a person's element. Frizzy hair can be straightened and smoothed. Straight hair can be curled and crimped or permed.  Thick or thin, coarse or fine, most hair challenges can be tamed or improved with good grooming, great products and expert care from stylists.

Long, medium or short - the length of a person's hair is the first clue. People can keep their hair short all their lives or never cut it at all. Metal people tend to have the shortest hair and they keep it lustrous and well styled or clean cut. Wood people like to grow theirs out the longest and let it go a bit dull and drab. Earth, Water and Fire tend to fall into the short to medium length categories with a wide variety of cuts and styles.

The way people wear their hair, the shape of their hair cut and type of hairstyle can, in many cases, give their personal element away. Wood people might have blunt cut bangs, feathered fringes or shaggy hair with lots of layers. They might like to manage their long hair with French braids, twists or cornrows, buns or top knots, pigtails, ponytails or dreadlocks. Fire people might go with an angular cut that comes to a point or goes in all different directions like the licking tongues of a flame. They might even go for something with triangular shapes, spikes or even a fauxhawk. Earth people might go for a flat-top, high-top or buzz cut, bowl or box cut or layered bob. Metal people might go for a shorter bob with sharp cuts and severe angles, short pixie cuts or closely cropped hair with detailed designs cut into the side of their scalp. They might have a full head of  ringlets or a shaved or bald head. Water people might have an asymmetrical cut or wavy curls, cascading down their backs that they can sweep into an up do or shape into a wave cresting over their forehead in a pompadour.

Two of the 8 elements are associated with the head: Fire and Hard Metal. Fire people make their hair an important part of their look. Earth people like to get their hair done by a professional and have a style they can maintain easily.  Metal people are split between a very stylized look to covering up whatever is going on with a hat, wrap or scarf. Water people do their hair themselves. Hard Wood people love to do hair - they do their own and everyone else's.

Technique

Styling techniques are also a determining factor, although, time in front of the mirror may reflect more about how much importance a person gives to their self image than their personal element. Some elements have mastered the messy bun, secured with a band or claw clip or even pen. Others are adept at a quick low ponytail, tied back with the ever-present band around their wrist. Some are interminable bedheads, while other, slightly less lazy people, find an easy wash and wear look they can "do" in minutes. Some use lots of product and styling tools like blow dryers and hot rollers, straighteners and curling irons and spend time primping and preening for hours. Others keep their hair style more simple and their tools to a single comb or solitary brush. Some like getting their hair done professionally and pay a stylist to keep their hair looking at its best. Still others get up early to make time every morning to do their hair themselves. Some wear a hat most of the time and don't care if they have hat hair. Others sit in the stylist chair for hours, getting weaves or hair extensions, while still others reduce that time to zero by just wearing a wig or head wrap.

Texture

Hair can be fine or coarse, thick or thin, dull or shiny. It can be healthy and strong or fragile and brittle, soft and smooth, normal, dry or oily. Hair can be straight or curly, wavy or frizzy. It can be teased or feathered, combed over or blown out.

Wood people can have the most hair, the longest hair and the coarsest hair. They need to trim it often to keep split ends away and keep their bangs out of their eyes.  Fire people can have crazy hair that needs taming or allowed to be wild and free. They need to find a style that doesn't make them want to pull their hair out and keep their thirsty hair well conditioned. Earth people can have dirty hair that needs washing, dry hair that needs conditioning, unkempt hair that needs combing, dull hair that needs brushing. Their hair needs more attention than their busy lives allow for. Metal people can have a full head of healthy hair, thinning hair or none at all, leaving them with a smooth, shaved or bald head. Their hair can be strong and shiny or brittle and break easily. Water people have longer, finer, softer, flowing straight or wavy hair. They need to let their hair down sometimes.

Accessories

Not all of the personal elements wear hair accessories. For some, their cut and style is enough of a look. The ones who do wear accessories like combs and clips, pins and barrettes, hair bands and hair ties, even scrunchies may do so solely for utilitarian reasons instead of decorative ones. Other adornments include ribbons and bows, garlands and wreaths or a single flower, headbands and head wraps, hats and crowns, bandannas and scarves.

Wood people might wear hair sticks or wooden barrettes, clips with silk flowers or accessories made of fabrics, ribbons and bows. They might wear a single flower in their hair or garlands of fresh flowers or a wreath of leaves, berries, herbs or other natural floral or fragrant items.

Fire people might wear bone, feathers, fur, horns, leather or animal print accessories, red hats or scarves.

Earth people wear their hair unadorned or cover it with a plaid kerchief, brown beanie or hat. For special occasions they might wear accessories with semi precious stones or crystals.

Metal people wear red hats or rainbow colored headdresses, colorful wigs, hairpieces or a toupee, paisley scarves and metallic accessories. Hard Metal are the most likely to wear a gold or silver crown. Soft Metal are the most likely to bedazzle or bejewel their hair, wear glitter or other shiny, sparkly or light reflecting metallic accessories.

Water people keep accessories to a minimum and may only use clips or bands that match their hair color so they don't draw any additional attention. On special occasions they might add iridescent elements like diamond studded pins or clear quartz combs or barrettes.

In keeping with one of the content themes of my book, I will offer some things to notice about the way people wear their hair. It's called Most Likely To...

Wood people are most likely to have long hair, wear braids, keep it au naturel and not try to cover any premature grays. They likely have straw colored, chestnut brown or auburn colored hair. They are also most likely to be a hairstylist themselves or be that friend you go to get your hair trimmed. Hard Wood people are likely to have exceedingly long hair at some point in their life. Soft Wood people are likely to have a wind blown look or dye their hair a shade of purple.

Fire people are most likely to have a hair style the resembles an animal, like the antlers of an elk, spikes of a porcupine, headdress of a cockatoo or the mane of a lion. They likely have red hair, dye their hair a bright color or change their hairstyle often. They are the most likely to need hair masques and deep conditioning treatments.

Earth people are most likely to choose a hairstyle that works for them and keep it that way for years or even their entire life. They are likely to have dirty hair that needs washing or a scalp that needs a good scrubbing. They are the most likely to have dandruff. Mountain Earth people are most likely to have hair the color of happy yellow sunshine. Mother Earth people are most likely to have a shade of brown hair, dye it pink or put in a pink streak or two.

Metal people are most likely to have light colored, gray or white hair, distinctively styled with precision and symmetry and a definitive part. They are also most likely to have thinning or little to no hair. They are the most likely to wear a hat. Hard Metal people are most likely to wear a crown or rainbow colored wig or shave a side of their head. Soft Metal are most likely to dye their hair a pastel color, have silver streaks or wear metallic accessories.

Water people are the most likely to have dark hair, dye it a shade darker than it is naturally or dye it black. They likely don't mind having wet hair and letting it air dry. They might even go for a wet looking hair style through the use of product. They likely wear it up most of the time and let their hair down only sometimes.

In conclusion...

When it comes to applying feng shui principles to people and their personal energy, the way we do with Feng Shui For YOU! is there feng shui for hair? Yes! Are there remedies and enhancements that we can bring to our look to honor our personal energy? Yes! But unlike an annual energy update that requires very specific changes and adjustments, movements and removals, there is no blueprint that we must follow. Feng Shui For Hair is more about you taking a look at the elements of your style, your cut, your color and accessories and recognizing how you are using the Five Elements to support or reduce, control or empower your energy. Or, discover that you are comfortable in your own skin, every element is in alignment with your personal element and the way you wear your hair represents and honors your personal energy.

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