Once Halloween is over, pumpkins freeze on doorsteps, holiday sales begin, and Christmas music plays everywhere. During November, you might be familiar with this yearly month-long occurrence thanks to social media called No-Shave November or Movember.
Have you ever thought it was just a quirky thing to do? During this month, mustaches are grown, beards left to go wild, and even armpits and legs can sprout fuzzily. No Shave November isn't just a fun-themed month but charitable organizations dedicated to raising awareness about men's health issues.
Where did it come from, and what charities are behind it?
What is Movember or No Shave November?
No Shave or Movember seeks to raise awareness about cancer and mental health. The idea behind No Shave November is for participants to let their hair grow wild and free, as many cancer patients cannot as they lose hair from treatments. The idea behind Movember is to move to bring awareness to several men's health issues, including mental health. It's a creative way to remind people that many people, our friends and neighbors, are struggling with the disease or have family members struggling with efforts to fight it. In addition to being a reminder, many who participate in Movember and No Shave November donate or encourage others to donate the money they would typically spend in November on hair care to charitable organizations working to find a cure and help families dealing with cancer.
Where Did No Shave November Come From?
No Shave November began in 2009 to honor Matthew Hill, who passed two years prior. Matthew struggled with colorectal cancer in November 2007. Matthew and his family had adopted the not-shaving during November to donate the expenses typically used on products like razors and shaving cream toward cancer charities. No Shave focuses solely on cancer awareness and cancer prevention.
In 2021, No Shave November raised and donated $1.76 million and, according to the No Shave November official website, has raised over $10 million since its founding.
What Does Movember Mean?
In November 2003, two friends in Australia came up with the idea of using facial hair to create awareness. They coined Movember as they grew their mustaches to collect money for men's health charities during that month. The two friends then recruited 30 other men in Australia who also grew out their mustaches. By 20006, Movember received official charity status from Australia and raised more than $8 million since its inception three years before.
According to the official Movember website, Movember supports men's health across several different causes and has funded over 1,250 health projects.
In 2017, more than 5 million people across 21 countries officially participated and donated, and the movement is still going strong.
No Shave November and Movember are two separate entities working toward the same goal of supporting and donating to cancer and cancer treatment charities.
Why You Should Participate in No Shave November or Movember
Whether you choose one or the other, participating in No Shave November or Movember is a fantastic means to bring awareness to many health issues men face, ranging from mental health and suicide prevention to testicular and colon cancer. By participating, while you grow out your beard or your 'stache, you can share relevant information about the unique health problems and tips on the signs of mental health issues, how to self-exam for testicular cancer, and the symptoms of colon cancer. Additionally, you can raise funds that go toward charities to help bring further awareness, provide resources, and help fight cancer.
How to Participate in Movember or No-Shave November
Participating in Movember can be as simple as making sure you're clean-shaven the night before November 1st and growing a beautiful mustache for the entire month. Choose a cancer or men's mental health charity to raise funds for and donate what you present at the end of the month.
To participate in No-Shave November, ensure you're clean-shaven the night before November 1st, then skip shaving the entire month. If you can't grow a beard, don't worry—growing a mustache, armpit hair, or even leg hair counts! Choose a cancer charity you prefer, raising funds to donate at the end of the month.
Movember
To fully participate in Movember, you can register through the Movember site to be counted amidst the millions of people growing out mustaches for the month. Once registered, you can Move for Movember, in which you commit to running or walking at your own pace for 60 miles over the entire month. The number 60 represents the 60 men lost to suicide each hour, every hour, across the globe. If you cannot do the 60, Movember also encourages you to make your unique challenge for the month to fundraise.
No Shave November
You can also register on the No Shave November website, where during registration to can choose an official partnership to apply your donations to, such as:
• American Cancer Fund
• Be The Match
• Fight Colorectal Cancer
• Go2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
• Kidney Cancer Association
• National Foundation for Cancer Research
• LGBT National Cancer Network
• Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
• Prevent Cancer Foundation
• Testicular Cancer Society
The No Shave November website also has a Leaderboard page displaying the leading donations from members, teams, and partnerships. You can also find their newsletter, C.A.R.P.E. DIEM or Cancer Awareness Research Prevention And Education, which brings excellent information about cancer, ground-breaking research, hot tips for prevention, and more straight to your inbox.
No Shave November and Movember FAQS
Do you have to be clean-shaven at the start of either?
Yes, you have to start No Shave November or Movember clean-shaven, then during the month, you can choose to grow your mustache, beard, or body hair by not shaving the entire month.
What if you have a job that requires a dress and grooming code at work?
If you have a strict dress or grooming code at your job, the rules say it's O.K to trim and groom if you must.
We Love No Shave November and Movember
The Cut Buddy is all about hair: trimming, growing, styling, and growing. No Shave November and Movember are unique tools to bring awareness to cancer and many men's health challenges, too, as so many of us know someone who is suffering or has suffered from cancer or mental health problems. Cancer remains one of the deadliest diseases in the world, and men's mental health still has a long way to go. Cut Buddy is proud to share and support both worthy causes. We wish you an excellent happy November!