No-Shave November: What is November and No-Shave? History and how to participate
We're all familiar with what happens each year as the weather cools: I thought No-Shave November was just a silly, quirky thing people did for fun. Until I started writing this article, I never knew all those mustaches, beards and armpit tufts grew out for a cause. Pumpkins adorn doorsteps, radio stations start playing holiday tunes and mustaches appear on upper lips. You're probably familiar with this yearly occurrence known as No-Shave November, or Movember. Maybe someone in your household participates or you yourself participate.
Well, I'll be darned -- turns out, No-Shave November and Movember aren't just themed months. They're both charitable organizations dedicated to raising awareness about men's health issues and they raise a substantial amount of money each year. While both organizations support the bold embracement of body hair and charitably support men's health, they are not one and the same, despite the common interchange of names.
No-Shave November is a fun initiative created to raise awareness about a significant cause of cancer with the idea being to fully embrace your hair. It puts a light on so many cancer patients that lose hair during treatment by not shaving for the entire month.
The non-profit behind the month-long shaving strike is also committed to raising funds that support cancer prevention, research, and education.
The rules are simple- put down your razor for a month and donate your monthly shave expenses to the cause. Grooming is not forbidden so you can use amazing beard-specific cosmetics available for beard grooming
Movember combines the words "moustache" -- spelled that way because a group of Australians started the whole thing -- and "November." What started as a fun experiment turned into a full-fledged charitable organization that supports various men's health initiatives, including prostate and colon cancer research, mental health and suicide prevention, parenting and general health.
According to the official Movember website, Movember began in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003 when two friends met up for drinks and thought up the idea (However, a 1999 Seven Nightly News broadcast says otherwise, and the official Wikipedia page reports that the 1999 and 2003 groups were unrelated).
At this point, there was no express intent to raise money for charities, but that quickly changed. In any case, it's the two friends from Melbourne that created the legacy Movember is today. They recruited 28 other men in Australia who agreed to grow out their mustaches.
By 2006, Movember received official charity status from Australia and raised more than $8 million since its inception three years prior. The movement continued to grow, and by 2017, more than 5 million people from 21 countries officially participated and donated. The movement is still going strong, even if the novelty of November mustaches seems to have worn off.
What is No-Shave November?
No-Shave November is a similar but unrelated organization. Like Movember, No-Shave November raises awareness and money for men's health initiatives. However, while Movember supports a few different causes, No-Shave November focuses solely on cancer because Matthew Hill, the husband and father of the family that founded No-Shave November, died from colon cancer in 2007.
The Hill family founded the official No-Shave November organization in 2009 and has raised more than $10 million to date, according to the website. The goal of No-Shave November, the website reads, "is to grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free."
Why do people participate in No-Shave November or Movember?
Some people participate in No-Shave November or Movember just for kicks and giggles, but many people take this monthlong commitment seriously. Both Movember and No-Shave November offer a way to spark conversation about the very dire health issues that affect men.
How to participate in Movember or No-Shave November
Participating in either Movember or No-Shave November is simple and easy.
If you want to fully participate in Movember, register to be counted among the millions that grow out their mustaches for a good cause. Then, you can choose how to participate:
Participate in "Move for Movember," during which you'll commit to walking or running 60 miles over the course of the month. The number 60 represents the 60 men's lives lost to suicide every hour across the world.
You can simply grow your mustache and use it as a talking point to start important conversations about men's health.
You can host a "Mo-Ment," or an event to raise awareness about men's health.
To participate in No-Shave November, make an account and put down your razor. No-Shave November encourages participants to donate the money they'd normally spend on grooming supplies, such as razor blades and shaving cream, to one of the organization's funded programs.
No-Shave November is a bit more laissez-faire about the rules than Movember, which wants people to start the month completely clean-shaven and grow only a mustache.
Remember, people who participate in No-Shave November don't shave anything, letting any and all facial hair (and sometimes body hair) grow out. However, you're welcome to trim and groom if you have a strict dress code at work, the rules say. No-Shave November feels more inclusive for females, who may not have facial hair to put on display, but who can certainly grow out their leg and armpit hair.
No-Shave November Rules:
Rule 1: Start with a clean-shaven face
The goal is to start the month of November with a clean, shaved face. So, a few days before the 1st, grab your grooming tools, and get to work.
Rule 2: No shaving until the 1st of December
The purpose of no-shave November is to put your razors on ice and embrace your natural look. After all, it wouldn’t be much of a challenge if you could shave as you see fit throughout the month. That said, you need to ditch your razor and avoid touch-ups for the full month.
Rule 3: Trim if you need to
If you work in a strict corporate setting, no need to fret. You may not be able to show up to the office looking disheveled, but that doesn’t mean you need to shave. Instead, you can keep your facial hair neatly trimmed.
Rule 4: Donate to the cause
Make a general donation or donate to your favorite team to show your support for cancer education, prevention, and research.
