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Movember vs. No Shave November, What’s it all about?

Recently you may have noticed some of the clean-shaven men in your life becoming fuzzier as their ‘staches, goatees, Fu Manchus, mutton chops and other furry face-warmers sprout predominantly over the brisk month of November. These sudden changes to their features foster a conversation about their noble goal: raise awareness and money for cancer research.

Movember and No Shave November are actually two separate movements with a common theme. Movember asks men to participate in growing out a mustache and focuses primarily on men’s prostate and testicular cancer. No Shave November asks that men and women save the money they would regularly set aside for grooming (salon, waxing, razors, etc.), and instead pledge that money to the American Cancer Association. Both groups have a worthy goal, and participation can be a lot of fun!

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer with over 200,000 new cases a year in the United States alone. Testicular Cancer is rarer, with the still sizable number of over 8,000 new cases a year. Routine check-ups may help to identify cancers early, and aid with keeping the loss of life to a minimum.