Movember and You

Movember is the event when men shave their beards and mustaches in the name of health. Since 2003, over 6.7 million men come together to grow their facial hair from scratch, all for a good cause. Also known as No-Shave November, this act of solidarity works to promote awareness of testicular cancer, prostate cancer, and suicide. Get your shaving cream and razors out, guys. It’s time to stand together.

In case you’re new to the initiative, here is everything you need to know about Movemeber and how you can join this year.

Movember Meaning

There is a reason men shave their beards and mustaches in November. Of course, it’s to raise awareness around some serious men’s health issues. But for guys who have personally fought prostate cancer, testicular cancer, or depression–or know a close friend or family member who has–it hits closer to home.

Participating in Movember brings comradery and a safe place to discuss these sensitive issues. Men and talk freely about their challenges, lean on each other for support and find great information and resources.

How to Participate in No-Shave Movember

Shaving off your facial hair is a great way to raise awareness, but you can put some walk behind that talk and go to the doc. Okay, we’re done with the rhyming…

Schedule a Prostate Exam

According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among US men. It’s most common in men in their 50s and 60s and in 2022, there have been more than 34,500 deaths at the time of this blog’s publication.

A few things you can do to help prevent prostate cancer:

• Maintain a healthy body weight
• Cut down on high-calcium foods like dairy and cheese
• Eat the rainbow…in other words, eat fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors
• Stay active
• Ask your physician about dietary supplements and/or medications that could help you

Get Testicular Screenings Regularly

When testicular cancer is caught early, it has a 98% cure rate. Catching it early means you need to start getting checks as soon as you’re in double digits. Teens through men in their 30s are most commonly diagnosed, so schedule that appointment.

You can also perform self-checks monthly. This is a great way to notice any irregularities and schedule a check-up as soon as possible.

Men and Mental Health

This is a perfect opportunity to talk to your male friends and family. Being open destigmatizes mental wellness and lets those in the conversation know they are not alone.

There are resources in your community and close circle. Take the opportunity to make those conversations okay with those around you by starting the conversation yourself.

Supporting Movember

Financial Support

The official Movember movement collects money and funds several men’s health charities and causes.

You can see where your donations go and what groups receive funds on the official Movember website.

Hosting an Event

These are called “Mo-ments” and you can send pictures of your new stache and host live gatherings. And you don’t have to do much legwork to get these off the ground as the official Movember website has posters, a link to the app, and several other resources.

So get those clippers out and shave off your beard in the name of health. Better yet, if you want to leave the razor in a professional’s hand, jump onto the Booksy app and book your barber now.