No Shave November!

It all got started in 1999 in Australia when a group of young men decided that the middle of summer was a fantastic time to grow a beard (seasons are backward down there, remember). It all began, as many excellent ideas do, in a local pub where this group of men decided that growing facial hair (moustache, beard, goatee or whatever) for an entire month would be an effective way to support men’s issues.

The idea quickly grew to impact a group of 80 men dedicated to raising awareness for men’s health issues and spreading this around the world. In keeping with the theme of “moustaches”, the month was named “Movember”.

While it started out just focusing on raising awareness for prostate cancer and depression, it would soon grow to include all men’s health issues. And each year, the promotions have gotten more popular and larger. The whole point of the month of Movember will be missed if facial hair is grown but men’s health issues are not discussed.

Because it’s all about starting the conversation regarding men’s health issues. Concerns such as prostate and testicular cancer, mental health issues, Movember is a reminder that men’s life spans are 6 years less than women’s, on average.

Getting to know the causes of health issues is the first step in finding a way to help men live longer. Be sure to use this as an opportunity to encourage the men in your life and community to get a medical check-up, as well as living clean with diet and exercise, to help them get and stay healthy!