The Importance of No-Shave November

SAN ANGELO, TX - As we near the end of November, many San Angelo residents may be seeing an increasing number of men sporting some facial hair. Though, for a few, this may be a personal preference, for many others, it is not. They are growing their facial hair this month for a bigger cause.

Shaving, for both genders, has become a “trend” that everyone feels compelled to follow as one might otherwise face the risk of being judged or ridiculed by others. For many women, shaving is a long drawn-out procedure that’s not easily accomplished in the early morning hours, when stress-levels are at their highest, trying to get the kids ready and making it on time to work. It is at that moment that we thank Katherine Hepburn for promoting pant-suits over dresses and skirts, allowing us to hide our unshaved legs.

Men face a similar dilemma: shaving their cheeks and chin every morning can be a long process, although many women may argue that's not as time consuming as shaving legs. A man’s decision to grow or not to grow a beard though is not only a pragmatic decision. A man’s decision of whether or not to grow facial hair, can be a personal aesthetic decision and/or a means to comply with society’s beauty standards. In a world where a beard can label an individual as a "hipster" or a "redneck," or define masculinity in broader terms, some men prefer to shave in order to fit into the cookie-cutter beauty standards of the 21st century.

Yet, shaving comes at a price; a rather expensive price that is. Cheryl Wischhover explained in her article “Why are Women Still Paying Exorbitant Prices to Shave Their Legs” that way too much money is spent on shaving products. According to an Euromonitor report, in 2013, men in the USA spent $2.8 billion on razors and blades, while women (who only shave seasonally) spent $1 billion – an interesting find, since a handful of news outlets have recently reported on gendered pricing costs and the growing concern of women spending more money on beauty products than men.

These numbers reflect cost for razors and blades only, and do not include all the additional products needed such as shaving cream, after shave, and the occasional Band-Aid. Although the numbers have probably changed since 2013, the shaving industry remains a billion dollar industry.

Now to the bigger cause: the No-Shave-November initiative. In 2007, the Chicago-based Hill family lost their father Mathew Hill to colon cancer. Two years later, the Hill family decided to use the No-Shave-November initiative as a means to raise money for charity and to create awareness about the importance of taking preventative measures against cancer. They created their own web-based, non-profit charity called No-Shave November.

The goal of No-Shave November is to grow awareness by “embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free.” The organization asks participants to ditch their razors and donate the money they would typically spend on shaving and grooming products to help educate others about cancer prevention, help save lives, and aid those fighting the battle. Male participants can grow a beard or a mustache, and females can skip the waxing appointments or the razor aisle at their local grocery store.

The rules for No-Shave November are simple. People can abstain from shaving for the month, or simply donate money if they choose not to “get hairy.”

The No-Shave November movement is commonly known for creating awareness about cancers that affect men more than women. It is, however, not a ‘male-only’ movement, but instead, encourages all genders to participate.  No less than 80 percent of all donations received will be distributed equally to the participating charities: The American Cancer Society, Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The donations help fund research on fighting and preventing all types of cancer.

Since its American launch in 2007, the Movember movement has been gaining a lot of support for its efforts in fighting prostate cancer and campaigning for men’s health in our country. Movember, a combination of Australia’s short hand for mustache  “mo” and November, got its start in the bars of Melbourne in 2003. Two friends, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery were drinking a few beers and talking about the mustache and its previous role in fashion, when they decided to bring it back in an effort to campaign for men’s health and against prostate cancer.

After a successful launch in Australia and New Zealand, and partnering with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and beyondblue (a national depression and anxiety initiative), the two friends brought the initiative to America in 2007. Since then, Movember has continued to grow around the world. There are now official campaigns in 21 different countries, and the campaign has raised AUD 730 million to fund over 1,000 men’s health programs.

According to Movember’s official website, the “focus has broadened to four key men’s health issues: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health, and physical inactivity.” The website added that the creators have “seen the growth of millions of moustaches, significant breakthroughs in scientific research, and a fundamental shift in the conversation around men’s health.”

Both No-Shave November and Movember have created “hairy situations” for the greater good. To learn more about No-Shave November, and how to donate now, or learn how to participate in 2017, please visit www.no-shave.org. For those people interested in the Movember initiative, please visit https://us.movember.com/.