November has arrived. When out and about this month, you’ll likely see harvest decorations in town squares, stacks of cranberry sauce in supermarkets, and Black Friday sales promotions. You might even see numerous men sporting more facial hair than normal. Don’t panic. A shortage of razors and shaving cream isn’t occurring. Actually, many men are choosing to forgo shaving this month in order to raise awareness and money for men’s health.
According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, men die an average of five years sooner than women. Testicular and prostate cancers are partly to blame. Shockingly, CNN four out of five people that commit suicide are men.
One organization promoting some extra scruff this month is No-Shave November. A tradition for several years, No-Shave November began raising money for charity in 2009. The Chicagoland Hill family kicked off the initiative. The project was especially meaningful to the eight Hill children after their father, Matthew Hill, died from colon cancer in November of 2007. According to the No-Shave November website, the organization has raised over $2 million dollars since its inception.
The group desires for “every participant to embrace their hair for the many cancer patients that lose theirs due to vigorous treatments.” No-Shave November encourages men to donate the funds they would have spent on shaving supplies this month. At the end of November, the organization evenly splits the money raised among Prevent Cancer Foundation, Fight Colorectal Cancer, and St. Jude Research Hospital.
Perhaps, the idea of growing a full beard appeals to you about as much as having a root canal. If you can’t imagine having that much hair on your face, consider growing a mustache. The Movember Foundation, a nongovernmental entity, funds testicular and prostate cancer research.
The organization launched in Australia. Interestingly, in the land Down Under, a mustache is sometimes referred to as a “mo.” So far, the Movember Foundation has collected $837 million from charitable givers hailing from more than 20 countries.
Mark Hedstrom, a spokesman for the organization revealed that the Movember Foundation expects up to 400,000 people to participate in this year’s campaign. The group hopes to raise $100 million around the world in 2018.
Early next year, the organization plans to start a huge educational project labeled 50 Million Men. The initiative aspires to provide 50 million men with important guidance concerning their health. By 2030, Hedstrom stated the Movember Foundation hopes its campaign will help decrease prostate cancer deaths by 50 percent and male suicides by 25 percent.
On its website, the Movember Foundation offers five ways, besides styling a mustache, to protect the men in your life from common issues that negatively affect the male population. The organization urges men to stay connected with their friends by spending time with them and catching up with them regularly.
In addition to staying connected, the Movember Foundation encourages men to have open conversations with others by truly listening to them and giving them your time. According to the organization, “70% of men say their friends can rely on them for support, but only 48% say that they rely on their friends.”
Moving more is another of the Movember Foundation’s goals for men. The group advises men to add more activity to their days and do the things that make them feel good such as biking to work rather than driving.
The Movember Foundation also wants men to know when key health screenings should be scheduled. According to Medline Plus, most men past the age of 50 should talk with their physician about screening for prostate cancer. However, if you’re African American or have a family history of prostate cancer in a first degree relative who was under 65-years-old, you should discuss screening with your doctor at age 45.
Men and women over the age of 50 should be screened for colorectal cancer. However, if you have a strong family history of colon cancer, polyps, or inflammatory bowel disease, you should talk with your doctor about the benefits of getting screened earlier.
To spread awareness about and raise money for men’s health issues, consider sporting some facial hair this month, or encouraging the men in your life to do so. You, or your loved ones, will fit right in with iconic figures like the Jolly Green Giant and Mr. Monopoly, who both boast mustaches.
