Why clean shaven men have facial hair
Rahman Mohamed
So it’s almost December, the last month of the year. But for the last month you’ve probably seen clean-shaven men growing facial hair. Have you wondered why? It’s because it’s Movember, not November.
What is Movember?
It first began in the land down under, when Travis Garone and Luke Slattery from Melbourne Australia were talking about facial fashion in 2003 while drinking a Coldie and thinking about the disappearance of the “Mo”, or the moustache. That’s when they decided to bring it back, but with a twist: charge $10 and grow a Mo. They found 30 others who took challenge enthusiastically, so they decided to take it to the next level.
It worked! In 2004 450 “Mo Bros” and “Mo Sistas” participated and the first Movember site appeared. On top of that $54,000 was raised, funds going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA). That Movember cheque was the largest single donation they received.
PCFA became the first official men’s health partner in 2005 – a year that had 9,315 participants, and raised $1.2 million.
2006 not only brought $9.3 million and 56,129 Mo Bros and Sistas, but New Zealand and the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand.
2007 Mo Bros, Sistas and funds more than doubled as Canada, Spain, UK, and USA and more health groups decided to grow a Mo.
2012 – $146.6 million with 1,127,152 Mo Bros and Sistas from 20 different nations; campaigns were officially launched in Austria, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden, and Switzerland.
This year, as the “Mo”nth draws to a close, over 940,000 people are registered worldwide already raising over $62.5 million, $11.8 million from Australia and $17.5 million from Canada.
People are still growing Mo’s (at least until the 30th – what regulations stipulate). Although the Movember rules state “There is to be joining of the handlebars to your chin. That’s considered a goatee” and “There’ is to be no joining of the Mo to your side burns. That’s considered a beard” there are participants raising money but breaking rules. One American studying in Canada said he wasn’t participating in Movember but “No Shave November” saying to a friend Americans “always take things one step too far.”
Another young Bro said he was jealous of a friend who had hair all around his lips, telling him he had never been able to get his side to grow.
Movember’s goal is to get one or more man taking action about his health.
Even though there are young men that are breaking the rules, the illegal Mo’s have still ignited conversation about men’s health.
The age old question that everyone always asks; will the Mo stay on the Mo Bro after Movember?
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