November is the month where people celebrate Thanksgiving, spend money on Black Friday, and try to get used to the time falling back by one hour. But what most people don’t know is that during November, some men will grow a mustache and stop shaving for the month.
Movember, as it’s called, is to raise awareness for men’s health, mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. It is globally celebrated, and men who participate are typically called Mo Bros. According to the Movember Foundation, in 2022 approximately 14,400 people and over 1,000 companies participated in Movember. The foundation raised over $4.92 million, which goes back to men’s health and/or cancer victims.
Typical rules for participating in Movember include: starting November clean-shaven; maintaining a mustache only, avoiding beards, goatees, or fake mustaches; using And the mustache as a conversation starter about men’s health, prostate cancer, or mental health.
And growing a mustache isn’t the only way to participate. Someone could participate by walking 60 miles for the 60 men lost to suicide each hour, or by hosting events to raise awareness and funds. While Movember is typically celebrated by Mo Bros, Mo Sisters can also participate by being an ally.
“My hopes and goals for mental health in the future include my hope that it becomes much more normal to talk about,” said Marshfield High School technology teacher Andrew Post. “Additionally, I think that young people should be exposed to healthy ways to cope with stressors.”
He believes that hobbies are included in healthy coping mechanisms. Painting, journaling, listening to music, cooking, cleaning, gardening, and many other hobbies are known to help boost mood and escape stress.
“I myself struggled a bit when I had just gotten out of college, and it wasn’t until I picked up new hobbies that my mental health improved a drastic amount,” Post said. “I think that if people learn about healthy ways to cope with stress and anxiety, it would go very far.”
Also at play with men’s mental health can be the American image of a man.
“Sometimes people think that men need to be strong at all times,” said MHS teacher James Johnson. “And a lot of times they don’t feel like they have maybe an outlet for some of their emotions. And so I think that that’s an issue.”
Both Johnson and Post have beards that have become a part of their identities. To shave it off for Movember, regardless of the cause, would be difficult.
“My mustache is a part of my identity at this point, together with my beard,” said Post. “I’ve kept it, in one way or another, since my freshman year of college. It’s hard to imagine myself with a bare lip at this point.”
When a man changes his identity using just a pair of clippers, it can be quite noticeable. It can also create the perfect opportunity to enter into a conversation with a man about the reasons behind the bare face. Whether one is participating in Movember or just enjoying the scruffy view, it serves as a reminder and call to action for men’s health everywhere.
