What is No-Shave November, and where did it come from?

NEW YORK (PIX11) – It is that time of year again when people put down their razors and participate in “No-Shave November” or “Movember.” But where did this trend come from?

No-Shave November and Movember are exactly what they sound like. For 30 days, people let their facial or body hair grow out.

Origins of Movember

It all began in 2003 with two men from Australia who wanted to grow mustaches. According to the official Movember website, a year later, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery decided to start a fundraiser to go with their facial hair. Garone and Slattery raised $40,851 under the nonprofit Movember Foundation for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

In 2005, the PCFA became an official sponsor of the movement. Movember made its way to the United States, among other countries, in 2007. Movember Foundation became a partner with the Prostate Cancer Foundation in the U.S.

No-Shave November joins in

Since then, the Movember Foundation has been joined by the No-Shave November nonprofit to lead the charge in bringing awareness to men’s health.

So, are you looking to join in on the movement this November? The rules are simple:

Don’t shave!

Most men choose to let their beards grow out or simply grow a mustache, while women typically grow out their hair or skip shaving their legs or armpits, according to Fight Colorectal Cancer, a patient advocacy group.

You can donate to the Movember or No-Shave November nonprofits. Movember has raised over $6.8 million and funded over 1,250 men’s health projects. No-Shave.org has raised over $10 million while donating to the cost of grooming for people in need.
If you would like to join the razor-ditching movement, learn more on the Movember or No-Shave November websites.