The number of men around campus sporting grizzly facial hair might be more apparent lately. Much to the chagrin of their lady counterparts — and many females in general — men everywhere in the world are standing up in November and growing their prickly facial fuzz of choice. For many of the mutton chop warriors and Brian Wilson wannabes, there is more to sprouting the hair on their chins than the look.
Movember (otherwise known as No-Shave November) had its humble beginnings in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia. Since then, it has grown into a truly global community claiming more than 1.1 million bearded and moustached brothers and sisters (affectionately referred to as Mo Bros and Mo Sistas) to join hands and hairs in raising men’s comprehensive health awareness, especially prostate cancer, according to movember.com. Countries with ardent supporters include Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland just to name a few. The cause may be noble, but men’s health seems such a paradoxical term.
Men are strong, independent and able to attend to their own needs, right?  As a wise man once said, “It is hard to hit something you cannot see,” and that is why world-leading awareness groups like LIVESTRONG and The Prostate Cancer Foundation exist.
PCF is firmly committed to finding a cure to one of the most common cancerous male illnesses and is the leading philanthropic organization on funding and accelerating research globally. Statistics from pcf.orgshow to date, PCF has helped build a global research enterprise of nearly $10 billion. Through the generous contributions of its donors, it has funded more than 1,500 programs at nearly 200 research centers in 12 countries.
Movember not only sheds the light of awareness on prostate cancer, but also other forms such as pancreatic and testicular cancers as well as overall general male health. It can be easy to forget, as stubborn and stingy as the male sex is, sometimes we do need help and friendly reminders for doctor checkups. I myself am aloof to my own health, sometimes by putting doctor visits until the last possible ear infection or high-temperature spike, whichever may come first. It should come as solace to many men and women around the world there are communities out there for those who know a loved one with an illness or are stricken with it themselves.
Those who are still debating whether to join the cause or not should consider the following: growing a beard or moustache asserts manliness and adds a sense of virility to general mood, in agreement with facts I conjured out of thin air. Also, many celebrities and musicians are growing beards. Mississippi State University students Will Hall and Rachel Perkins have varied reasons to encompass all aspects of participation.
“There is a certain pride that comes with having a beard and moustache. My dad has had a moustache ever since I can remember. Also, one my biggest heroes Jim James — lead singer from My Morning Jacket — has a beard,” Hall said.
Perkins said, “To me, there is something very masculine about a beard. It implies some sort of rugged spirit that I cannot help but feel attracted to. I’m also jealous that men get to keep their face warm in a good looking way while the only female alternative … is a ski mask which is not so cute.”
If sexy Jon Hamm stubble or the fantastical Gandalf length is hard to come by, to fret is unnecessary. There are many ways you can support men’s health awareness. Online  donations are taken from all over the world at movember.com and its affiliate sites. The month is still early, with plenty of time to start developing your face jungle. I find the experience is different for everyone, and I always feel supremely rewarded at the end. Still, these are some words of wisdom to live by: be patient, be manly, be bearded and be sure to ask your girlfriend.
Editor’s note:
Rachel Perkins is a staff writer for The Reflector.