Today is November 1, and if you notice friends, coworkers or your favorite athletes suddenly sporting a fuzzy upper lip over the next few weeks, there's a good reason. It's Movember, the month when men around the world grow mustaches to raise money and start conversations about men's health.
What began as a joke between a few friends in Australia has grown into a global charity movement that, by its own count, has funded more than AUD $1.8 billion of men's health work. Here is the story of Movember, what it supports, how it differs from "No-Shave November," and how to take part.
What Does "Movember" Mean?
The name is a mash-up of "mo," Australian slang for a mustache, and "November." The idea is simple: start the month clean-shaven, grow a mustache for 30 days, and ask friends and family to sponsor your "Mo" by donating to men's health causes. Participants are nicknamed "Mo Bros," and the women who support, fundraise or take on other challenges are "Mo Sistas."
How Movember Started
The modern Movember movement began in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003. A group of friends, including Travis Garone, Luke Slattery, Adam Garone and Justin Coghlan, were joking about why the mustache had gone out of fashion and decided to bring it back. About 30 of them grew mustaches that November.
The next year, they turned it into a fundraiser for men's health, inspired by the breast cancer awareness campaigns that had done so much for women's health. Nearly 500 men took part, raising more than $40,000 for prostate cancer research. The charity, now the Movember Foundation, grew quickly from there, launching in countries including the US, the UK, Canada and Ireland in 2007.
Fun fact: the word itself is a little older. A local Australian TV news story in 1999 featured a group of young men in Adelaide who had coined "Movember" and grown mustaches in November to raise money for an animal welfare charity. The Melbourne group, unconnected to them, turned the idea into a worldwide movement.
What Does Movember Raise Money For?
Movember says its mission is to stop men "dying too young." It focuses on three areas:
1. Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. In the United States, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with it during their lifetime. When caught early, it is usually very treatable, which is why Movember pushes men to know their family history and talk to their doctor about testing, especially from their 40s and 50s.
2. Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men, typically between their mid-teens and mid-30s. It is also one of the most curable cancers when found early. Movember encourages young men to know what's normal for their body and to see a doctor about any lump, swelling or change.
3. Mental health and suicide prevention
Men are much less likely than women to talk about their mental health or seek help. In the US, men die by suicide at roughly four times the rate of women, according to federal health data. Movember funds programs that help men stay connected with friends, spot the signs of struggle and reach out for support.
Movember vs. No-Shave November
People often mix these up, and that's understandable because they happen in the same month for similar reasons.
- Movember is specifically about the mustache. You shave clean on November 1 and grow only a mustache. Money goes to the Movember Foundation's men's health work.
- No-Shave November is a separate US campaign that encourages people to skip shaving and grooming for the whole month and donate the money they would have spent to cancer causes. It was started in 2009 by the family of Matthew Hill, a Chicago man who died of colon cancer, and it is open to everyone, not just men.
Both aim to turn something visible and a little silly into a reason to talk about cancer and health. Plenty of people do both.
How to Take Part in Movember
- Grow a Mo. Start clean-shaven on November 1 and let your mustache do the talking for 30 days. Sign up on Movember's website to get a fundraising page.
- Move. Movember's "Move" challenge asks people to walk or run 60 km over the month, which stands for the 60 men lost to suicide every hour around the world, according to the charity.
- Host a "Mo-ment." Organize a fundraising event: a quiz night, a barbecue, a sports match or a mustache-themed office day.
- Donate to someone who is growing or moving.
- Have the conversation. Ask a friend how they're really doing, book that overdue check-up or talk to your dad about family health history. That's the whole point.
Mustache Facts You Didn't Know
- A mustache grows at roughly the same rate as the rest of your facial hair, a few tenths of a millimeter a day, so most people end November with about a centimeter of growth.
- Mustache styles have names: the handlebar (curled up at the ends), the chevron (thick, covering the top lip), the pencil (thin and neat), the horseshoe (running down to the jaw) and the walrus (bushy and drooping).
- There are mustache clubs and world championships. The Handlebar Club in London has been meeting since 1947.
- In many armies, mustaches were once required. British Army regulations made them compulsory for soldiers for decades in the 1800s; the rule was abolished in 1916.
Small Habits That Keep Men Healthier
The message behind every Movember mustache is that a lot of early deaths are preventable. Regular exercise, sleep, staying socially connected and getting check-ups all make a real difference. See our explainer on the benefits of regular exercise, and as the weather turns, read why we get more colds in winter. November is also the month of Veterans Day, a reminder that many veterans' charities support men's mental health too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Movember?
Movember is an annual event in which men grow mustaches during November to raise money and awareness for men's health, focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.
When did Movember start?
The modern Movember movement started in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003, and became a charity fundraiser the next year. It expanded to the US, UK, Canada and other countries in 2007.
Do you have to grow a beard for Movember?
No. Movember is about a mustache only. Growing a full beard is more in the spirit of No-Shave November, a separate campaign.
Can women take part in Movember?
Yes. Women can fundraise, take on the "Move" challenge, host events or support a Mo Bro, and are known as "Mo Sistas."
How much has Movember raised?
Movember says its supporters have funded more than AUD $1.8 billion of men's health research and programs since it began.
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