Movember 2016 – Need to Know

With just a few days before November arrives it’s that time of the year to consider your facial hair beyond just a stylistic accoutrement. November, better known as Movember, along with the Movember Foundation is the month for raising awareness of the current crisis in men’s health.

Most of us know the rules- shave your facial hair on the 1st November and grow or at least attempt to grow a moustache throughout the month. It’s fun but we must also be aware that it’s for a good cause too. Too many men are dying too young. In the UK, men die four years younger than women, and for reasons that are largely preventable. With the help of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas (you) across the world, the Movember Foundation charity has raised £443 million so far, funding over 1,200 projects and counting.

What’s the problem?

• On average, men die four years younger than women in the UK.
• 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
• 78% of suicides in the UK are men. On average, 13 men take their life each day in the UK.
• More than 10,500 men with prostate cancer will die in the UK in 2016.
• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 25-49 years.

Real life stories

“Even after my diagnosis in 2012, it has taken 3 years for me to become truly stable I’ve been feeling good, well and happy for a good 12 months now. I work as a head tennis coach in Manchester and I am enjoying my life and job more than ever. My struggles with mental health have also helped me to raise awareness of mental health issues, especially in young men and I hope that my story can help others that may also be suffering. Movember has been amazing in creating a platform to tell my story in hope to stop men dying too young.” -Oli Jones, tennis coach and one of the faces of this year’s Movember campaign

Growing your Mo- grooming tips

The Johnny- struggling for vigorous growth? Got the two week itch? Adopt the Johnny and keep that Mo in check and stylish. Wet shave the rest of the face around the Mo each day, making sure you’ve allowed a week’s free growth on the upper lip. Styler in hand, shape the top edge at an angle from the center of the noise pointing towards the corner of the mouth. Extra style points for a bit of scraggle.

The Martin Luther- if your dream is to look statesman like, neat and matched with your tailored attire, The Martin Luther is eminently achievable in 30 days. Again, this style requires you to wet shave the rest of your face each day. Use a blade to develop a lean line directly above the top lip that thins out at the corners of the mouth, and trim to keep the length short and even throughout the month.

The Burt- nothing says 70s cool quite like a full and luxurious Mo. Best suited for this who can Grow with ease. Allow the moustache to full the upper lip and curl around the corners of the mouth, make sure it is neatly combed and balance it out with sideburns.

The Ron- we say Ron, chances are you think of Burgundy or Swanson. Want to look like these guys? We won’t judge. It’s the Mo for the man’s man, after all. Lucky or you, this requires minimal grooming. Clean shave the rest of the face each morning, and leave that Mo to grow, grow, and grow.

The Hulk- a classic, strong look, which says Movember loud and clear. Wet-shave the rest of your face and shape the handlebar daily with a trimmer, with a well-defined edge and symmetry. Lamb chop sideburns add to the look.

The Salvador- not for the faint-hearted, The Salvador is for the flamboyant among us. This look needs length, so no trimming the main body of the Mo. Use a styler to define and shape, and hold with moustache wax. As soon as there’s anything to pinch between the thumb and forefinger, get twirling.

The Albert- channel your inner-Einstein and let your Mo grow wild. Warning: this style commands authority. Simply let your Mo grow wild with very little grooming, or go the extra mile and coax your Mo into a resplendent curler.

The Clark- for the wispier haired man, thickens a problem? Then slick is the answer. Ensure hands are steady, the rest of the face is clean-shaven and moustache combo and wax is on-hand at all times. This Mo should be styled in a very precise and thin shape.

Naturally, these tips will require scissors, a comb, moustache wax, and other Mo-embellishments- take a look at our recommendations below.

Tweezerman G.E.A.R. Facial Hair Scissors- trim stray and neaten facial hair with precision. Rounded blade tip curves away from skin for safely cutting facial, nose and ear hairs. Stainless steel. £22.00 >

Baxter of California Beard Comb- smoothly tapered teeth and rounded tips ensure the comfort and care of hair, while the precise, short teeth of this comb are perfect for grooming and maintaining facial hair. £14.00 >

D R Harris Moustache Wax- made using coconut and jojoba oil this firm natural hold wax, with beeswax as its base ensures the hair is kept looking healthy and well groomed. £12.50 >

Join the movement

There are various ways you can get involved, the most obvious of course is to, ‘Grow a Mo, save a Bro’ – the moustache is the Movember Foundation’s ribbon for men’s health. Sign up here and grow your moustache for 30 days. It’s really a case of every little helps but you can ramp things up by sacrificing your beard, auctioning off your face to the highest donor or dye your Mo a different colour every day- anything to attract attention and raise funds.

Move- get active for men’s health, from the big (racing to the top of the tallest peak around, riding 300 kms in 30 days) to the brave (facing the fear of learning how to swim) to the slightly crazy (working out in costume or having an office dodgeball tournament).

Host an event- a great way to have fun and raise funds for men’s health. Anything goes. Register to host your own event, or take a look at what’s on in your area. Head along and make a donation to stop men dying too young.

MovemBET

The Movember Foundation have launched MovemBET this year- a bookies designed to encourage men to stop gambling with their health and kick-start a conversation around how we can all help to improve male odds of a happier, healthier, longer life. You may have seen it or popped in while it was open for a 48 hour period earlier this week, near the East London market on Hanbury Street. It provided a ‘familiar’ place for men to learn about their health issues and how to improve their odds, as they chose sentimental items they’d be willing to pledge in the pact.

Seriously Good Mos

And finally, to round up our Movember feature we leave you with a selection of images from Mark Cavendish, Laura Whitmore, Dylan Hartley, Ben Miller, Gok Wan, Mark Foster, Jack Savoretti, The Vaccines and Foxes who have all donned an illustrated Mo this year, each highlighting a reason why the current state of men’s health is in crisis.

Join the fight at Movember.com and sign up or donate to help stop men dying too young. With money raised, the Foundation has funded over 1,200 game-changing programmes in prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide prevention around the world, whilst positively challenging the way in which men’s health issues are researched and addressed.