As can be seen throughout society, public movements as a means of raising awareness for diseases and social issues have become popular and effective. We have now left October, which is designated as the month for breast cancer and domestic violence awareness. While some may tire of the events because it now seems that every month asks you to pay attention to a new issue, it is important not to lose sight of the importance of the movements.

November’s main awareness campaigns are “No Shave November” and “Movember”. The events are held to raise awareness and funds for research regarding men’s health issues such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer and men’s mental health— where statistics show that 79 percent of suicides are male.

No Shave November and Movember are similar to breast cancer and domestic violence awareness, but the show of support is somewhat different. Instead of wearing pink and purple, the general idea for November is to lose your razor for a month. However, when these events become widespread and permeate regular culture, it becomes very easy to maintain focus on the issue and instead become caught up in the fun of the event.

The most relevant example that can be drawn upon is the ALS ice bucket challenge. While the challenge went viral and raised more money than the ALS Association had ever received during one summer, the message itself was diluted. The challenge turned into more of a game, something that you did with your friends because it was the popular sensation of the summer. In fact, social media posts soon stopped titling it the “ALS ice bucket challenge” and shortened the name to “ice bucket challenge.” The same loss of association threatens No Shave November and Movember.

Many participants in the No Shave November or Movember communities will involve themselves with the event simply because it seems like a good way to compete with their friends over who can grow the best beard, while totally forgetting the purpose of the peach fuzz. The ALS ice bucket challenge had the advantage of being a rather odd activity for someone to perform for no reason, so when the videos lost their association with ALS, they were still recognized as being part of the movement.

Not shaving, on the other hand, is something that people can do all the time without a purpose or a cause. Growing a beard is not enough; there must be further revenue generating possibilities such as awareness walks or general fundraisers. These secondary forms of support should be seen as equally important because focusing the events purely around facial hair potentially limits the number of participants. 

The movements risk alienating women due to the fact that they are specifically aimed at men in relation to their beards and mustaches, but it is important for the awareness and the events to be gender inclusive. Just as breast cancer awareness and preventing domestic violence are not solely female issues, awareness for men’s health concerns must be accessible to the entire community.

Concepts like No Shave November and Movember are fantastic platforms for the discussion of these issues, but they are not enough on their own; the cause requires additional events in order to maximize the potential of the movement.