As the ‘No Shave November’ is here, men have finally got the chance to let their mustaches grow wild and free that they can proudly flaunt.
Each year, men avoid using their razors for a month during ‘No-Shave November’ to help raise awareness of cancer and men’s health.
‘No-Shave November’ has been a trend in men and youngsters for a couple of years. It has become more of a tradition for those raising awareness for cancer research.
A month-long charity effort challenges men hold off on shaving for the entire month. It is also done to spread the message to donate the money one spends on shaving in a month.
According to Dr. Kaushal Yadav, Consultant and Surgical Oncologist at W Pratiksha Hospital, Gurgaon, the “No-Shave November campaign was started to educate people about prostate and testicular cancer amongst men. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men all over the world, over the age of 50, its incidence increases with the age. While testicular cancer is common in men below 30 years of age but it can happen later in age also.
“The early symptom of prostate cancer starts with the obstruction in the urine, hence early detection is very important, therefore an individual is advised to be self-aware about it and self-examination is very essential, he said.
“If you find any symptom of prostate cancer like a dull pain in the lower pelvic area or frequent urination or enlargement of pelvic then you must visit an oncologist for a Serum PSA test or an examination, hence considering these two tests the step for treatment is decided” he added
“The treatment for prostate cancer includes radiation therapy, Hormone Therapy, and Surgery. The screening is advised on an individual basis like from the age of 50-75 years it is advised by different cancer societies, he further added.
Therefore it is advised for young men to keep a check on their testicles and for old men to keep a check on their urine for any symptoms.
Dr. Yadav said, “a very important aspect for the treatment of any cancer is its side effects and hair loss is one of them. Hair loss is a temporary side effect of cancer treatment that you can gain it back. So, this initiative might be fun for social media trend, but has a deeper meaning linked to raising awareness about men’s health issues, primarily cancer.”
What is the meaning behind #NoShaveNovember challenge?
The campaign was first started in 2004 by the Movember Foundation to educate people about prostate and testicular cancer amongst men. The goal is to bring awareness to men’s health by embracing hair, which many cancer patients lose during treatment.
So, to participate, all you have to do is to not shave your facial hair and mustache for a month and donate your monthly shave expenses towards the efforts of cancer prevention. This initiative encourages participants to donate the money they’d normally spend on grooming supplies, such as razor blades and shaving cream, to one of the organization’s funded programs.