[dropcap]N[/dropcap]ovember is a bit hairy this time of year, and it’s not just because of the cooler temperatures.
Full beards and mustaches are making a comeback this month as awareness is raised for some of men’s biggest health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention.
The hair growth movement is known as No-Shave November and Movember, in which both campaigns urge participants to grow out their hair during the month of November to raise awareness and money for cancer research, along with other health related research.
“A big bushy beard is a great masculine way to start a conversation and shine light on an undiscussed topic,” Diboll resident Kaelan Whitworth said.
Whitworth is a first time participant, who decided to join the cause, after living with anxiety and depression for years. It wasn’t until his father, Keith, told him it wasn’t normal to experience such high anxiety and depression that the young man decided to visit his doctor and get treated for his condition.
“The depression and anxiety really surprised me,” Whitworth said. “I was truly unaware that I was going through it before having a conversation with my dad and my doctor. I’ve had amazing progress, and so far I have been happier and healthier.”
Nacogdoches resident Michael Ham has participated in the monthly tradition for the past eight years. Every Halloween Ham said he would shave off his beard to “start fresh to see how far” his hair will grow during the month.
“The kids love it and it’s something fun to do while bringing awareness to prostate cancer and overall men’s health,” Ham said. “If we bring together more men to participate, what harm could it do?”
Bearded man Jose Herrera said it’s important to raise awareness for men’s health. He is currently studying kinesiology, and said all of his research supports diet and exercise in men’s health, “but many men overlook the importance of regular checkups with their physicians.”
“I have heard of some middle aged men, who wanted to be a little macho, and thought going to see your doctor regularly was not tough, until it was a little late,” Herrera said. “Early detection is the best, and for those who do not watch their diets and get regular checkups, diabetes can definitely sneak up on them. In my dad’s case, he has always eaten a very healthy diet and exercised regularly, but a checkup with the doctor a few years ago concluded that his cholesterol was high and he was pre-diabetic.”
Even though growing out facial hair is a source of conversation during November, Herrera said it’s important to not neglect the body that keeps people going every day.
“Sometimes it’s good to get a reminder that we are not as invincible as we may think, and we may need to get ourselves checked out by a physician,” he said. “Hopefully men will realize that acting like a tough macho man doesn’t necessarily make you manly. It’s about being wise and taking care of your family and their needs, but in order to do that you must be in condition to do so. Really to me, No-Shave November is a celebration of being a real man, being able to know that being a man is being there for your family – that begins with your own health.”
Visit movember.com and no-shave.org for more information on the national campaigns.
Bearded Advice
For beard beginners, Herrera said to “stick it out.”
“The first time to grow a beard can be really hard. The itchiness around week two through four can be unbearable at times,” he said. “Scratching it seems to make it worse sometimes. There is a simple fix – moisturize the beard.”
“You do not want to wash the beard with regular body soap,” Herrera continued. “You get strange dandruff like white fluff that falls out of it because of the way the soap dries on the beard. Shampoo and moisturize.”
Whitworth added that blow-drying facial hair after a hot shower makes “man hair bearable.” His brother, Ryan, also blow-dries his facial hair every morning and makes sure to use Sandwood oil and cream daily from Uncut Beard Company to style his beard.
For those who can’t grow facial hair, Ham encourages to shave off any peach fuzz daily.
“When I wanted to grow my beard I kept shaving, sometimes three times a day,” he said. “Even when you don’t think you should shave, just do it. When you do, it just makes your hair follicles work overtime and they’ll be stimulated to grow quicker.”
With winter approaching, Herrera encourages others to keep the facial hair growing since it “actually keeps you a bit warmer in the cold season.”
“I made the mistake one year of shaving mid-winter, and I was shocked to discover how much having a beard warms up your face and even keeps the air from going into the nostrils,” he said. “I then realized that it actually looked good when groomed properly. I keep it now, out of habit, and warmth, as the winter season approaches.”
Herrera added there are “very few things better than getting compliments on a good beard.”
“My favorite was when a guy, who typically had a legendary status beard,” he said, “who unfortunately due to health had to shave, came up to me one day after I had grown my beard for about three months, gave me a hug, and told me he was proud of me, as he tugged my beard – what a moment!”
