Ditch the Razor and Do Your Part in No-Shave November
No-Shave November is upon us, and many are questioning if the campaign is still a popular thing. Details inside on the concept.
Nov. 1 2021, Published 12:22 p.m. ET
It's officially November, and that means it's time to #LetItGrow.
The annual No-Shave November campaign is a month-long tradition in which participants abstain from shaving and grooming to promote cancer awareness and support those who fought or are fighting a battle with the disease.
The campaign encourages participants to embrace their hair and its growth, since most cancer patients lose theirs during treatment. Because it's the beginning of the month, many are left wondering if the movement is still a thing. So, is it?
Is No-Shave November still a thing?
Every year, social media fills up with posts related to the No-Shave November campaign, and this year is no different.
The Prevent Cancer Foundation announced the campaign would begin early morning on Monday, Nov. 1. The organization noted that the campaign raised over $1.76 million in 2020, so it's clear how much this cause means to people. Plus, it gives everyone the chance to observe and hopefully accept their body hair.
So, yes, No-Shave November is still a thing this year. We hope you got your last shaves in on Halloween night because the next few weeks are going to be quite hairy!
What are the rules of No-Shave November?
The No-Shave November rules are straightforward: Put down your razors, clippers, and trimmers for 30 days. For the entirety of November, you are forgoing shaving facial and body hair and are instead growing it all out.
The No-Shave November website suggests a few ways to get involved: "Participate by growing a beard, cultivating a mustache, letting those legs go natural, and skipping that waxing appointment."
Since you're skipping out on the barber for the time being, the association also encourages participants to donate their monthly hair-care expenses to the cause. Per the No-Shave November site, the contributions go to "investing in groundbreaking cancer research and providing free information and services to cancer patients and their caregivers."
However, No-Shave November offers alternatives for those who need it.
"Strict dress code at work? Don’t worry about it! We encourage [the] participation of any kind; grooming and trimming are perfectly acceptable," they write.
On social media, #LetItGrow is the way to show your participation in No-Shave November.
No-Shave November has a very active presence on social media, thanks to #LetItGrow. The organization promotes participants to like and retweet posts related to the tradition and share their own photos throughout the journey.
On Oct. 29, the Harvey Cedars Police Department in Long Beach Island, N.J. announced their participation in No-Shave November on Twitter.
They wrote, "Our officers will be growing facial hair again this November to raise [money] for [cancer] to be distributed directly to those impacted by a cancer diagnosis. Link in our profile to donate!! #cancersucks #NoShaveNovember #letitgrow."
MCO Healthcare advocated for the annual mission on Twitter as well. Early Monday morning, they shared, "Globally, men die on average [five] years earlier than women, and for reasons that are largely preventable. How can you take action? Spend quality time. Talk more. Know your risk. Move more. #Letitgrow."
