No-Shave November: Put Down the Razor to Raise Awareness
If you’ve noticed the men (and the ladies) in your life have gotten a little lax about their looks lately, you can rest assured that there’s no reason to be alarmed. Chances are your friends and family are just participating in No-Shave November, the movement in which participants forgo grooming to generate conversation about cancer and men’s health issues. Similar to Movember, a fellow men’s health awareness campaign, No-Shave November has swept the nation and is even celebrated internationally.
Given Promaxo’s close connection to and interest in men’s health issues like prostate cancer, we’re proud to participate in No-Shave November for the second year in a row. As part of that commitment, we’re devoting today’s blog post to the movement, recapping how it works and going in-depth on some of the most prevalent men’s health issues that warrant a deeper conversation.
What is No-Shave November?
The campaign’s official website, no-shave.org, lists a succinct and powerful purpose for its cause: “Educate about cancer prevention, save lives, and aid those fighting the battle.”
While the practice of putting down the razor each November to raise awareness for men’s health issues has been popular for some time, No-Shave November officially was born in 2009. Created as a tribute to Matthew Hill, a Chicago-area man who died of colon cancer in 2007, Hill’s family formalized the campaign to both create conversation and drive donations to cancer-related charities.
If you’re still asking yourself, “Yeah, but what is No-Shave November?” you’ll be happy to know that the concept is quite simple. The goal is for participants to embrace their hair by letting it remain unkempt and free. Of course, letting one’s hair grow wild is symbolic in that a common side effect of cancer treatments is patients losing their hair along the way.
Participants are then asked to donate any money they might spend on shaving or grooming throughout the month to a cancer-related charity. To date, “No-Shavers” have helped the non-profit that runs the campaign raise more than $10 million.
Important Men’s Health Issues When You’re Over 40
It’s been said that time waits for no one, an idiom that becomes increasingly true as we age and our bodies become more prone to disease. In fact, many men’s health issues over 40 years old can be life-threatening if not treated swiftly—hence the reason for campaigns like No-Shave November to drive awareness.
So, what are some common men’s health issues over 40? There are many, but the one that means the most to us is prostate cancer.
We know that the likelihood of a man developing prostate cancer increases with age, but age 40 is when that risk really begins to climb. According to research, the probability of developing prostate cancer rises from 0.005% in men 39 or younger to 2.2% in men between 40 and 59 and 13.7% in men between 60 and 79-years-old.
Colon cancer is another form of cancer rising in prominence in men younger than many would have thought. The National Cancer Institute reports that the rate of colorectal cancer, the term used to describe cancer of the colon or rectum, has more than doubled in adults younger than 50 since the 1990s.
Some other men’s health issues over 40 to take note of include cumulative sun damage causing melanoma, heart disease, stroke (the risk doubles each decade after age 45), erectile dysfunction, pancreatic cancer (incidence rises sharply after age 45), incontinence and loneliness.
Final thoughts and Promaxo’s Participation in No-Shave November
Promaxo commends the Hill family for their efforts in raising money and awareness for men’s health issues through No-Shave November. Confronted with a situation no one ever envisions having to face, the Hills have put forth an immeasurable amount of time and energy to help those who find themselves in the same unfortunate position.
Money raised for No-Shave November goes toward researching new methods of managing diseases related to men’s health and aiding those that have already been diagnosed to improve outcomes and increase survivability. That’s why the Promaxo team will be putting down the razors this month in support of the cause.
If you’re interested in joining us, follow us on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter) to see our progress and vote for your favorite beard or ‘stache design that will be given to selected candidates by our friends at Charles Blades Barber Spa! Additionally, join in on the action by sharing this blog post or by donating to the cause.
Promaxo remains committed to flipping the paradigm of prostate disease management on its head with patient-friendly technology that helps identify high grade prostate cancer. To learn more about how we’re making an impact on men’s health, read more about the Promaxo MRI System.
