What is Movember 2021? Meaning, rules and how to grow a November moustache explained - what’s it all about

Movember is upon us once more.

It’s that time of year when men up and down the UK attempt to grow a moustache to raise awareness and money of men’s health issues for charity.

The Movember Foundation, formed in 2003, is an annual event which aims to "change the face of men’s health" - here’s all you need to know about growing a Mo.

What is Movember?

The Movember Foundation was set up to encourage men to talk about issues around their health that they might be experiencing or concerned about.

They want to reduce the number of preventable deaths and have set a target of reducing the number of men dying prematurely by 25% by 2030.

Mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer are among the issues the foundation is looking to address from stigma to scientific research.

Movember has funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects around the world since it began.

What does Movember mean?

Movember is a combination of the words November, the month each year charity events take place, and moustache, the main act to raise awareness and funds.

From two mates, Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, in Australia to 30 Mo Bros in 2003, the idea has grown worldwide to include more than six million Mo Bros and Mo Sisters.

What are the Movember rules?

The rules clearly state that Movember participants have to start on 1 November clean shaven, there are no head starts permitted for those who already have a Mo.

A traditional Mo doesn’t join upwards to meet your sideburns, otherwise known as a beard, and preferably doesn’t join downwards across your chin, commonly referred to as a goatee.

If you have a moustache already and want to get involved then a great way to start Movember is by urging friends and family to donate money for you to shave it off and regrow for charity.

As well as growing moustaches, people who want to play a part in Movember 2021 can opt to run or walk 60km throughout the month, host a Mo-ment by getting friends together or create their own challenge with Mo Your Own Way.

How to grow a Movember moustache

It’s important to remember that everyone is different.

The speed you grow facial hair will be different to others taking part but the goal is still the same - to raise awareness and money for men’s health issues.

Some have reported that singing to their Mo helps it grow, while others have upped their watering to help grow a thick and full top lip comforter.

There are different styles too, from a classic Tom Selleck inspired Mo to Ben Stiller’s handlebars in Dodgeball and many more, the choice is yours.

Sign up for Movember or make a donation through the foundation’s official website.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our email newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.