Two years ago a Guardian columnist argued against participating in No Shave November on the grounds that not shaving our faces will lead to not shaving lawns which will surely end in the downfall of society (“When No One Shaves, Everyone Loses”). But I support No Shave November because this month we can embrace our beards without judgment.
In a nutshell, your reasons for shaving this month are bogus. I think the main reason men opt out and shave this month is because they’re not sure how they’ll look with facial hair. But November is the one time of year when we can test our beards. The best part about this is that because it’s a month centered around beard solidarity, everyone else is growing out his beard too. Your beard will likely avoid most criticism by blending in with the rest.
Beard- and bro-haters alike may note that beards aren’t for everyone. But neither is cliff jumping. Yet if someone were manly enough to cliff jump, you wouldn’t criticize him for looking ridiculous doing it. Same thing with growing a beard. Maybe they’re just not seeing the big picture.
It turns out No Shave November spawned off from Movember, where Mo Bros sport mustaches for the month. The Movember Foundation helps promote the tradition globally to raise money for philanthropic causes aimed at “changing the face of men’s health.” By the way, the Movember Foundation raised $126 million last year alone.
In the last decade Movember has inspired trends like America’s No Shave November, which, because no part of the face is shaved, is more environmentally friendly than Movember. Any amount of shaving cream or beard trimmings can be toxic to cute oceanic creatures like dolphins and sea lions. By not shaving, you’re almost single-handedly saving planet Earth. This also explains why Greenpeace volunteers on Library Walk have gnarly beards.
The number one biggest critic of No Shave November is the girlfriend. She does not like your beard. Nor do her friends. And while communication in a relationship is key, facial hair, at least for me, is non-negotiable. Let’s be real, beards are real chill. Though, I should note that your bros will understand if you have to shave for an interview. Sometimes, getting a job trumps being chill.
Personally, my five o’clock shadow is starting to tick past 2 a.m. The only downside is that people I bump into on campus want to talk about how long I’ve gone without trimming. But I can’t complain. I can comfortably sit at the Art of Espresso and look like I’m working on my thesis. And my face is warm while I’m doing it.
