Constance Atton | Lariat Photographer
Staff Writer
In the month of November, things can get a little hairy.
For a multitude of reasons, participants of No Shave November are choosing to let their facial hair grow for an entire month.
Many people don’t shave in November to draw attention to serious issues.
An organization called Movember, a name that combines “mustache” and “November,” was started in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003. Movember is an official global charity that asks men to grow out their mustaches to raise awareness about men’s health issues, according to the Movember website.
A separate organization called No-Shave November was formed in 2009 by the American Cancer Society, and it too supports a good cause. No-Shave November encourages men and women alike to stop shaving for a month in order to spread cancer awareness.
“The goal of No-Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing our hair, which many cancer patients lose, and letting it grow wild and free,” the No-Shave November website states.
Although some choose to not shave for philanthropic purposes, others have different reasons for putting away the razor.
Abilene sophomore Brady Odom said he had heard of the No Shave November philanthropies, but he is not participating to raise awareness about anything. He participates in No Shave November because it’s fun and shows manliness, he said. This is his second year doing it.
“It’s fun to show other people you can grow a beard,” Odom said.
Odom said girls usually react negatively to guys growing beards.
“Girls say ‘That’s gross’ or ‘I don’t understand why you guys do that,’” he said. These comments don’t bother him, he said, because his beard is not a serious concern for girls who are his close friends.
Guys, on the other hand, do not find beards repulsive, Odom said.
“Guys can either give really good compliments or compare theirs to yours if they’re participating as well,” he said.
Odom said his mustache can get itchy, but other than that, having a plenitude of facial hair does not bother him. He does, however, have to put in effort to keep his beard clean.
“When it starts to get long, I have to wash it like I wash my hair,” he said.
Flower Mound freshman Kole Kellner is somewhat of a passive No Shave November participant. He said he regularly lets his facial hair grow whether it’s November or not.
“It just happens to be November,” he said.
Kellner said No Shave November gives him the perfect excuse to be lazy.
“It would be too hard to shave it, so I just let it go,” he said.
His current beard is the result of two months of not shaving, he said.
Unlike Odom, Kellner said a girl actually complimented his beard.
“When I went to College Station last week, I talked to some girl who said she was impressed and said no freshman she’s seen has grown a beard this long,” Kellner said. “But that was from an Aggie.”
Kellner said his beard only annoys him when he sleeps.
Kellner and Odom are in agreement that it is odd for a girl to join the no-shaving trend.
“Girls participating is kind of awkward,” Odom said. “That’s their personal decision. If they’d like to, they should, but it’s definitely strange.”
Kellner takes a stronger stance than Odom and said girls should not participate in No Shave November.
“I’ve heard a lot of girls don’t shave their armpits during this month, and I think that’s a bad idea,” he said. “They should definitely shave.”
Pittsburgh, Pa., junior Megan Trenz said girls should participate in No Shave November if they want to and they shouldn’t be ostracized for it.
“It’s not gross when a girl doesn’t shave,” Trenz said. “People just think that not shaving means you’re not bathing and not clean. Guys have hairy armpits and we never think they don’t shower.”
Trenz said she will not be shaving her legs this month because her legs will be covered up anyway.
“I’m not going to shave my legs because I’m going to wear pants because it’s cold,” she said.
Kellner said those who have never done No Shave November should give it a shot.
“Definitely go for it,” he said. “It’s a good experience to just be lazy.”
Odom said No Shave November is not for everyone.
“If you grow a patchy neck-beard, then maybe don’t participate,” he said.
