Get Ready to Grow that Mo!

Movember is nearly upon us, so now is as good a time as any to start prepping that face for a month ofmoustache-growing! Check out our Movember page for participation rules.

So you may be wondering... what does growing a moustache have to do with health? This is a health blog, after all. Led by the international Movember Foundation, Movember is a month-long event to raise awareness for men's health issues, particularly prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health. It's a simple premise: grow a moustache for a month, and when people comment on your changing face, use it as an opportunity to open up a conversation about men's health. (Women can participate too, without the moustache. Just help raise awareness!)

So here are a few talking points (courtesy of the Movember Foundation) to bring up when people start pointing at your furry upper lip:

• The average life expectancy of men (76.2 years) is almost five years shorter than that of women (81 years).
• Half of men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
• Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men in the United States; more than 233,000 men will be diagnosed with it in 2014.
• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men between the ages of 15 and 35, and about 8,820 new cases are diagnosed each year.
• One in four adults will experience a mental health problem in a given year.
• More than four times as many men as women die by suicide in the United States.

So remember to Shave the Date on November 1! Start off with a clean-shaven face and let that moustache grow throughout the month. And don't forget to send in your pics to kkrekeler@slpl.org. We'll post them on this blog, and if your peers are suitably impressed by your facial masterpiece by the end of the month, you may win a prize!

Psst! There's more to Movember than just the moustache photos. Visit Central Library in November to compare moustaches while enjoying some great moustache-themed movies. The series kicks off November 6 with Smokey and the Bandit at 6:30 p.m., preceded by a visit from three health organizations focusing on mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.