By Stephanie Simons,
Head Pharmacist,
Lindo’s Pharmacy in Devonshire
Have you noticed more moustaches recently? Well, that may be because we are now in Movember (the month formerly known as November) when ‘bros’ around the world are growing moustaches to raise awareness of – and money for – men’s health issues. In particular, prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health issues (including suicide prevention, because sadly men are still three times more likely to kill themselves than women, according to the most recent figures from The Samaritans).
The Movember movement started in 2003, in Australia, by accident. Two friends from Melbourne were having a beer when they came up with the idea of resurrecting the ‘Mo’, which they felt was on the way out Down Under. Sad, when you think of some of the great Australian ’tashes over the years – just Google cricket legends Dennis Lillee and Merv Hughes, if you’d like a reminder of a couple of classics.
Buddies Travis Garone and Luke Slattery missed the moustache and wondered if they could bring it back. So, they persuaded 30 friends to stop shaving their upper lip for a month; and though no money was raised, a lot of fun was had. The next year, they decided to try to persuade more men to do the same thing – and use that fun for a good cause. So, they set up a website. And this time, they added a fund-raising element. The slogan was: ‘Grow a Mo, save a Bro.’ November has been Men’s Health Awareness month for even longer than it’s been Movember, so it was a perfect fit.
Gradually, the movement spread – till today, it is a thing in more than 20 countries (including Bermuda). And instead of the 30 Australians who first decided to leave their upper lip alone for a month, there are now more than 290,000 Mo Bro’s and ‘Mo Sisters’ – the supportive womenfolk who are also committed to the campaign – around the world.
Last year, the movement raised more than $90 million for men’s health. In Bermuda, Movember has been active for the past 15 years and has so far raised more than half a million dollars for good causes. In partnership with the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, the movement is once again organising competitions for fund-raising – and mo-growing. Visit https://www.cancer.bm to see how you can get involved and give back to the community.
The ‘MO Finale’ will take place on Wednesday, November 26, at Modern Gent, in the Mechanics’ Building on Queen Street. Who will walk off with the title of ‘Ultimate Mo’? If you want it to be you – and if you are just as keen NOT to be the recipient of the ‘Lame Mo’ award – then you should visit our pharmacy corner.
There, you’ll find everything you need to keep your ‘tash (and beard) looking tip-top all year round; not just in November. The Woody’s grooming range includes Stache Wax (for ‘full stache swagger’) and Beard Wash, designed to keep your facial hair soft and manageable.
And if your dreams of the ‘Ultimate Mo’ are dashed when your ‘tash comes in grey, fear not! We also stock Just For Men Moustache & Beard dye. Now get growing!
Stephanie Simons is the head pharmacist at Lindo’s Pharmacy in Devonshire. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and has been practicing for over 20 years. She is a registered pharmacist with the Bermuda Pharmacy Council and is a member of the Bermuda Pharmaceutical Association.
