Movember started in 2003 as two mates from Australia. Travis Garone and Luke Slattery, jokingly decided to bring back in fashion the moustache by convincing their friends to grow one. Inspired by a friend's mother who was fundraising for breast cancer, they associated the moustache with the pink ribbon, but for men.

Michelle Terry In this interview, Michelle Terry, CEO of Movember, shares what was important about this work and what she is most excited about in taking this refreshed impact strategy forward.

Interesting Facts About Movember

• It did not start in the U.S. – in fact, it began in Melbourne, Australia in 2003.
• It went from 30 mustaches to 5 million since it started.
• It is observed in more than 20 different countries.

2003 From humble beginnings in Australia in 2003, the Movember movement has grown to be a truly global one, inspiring support from over 6 million Mo Bros and Mo Sisters around the world. Movember's success can largely be attributed to the strength of the global community.

What is Movember? Throughout the month of November men are encouraged to grow their moustaches to raise awareness and spark conversation for men's health issues, particularly prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.

For example, November is Men's Mental Health Awareness Month in the United Kingdom. It's also known as Movember, as men grow mustaches to raise awareness of men's health conditions. These include mental health conditions but also conditions like prostate and testicular cancer.

Movember Co-Founder Travis Garone kickstarted a global movement around men's health 16 years ago.

Once registered at movember.com each Mo Bro must begin the 1st of Movember with a clean shaven face. For the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro must Grow and groom a moustache. Don't fake it. No beards, no goatees and no fake moustaches.

How to grow a Mo

• Be prepared. Before your first follicle appears, choose the moustache that will grace your face by browsing the inspirational Movember Mo Style Guide.
• Be brave.
• Ignore the itching.
• Shape your moustache using proper grooming techniques.
• Nurture it and keep it clean.

In 2021, the Movember community championed men's health in 20 countries across the world. Through Growing Mo's, Moving for men's health, Hosting Mo-ments and Mo-ing your own way, we raised £65.4 Million. Our focus on costs and economy of scale has resulted in a global cost-to-funds-raised ratio of 20.3%.

Movember is a month-long campaign that encourages men to grow mustaches (or “Mo's”) and engage in activities to raise awareness about men's health. It aims to challenge the stigma around men's health issues, spark conversations, and promote early detection and intervention.

During the war in Crimea, beards, moustaches and sideburns became symbols of courage and determination. Britons back home started sporting similar facial hair styles in solidarity with their heroes on the battlefield. The unshaven 'upper lip' thus became synonymous with military uniform and service.