Remember Remember the Cause of Movember

As men dip their upper lips in the mustachioed moat of Movember, the UK is that little bit more hairy than it was two weeks ago.

I too am indulging my facial hair - earning some rather favourable comparisons: Clark Gable, Poirot and Charles Bronson have sprung to colleagues' minds as they gaze upon my baby handlebar Mo. I've even been googling reputable retailers in search of quality moustache wax (I hear Foad Wax can give that 1930s slick finish).

My Movember lookalikes: (l-r) Clark Gable, David Suchet as Poirot and Tom Hardy as prisoner Charles Bronson in the film Bronson.

A celebration of the wild side of grooming, a celebration of not shaving, a celebration of ... moustaches.

Isn't there more to this stubbly race than experimental hair growth? Growing a straggly unconvincing tache is all rather fun, but are we all on board the Movember movement?

Out of the moustaches reading this blog - which ones are raising money for the cause? I suspect there are a few guilty whisker twitches, including my own.

At the time of writing, I have not raised a single penny for Movember. I am simply another tache enjoying a ride on the Mo-wagon.

So is my neglect of the Movember campaign causing an unforgivable disservice to men around the world?

Movember raises awareness and vital funds for men's health, including mental health issues and prostate and testicular cancer - three sobering subjects with startling facts attached.

As we all know, on average women live longer than men - five to six years. But Movember say there's no biological reason for this to be the case. Up to half of male cancer cases could be prevented by making healthier diet and lifestyle choices.

It is the male suicide rate that rings alarm bells. A report this year revealed that middle-aged men from disadvantaged backgrounds are ten times more likely to commit suicide than more affluent men, due to the recession and changes in western society.

Many Mo-Bros may not be reaching deep into their pockets to support organisations like Prostate Cancer UK and The Institute of Cancer Research, but perhaps taking part is enough. Movember calculates that one moustache grown in their name generates 11 Facebook updates, 10 tweets and 36 face-to-face mentions of the campaign - totalling an impressive 2,413 conversations.

So, growing a moustache for all to see is in itself helping to demolish the crippling stigma of male depression and the awkwardness surrounding testicular and prostate check-ups.

My fellow Mo-bros and I are half way through our hairy journey - no need to shamefully shave off our lovingly grown growth for lack of sponsorship - simply talking about Movember is changing the world.

But every little helps - I've set up my Movember page here, raising money so men can live happier and healthier lives.