Now that No Shave November is officially over, some, but not all, of the beards may be coming off. Did you even notice? Perhaps you should have. It’s about more than you think. Kyle Eckert explains.

We’re aware, Fashion Friday generally touches exclusively on clothing and garments, but when fashion takes us beyond the cloth, we have to explore. Let’s expand our hair-izons, together. As “masc top looking for same” invades Grindr apps near and far, we’ve noticed many a gay opting to steer clear of the mid 2000s manscaped Ken doll aesthetic. Across the board, long tousled hair, unkempt beards, and the overall “daddy” vibe have become the standard. But more than ever in the 11th month of every calendar year, we notice doctors, accountants, lawyers and other business professionals sporting the scruff.

No Shave November has become as trendy as any other social media craze. With a multitude of hashtags and another excuse for selfies, the success makes sense. But what many don’t know is the movement had origins in cancer awareness. Almost everyone knows someone who was affected by cancer. By folically enhancing your face, you open up conversation about possessing the ability many chemotherapy patients do not have.

Now, that the annual month-long tradition has come to a close, it may be apparent who participated and who didn’t – although looking grizzlier for 30 days shouldn’t be enough to transform anyone into a Duck Dynasty casting callback. For the most part, everyone we interacted with was simply looking like a more rugged, potentially motorcycle-riding version of themselves. And we consider that to be something deserving of praise.

This movement, with origins dating back to 2004, is more successful than ever in its eleventh year. Supporting four of the top cancer research programs in the world, there’s real money being donated to these causes based on word of mouth and social media recognition. Whether raising awareness, trying a new look or having an excuse to sleep 10 minutes later every day, the entire month means great things for more than just our mugs as men. To find out more about No Shave November and how you can help all year round, go to www.no-shave.org. But don’t let your awareness end with the month, either.

Sources: hotbeardedguys.tumblr.com, no-shave.org