Grow a mo, save a bro.
There’s a good reason you'll be seeing a lot of moustaches in November.
Men are abandoning their razors and embracing their facial hair to take part in Movember.
Movember is an annual global initiative that encourages men to grow moustaches to raise awareness of men's health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide.
Men experience worse longer-term health than women and die on average six years earlier.
Testicular cancer rates have doubled in the last 50 years and it's expected prostate cancer rates will double in the next 15.
Three quarters of suicides are men.
Which one will you be rocking this year?Speaking to iRadio, Neil Rooney, Director of Movember Ireland, said even if you can't grow a moustache this month, you can still stop men dying too young.
"You can grow a moustache and that's where a lot of the lads get involved, but equally important is the women who support us, and the guys can also get involved by making a commitment to move. This year, we're asking people to run or walk 60 kilometres during the month and that 60 kilometres is a representation of the 60 men that die every hour globally by suicide."
"And we also ask people to host events; so hosting an event can be anything from a bake sale to a pub quiz, to whatever you can come up with, we've had some mad ones over the years."
Neil also told Dave Duke that testicular cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in young men in Ireland.
"It's very important to check yourself. Once a month in the shower, lather up. But equally important is an older demographic, from 40 to 45 on, you should be looking out for the signs and symptoms of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the second most prevalent cancer in men in Ireland after skin cancer. One in seven Irish men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime."
"Early detection is key. We cant' have that idea of that kind of stoic, toxic masculinity where guys feel they're too proud or embarrassed even to get themselves checked. It's really a normal thing to do."
Here in iRadio, Dave, Garry, Thomas, Niall, Zeeshan and James are doing their part to change the face of men's health.
The lads are busy growing some tachetastic moustaches and you can support them here.
