The mighty moustache. Has it really fallen out of fashion?  Recall, if you will, Mark Spitz. Tom Selleck. Burt Reynolds. Those were moustaches you could hang your hat on and write to Grandma about. "Grandma," you'd write, "these upper lips were magnificently hirsute." Then you'd question your very existence, as if the power of those rich, dark mouthbrows was too much for you to handle.  

There was certainly an era where the moustache reigned supreme amongst men's facial hair stylings. Nowadays? You'd be lucky to spot one outside of your local Mark Twain look-alike contest.

It's time to change that. It's November, but get that 'N' out of here and replace it with an 'M' for, you guessed it, moustache. Movember is a tradition unlike any other. It began years ago, with the highly important and admirable mission of bringing attention to men's health issues, specifically mental health, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer.

Here's the funny thing about us guys: most of us will readily acknowledge that we possess a prostate. And testicles? Yeah, we've got those too. But mental health is another story. In my experience there tends to be a stigma surrounding it. It can be hard for a man to ask for help, as we tend to be taught to avoid doing that. Like the age-old joke about how men are never willing to ask for directions - we think it makes us look weak. But here's some truth: men are human and humans have weaknesses. Who knew?

Movember encompasses all of these aspects of men's health, and they're all important. Prostate cancer is serious business, with 1 of 8 men expected to be diagnosed with it in his lifetime.  Almost 10,000 cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed each year, especially among younger men (guys, don't forget to examine yourself regularly).  Men are at particularly high risk when it comes to self-harm: we are 3-4 times more likely to commit suicide than women.

So the challenge to you, SpiceHeads, is to grow a moustache this month, if you are capable. For the cause! For health! Because you can!  If you need some inspiration, check out this list of the best moustaches of all time. 

And if you do choose to grow out your pushbroom, why not choose one of many amazing styles that are available to you?  Have fun with it!  And don't forget, with Movember comes the Movember Badge that anyone participating this month will be awarded!