No Shave November: The 30-Day Beard Plan (and the Rules)
The TrollNovember 1st, just after sunrise. A traveler stomped up to my bridge with a fresh razor cut on his chin and asked to cross. I told him the toll. "Thirty days. No razor." He laughed. They always laugh on day one. By day ten they come back scratching and asking if the toll can be paid in coins instead. It can't.
So here's what you came for. No Shave November is a month-long fundraiser: you stop shaving for all of November, let the hair grow, and give the money you'd normally spend on razors and haircuts to cancer charities. It isn't the same thing as Movember, which is a mustache-only campaign for men's health. The rules are loose, the itch is real, and the whole thing goes a lot better with a plan. I've watched plenty of travelers fail this crossing. Here's how you don't.
- The fundraiser started in 2009 as a Facebook campaign by the Hill family of Illinois, in memory of their father, Matthew Hill, who died of colon cancer. The idea: skip the razor and donate what you'd have spent.
- Movember is a separate charity. You start clean-shaven and grow a mustache only, for men's health causes.
- Expect itch in weeks 1 and 2, a scruffy neckline in week 3 and a decision on day 30. Daily oil and a real beard wash make the middle weeks bearable.
- Thirty days gets most men a short beard, not a long one. That's normal, and it's a fair look at what your beard will do.
What No Shave November is (and where it came from)
Every traveler gets a little history before he crosses. Keep up.
The campaign began in 2009 as a grassroots Facebook campaign started by the Hill family of Illinois. Their father, Matthew Hill, died of colon cancer in November 2007. The idea was simple: let your hair grow for the month and put the money you'd normally spend on grooming toward cancer research, education and awareness. The campaign has since found a home with Fight Colorectal Cancer, and its official site lists that group, Prevent Cancer Foundation and Man Up to Cancer among the organizations it benefits.
The point of the hair is the conversation. Somebody asks why you look like you slept under a bridge, and you tell them. I respect that. I do sleep under a bridge.
No Shave November rules
Here's the part people argue about at my bridge. The official rules are short. The organizers basically say: don't shave, and do what works for you. There's no referee. Plenty of offices and teams set their own rules, and some ask members to donate what they'd have spent on razors, shaving cream and haircuts.
In practice, most groups land on something like this:
- Put the razor down on November 1. You don't have to shave first, though starting from bare skin makes the month more fun to measure.
- Light tidying is usually fine. Cleaning up your neckline or trimming a stray hair off your lip doesn't break most groups' rules. If your team is strict, ask before day one.
- Donate. This is the part that matters. Pledge the grooming money, or set up a page and ask friends to chip in.
Movember vs No Shave November
Travelers mix these two up constantly. Different charities, different hair.
| No Shave November | Movember | |
|---|---|---|
| What you grow | Anything: beard, mustache, all of it | A mustache only |
| Starting point | No requirement to shave first | Start clean-shaven on November 1 |
| Where it started | The Hill family of Illinois, 2009 | Australia, early 2000s |
| What it supports | Cancer research, education and awareness | Men's health, including prostate and testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention |
| Trimming | Usually fine; your group decides | Mustache only; beards and goatees don't count |
The 30-day No Shave November beard plan
Now the toll itself. Thirty days, four stretches. Most travelers who quit do it in week two. Know that going in and you're already ahead of them.
Before day 1: pack for the crossing
Take a photo of your bare face. You'll want it on day 30. Then get two things ready: a beard oil and a proper beard wash. Bar soap and regular shampoo can strip the skin under new growth, and stripped skin itches.
Week 1 (days 1-7): stubble and the first scratch
Day 3 or 4, your face turns into sandpaper. Short, blunt hairs poke the skin and catch on collars and pillows.
- Start oil now, not when it gets bad. Two or three drops, rubbed between your palms and pressed into the skin after a shower.
- Don't pick at it. Every traveler who picks ends up with red bumps.
Week 2 (days 8-14): peak itch, the danger zone
This is where I lose them. The itch peaks for a lot of men here, and you might see a few flakes. That's usually dry skin under the new hair, not a sign you're doing it wrong.
- Use beard wash two or three times a week instead of body soap.
- Oil every day, a few drops, working it down to the skin with your fingertips.
- If you're getting red bumps along the neck, those may be ingrown hairs. Leave them alone and keep the skin clean.
More on what's normal and what isn't in our guide to beard itch. Patchy spots are normal at this point too. Cheeks fill in last. Don't judge anything before day 30.
Week 3 (days 15-21): the neckline decision
The itch usually backs off. Now the problem is your neck. Hair is creeping down toward your collar, and the whole thing looks less like a beard and more like a disguise.
If your group allows it, clean up the neckline. Here's my rule: find the spot about one or two fingers above your Adam's apple, shave or trim everything below that line, and leave the jaw alone. Going too high is the classic mistake. It makes your chin look smaller and your beard look like a chinstrap. Step-by-step help is in how to trim your beard neckline.
This is also when a little balm earns its place. It tames the hairs that point sideways and makes week-three scruff look like it's on purpose.
Week 4 (days 22-30): the awkward stretch
Welcome to the ugly part. Hairs are long enough to curl and point in different directions, but not long enough to lie down. People call it the beard awkward stage, and it's where a lot of guys shave on day 26 and regret it on day 27.
- Comb it down every morning after oil, so the hair learns a direction.
- Use balm for hold if it's sticking out.
As for how much hair you'll have: a commonly cited figure is around half an inch a month, but genetics and age change that a lot. Most men finish November with a short beard. If you want to know what comes after, read about the beard growing stages.
Day 30: keep it or shave it?
December 1. The toll is paid. Pull up that day-one photo and decide.
| If this is you | Do this |
|---|---|
| You like it and it's filling in | Keep it. Trim the neckline, shape the cheeks, and stay on the oil. |
| You like it but it's patchy | Give it another month. Extra length often hides thin spots, and a 30-day beard is still young. |
| You like it shorter | Trim it down to a short boxed beard or heavy stubble instead of going bare. |
| Work or home says no | Shave. Use a sharp blade and trim it short first so the razor doesn't drag. |
If you're keeping it, how to trim a beard while growing it out will save you from the classic December over-trim.
What I'd hand you at the bridge
- The Troll Beard Oil. 1 oz, $18.99. Sandalwood Pipe, Refreshing Stream and Bright Spring Air. Your daily step from day one. It softens new hair and keeps the skin underneath from drying out. It won't grow hair faster; nothing in a bottle like this will.
- The Troll Beard Wash. 8 oz, $21.99. Sulfate-free with aloe and five oils. Two or three times a week instead of whatever bar soap is in your shower.
- The Troll Beard Balm. 2 oz tin, $23.99. Same scent plus Oak Moss Bridge. Bring it in around week three for light hold on the flyaways.
Our beard oils, mine included, are made with castor, coconut, sweet almond, argan and jojoba oils. Sweet almond and argan come from nuts, so if you have a nut allergy, talk to your doctor first and patch test on your jaw before you use it all over. If scent bothers you, The Barkeep's unscented oil is in the beard oil collection too.
FAQ
Can you trim during No Shave November?
Usually, yes. The official guidance is basically "don't shave, and do what works for you," so many groups allow neckline cleanup and light tidying. If you're on a team, agree on the rules before November 1.
Do you have to shave before No Shave November?
No. You can start with whatever you have. Movember is the one that asks you to start clean-shaven, but a bare start does make your day-30 photo more satisfying.
What is the difference between Movember and No Shave November?
They're separate charities. The no-shave one lets you grow anything and raises money for cancer research, education and awareness. Movember is mustache-only and supports men's health causes like prostate and testicular cancer and mental health.
Why does my beard itch so much in week two?
New hairs have blunt tips that poke the skin, and the skin under them often gets dry. A gentle beard wash and a few drops of oil every day help it feel better. If you get a rash that won't clear, see a dermatologist.
Will beard oil make my beard grow faster?
No. Beard oil softens the hair and keeps the skin underneath from drying out, which makes the month more comfortable. How fast and how full your beard grows comes down mostly to genetics and time.
One last thing
That traveler from November 1st? He came back on day 30. Neckline clean, beard combed, chin covered. He asked if he could cross now. I told him he crossed weeks ago, around day 12, when he stopped asking if he could pay in coins. He kept the beard. Most of the ones who make it past week two do.
Your beard, your story.
— The Troll
