The next occurence will be December, 2024. The last occurence was December, 2023.

Decembeard

Quick facts
When is it?	Every December
What are the websites?	decembeard.co bowelcanceruk.org.uk/support-us/fundraise/decembeard
Tagged as:	Body & Health Charity Healthcare Hobbies & Activities
What's the hashtag?	#Decembeard
When was it founded?	Early 2000s
We first published this page on:	Mar 4th, 2024
We last updated this page:	Mar 4th, 2024

In collaboration with Bowel Cancer Awareness, Decembeard was founded with the purpose of raising awareness about the devastating impact of bowel cancer and the importance of getting medical screenings for early detection. It’s a great time to help inform the public – and also have a fun time supporting a good cause!

History of Decembeard

Decembeard seems to have first taken place in Australia in the early 2000s. Going along with the growing popularity of men growing facial hair, Movember, was a trendsetter when it was started to raise awareness about prostate cancer. A few years later, Decembeard, named for its cute little combination of “December” and “beard”, encouraged men to grow out their facial hair in support of and awareness for bowel cancer.

Organizations like Bowel Cancer Australia and Bowel Cancer UK have used the Decembeard campaign to raise funds for this important cause, encouraging individuals, schools, corporations and more to hold events and activities all throughout the month.

How to Celebrate Decembeard

Show some support and make a big deal out of bowel health by raising awareness for Decembeard with some of these ideas:

Let It Grow!

While the name may be targeted toward men to grow out their facial hair, Decembeard certainly doesn’t have to be limited to just one gender. This is a great time for anyone of any gender identification to ditch the razor and grow out that hair – whether on the face, legs, arms or body. Many people use this hair growing as a fundraising opportunity, making a donation to one of the charities who support those with bowel cancer and also promote research for prevention and a cure.

Go Bold for Decembeard

Those who aren’t as prone to be able to grow out their hair quickly can participate by going bold for Decembeard, dying their hair a loud color in celebration of this month. Try a bright blue, a shocking pink, or perhaps a rainbow stripe. And when people comment, let them know that the purpose is to raise awareness for bowel cancer detection, treatment and support.

Learn About Bowel Cancer

One of the most important take-aways for participating in Decembeard is that folks get out there and learn more about bowel cancer. It’s vital for all adults to be informed about this disease and then take action by talking to their doctors about the need for screenings.

Consider some of these factors related to this type of cancer:

Bowel cancer is part of a broader category called colorectal cancer (including both colon and rectal cancer), which used to affect mostly older people but the diagnosis rate among younger adults is increasing rapidly over recent years.
Colorectal cancer is considered to be a “silent killer” because of a lack of symptoms until very late stages.
Screening can help catch colorectal cancer early, offering a much higher rate of survival.
A healthy lifestyle can help with prevention, including maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking and alcohol, being physically active, limiting red meat (especially processed) and getting plenty of fiber with whole grains.

For those folks who want to follow up Decembeard by continuing to grow facial hair through the first of the year, consider participating in Manuary!