How to Devise a No-Shave November Plan of Attack

The most wonderful time of the year is nearly here. No, not the holiday season. Nothing wrong with a good holiday, but what we’re talking about is No-Shave November. A time to let your facial hair grow freely without fear of the razor, all in the name of fighting cancer… what a magnificent concept. 

But we can’t just wander cluelessly into such an occasion. No, this event calls for proper preparation, especially since The Beard Club is the Official Beard Club Partner of No-Shave November. This is our second year to enjoy the honor of being such a critical part of this important effort, and we want to make the best of it. 

Not only are we letting our beards fill in the way Nature intended this November, we’re also building awareness for No-Shave November by rallying all Beard Club members—including our monthly subscribers and more than 1.5 million people who follow us on social media—to contribute to the cause. And there’s more to pitching in here than simply feeling good about making a difference. Members who donate to the cause in The Beard Club’s name will receive 50 bonus points for the Beard Club’s new Rewards Program!

Let’s make it count

No-Shave November is about letting your beard be its very best, and that’s not the same thing as simply letting it run wild and free. As every Beard Club member knows, even the lengthiest set of whiskers need to be tamed with a little TLC, and even No-Shave November doesn’t change that.

The rules of No-Shave November, per No-Shave.org, are simple: 

“Put down your razor for 30 days and donate your monthly hair-maintenance expenses to the cause. Strict dress-code at work? Don't worry about it! We encourage participation of any kind; grooming and trimming are perfectly acceptable.” 

That’s easy enough, and it means you can still work a proper beard maintenance routine into your No-Shave November efforts. Before we flip the calendar away from October, let’s walk through the essential steps you’ll need to master the month ahead.

Lock down your game plan

You most likely have a clear sense of the kind of beard you want to grow, and that means you’ll want to do all the necessary prep work to achieve that goal. Start by clearing the slate, as it were. On October 31st, you’ll want to turn your face into the perfect canvas for a masterpiece of a mane. Starting from scratch? Use your razor one last time before you retire it and shave your stubble clean.

Got a super-lengthy beard already? That’s great, but even then, you’ll probably want to trim it down a bit to clean up stray hairs and split ends before you embark on your No-Shave journey. Taking the time to tidy up your look before No-Shave November will guarantee you have full control over how the events of the razor-free month ahead turn out. That means you don’t have to worry about December kicking off with a half-hour session in front of the mirror fixing up the mistakes you could have prevented with a little advance care.

Stock up on product

Loyal Beard Club aficionados know that upkeep is just a matter of having the right tools. Brushing and combing your beard to keep it straight while making use of oils and waxes for hydration results in fuller-bodied facial hair. These techniques are essential to keeping your beard in line as it fills out and redefines your face into a vision of perfection. We offer plenty of solutions that’ll help keep your beard in line, ranging from our Wooden Folding Comb to our Beard Cream and Beard Oil. A little application of these products and tools from time to time will go a long way towards keeping your looks under control through the coming month of high-intensity beard growth.

What you’ll really love is that getting equipped for No-Shave November is a self-enabling effort. If you donate to the No-Shave November cancer research cause in The Beard Club’s name this year, you’ll earn 50 bonus Rewards Points that you can put toward the purchase of great Beard Club products. Taking part in this great cause literally pays for itself.

Pick a day to groom or trim

If you plan to trim and groom during No-Shave November, that’s perfectly fine! In fact, it’s more than fine. It’s a key to looking great in a razor-free world. We recommend you pick a specific day (or days) of the week for your grooming efforts and stick to that plan. Observing a regular, consistent schedule for fixing up your beard is the easiest way to not only keep it looking sharp but also to keep yourself from accidentally going overboard. 

We’ve all done it before. You get cocky and think to yourself, “Well, maybe I’ll just take a little bit off here… and here… and….” Before you know it, you’re left with an ugly patch of uneven beard (or worse, a spot with no beard at all!). By limiting your trimming sessions to once or twice a week, you’ll be able to catch your beard’s rough edges before they go wild while limiting the number of opportunities to do something you’ll regret. 

Look, it’s not that we don’t trust you. It happens even to the best of the bearded. We’re just looking out for you.

Keep it clean

This is a universal tip, but it definitely applies during a time when beards rule over all: Keep that face clean! No one’s going to want to help you raise money to fight cancer if the beard you grow during No-Shave November looks like it belongs to a vagrant and smells like a wet sock. 
Wash that beard with our Beard Shampoo as part of your daily shower routine. Brush it with our Beard Brush. Throw some Beard Balm in there to keep it smelling fresh all day. Take these simple steps and no one will ever hate on that facial hair.

Spread the news!

Cancer claims far too many lives every year, and every little bit we can do to keep the fight going helps. No-Shave November allows us to express our desire to fight cancer with something that unites men across the world: Our bountiful beards. Tell every friend you have about this fur-faced initiative. Get your group ready, and come November 1, start growing those beards out for the cause. 

Make an event of it! Start a contest between your pals for length: Whoever grows the longest beard in 30 days wins lunch... and anyone who gives in to weakness and shaves during November has to buy a round at the bar. Be creative, but most importantly, be thinking of the reason we do this: To end cancer once and for all. 
The good news is that we’ve made it easy for you. You’re part of the Beard Club, and that means you’re part of a club that’s already made a commitment to raise money to fight cancer for the coming month. Celebrate belong to a world-class organization of good-looking, well-groomed men. Pledge to battle cancer through the Beard Club and earn 50 Rewards Points! Be sure to get your friends involved, too! Together, we’ll help beat cancer... and we’ll grow some world-class beards in the process. Talk about a win-win scenario.