Movember by the Numbers: The Strange Statistics of Facial Hair

By James Oliver Cury

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The purpose of Movember—grow a mustache in November and raise money for prostate- and testicular-cancer research—is sweet and simple. But it’s the numbers behind the movement that make the hair on my neck stand up (sorry, I have no mustache …yet). Below, witness the staggering strength of facial hair.

Number of men who participated in 2003: 30
Number of men who participated in 2013: 969,000

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Money raised in 2004: $43,000
Money raised in 2013: $125 million
Total amount raised since launch: $550 million
Most money raised by a single person: Joey Johannson (Canada), $132,596

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See more: Get Your Movember Inspiration from the Best Mustaches of All Time

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Maximum length a Marine ‘stache can be: According to Marine Corps Order P1020.34G W, the length of a mustache hair fully extended must not exceed 1/2 inch.
Number of hairs on an average man’s face: 10,000 to 20,000
Earliest known reference to a mustache: 300 B.C. painting depicting a horseman with a thick black mustache
World’s longest mustache: A 14-foot-long monster belonging to Ram Singh Chauhan of Rajastan, India, who regularly massages it with mustard and coconut oil to keep it healthy
Number of times men touch their ‘stache daily, on average: 760

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photos: Details, Getty Images