Beards are a hipster necessity these days, but if you feel like you might not be cool enough to try one, this could be a great excuse.

This December the Mercy Hospital Foundation is asking Cork men to ditch their razors and grow a beard to support the diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer.

Decembeard was officially launched by Munster rugby player Billy Holland in the newly opened Tom Winters Barbers on North Main Street, where Holland pledged his support to the campaign.

Bowel cancer (also known as colorectal cancer) is the second most common cancer in men, with one in ten men likely to be diagnosed with the disease by age 85. With bowel cancer projected to increase by over 120 percent by 2040, and almost 2,500 new cases diagnosed each year, now is the time to raise funds and awareness, and really make a difference.

In 90 percent of cases, if diagnosed early, bowel cancer can be successfully treated.

If you’d like to lend the weight of your bristles to the campaign, there are three easy steps to get involved:

1. Register here 
2. Tell all your family and friends you’re a real man now!
3. Get sponsored and turn your man-fuzz into moolah.

The Mercy Hospital Foundation is also asking pubs all over Cork to recruit groups of lads to grow beards for the month, with many of the pubs already registered, set to host shave-offs towards the end of the month. You can follow all the latest hairy updates using the hashtag #Decembeard.