Our first destination is a quaint little barber's tucked away on a quiet side-street in Cospicua, run by 80-year-old, self-proclaimed joker and lover of life, Alfred (known as 'Fredu'). A familiar face to many in and around the Three Cities, he has plied his trade here for 55 years and is no stranger to the media spotlight, having featured in several local and foreign news articles. As you walk in, you see a variety of old-fashioned barber's tools, which would look rather out of place in your typical barber's. Fredu, however, still uses them to this day to trim, shape, neaten and groom his client's facial hair.
Fredu is quick to invite us inside and within a few minutes his warm welcome is accompanied by greetings from a pair of his regulars, Pawlu and Leli, for whom a visit to Fredu is part of their daily routine.
Pawlu sports a well-kept, thick grey and white moustache, so I question him about Movember, but neither he nor his barber's friends seem to know much about it. Instead, we share a few light-hearted facial hair-related anecdotes, including a stomach-churning story about a Scotsman's milky moustache.
"Years ago, I met a gentleman who had the most majestic moustache I've ever seen," said Leli, the third member of the barber's trio. "He would drink milk like there was no tomorrow, so he often made quite a mess. Once, I invited him over for a spaghetti dinner, but he refused to have cheese with it, which I found a bit odd. Instead, he shook all the dried milk from his moustache onto the spaghetti!"
Amused, but slightly disgusted, I turned my attention to telling the three gentlemen all I could about Movember, starting with its origins in Australia back in 2003 when, over a few pints of beer, two Aussies came up with a plan to bring moustaches back in fashion.
Astonished by the amount of attention they received, the original 'Mo Bros' as they became known, took the opportunity to dedicate the moustache-growing event to actively raising awareness and funds for men's health issues.
Since its inception, the Movember Foundation has had over five million participants, raising hundreds of millions of euros for prostate and testicular cancer research and community support services worldwide. Last year alone, Movember raised around €75 million.
As our time at this local gem comes to an end, another of Fredu's loyal customers strolls through the archway, greeted by customary tongue-in-cheek remarks from his peers.
So we bid farewell to Fredu and his pals and head towards our second and final stop.
Located on a busy street in Sliema, Kennedy by Tony & Dad opened its doors in 1963, with Salvu and his son Tony who come from a long line of no-nonsense barbers. The cosy, square-shaped shop contains quite a few knick-knacks, including a John F. Kennedy statuette perched on a little shelf, a collection of football memorabilia and photos of the barber's shop taken decades ago.
The art of being a barber is deeply rooted in their family, going as far back as Salvu's grandfather, with Tony's nephew next in line to carry on the family legacy. So, with decades of experience under their belts, what has changed since they first started out?
Salvu immediately refers to the never-ending changes in modern preferences when it comes to hairstyles, while Tony notes that keeping up with the latest trends vital when it comes to providing the customer with the best experience possible.
These barbers are much more familiar with the concept of Movember, and we discuss the wide range of magnificent moustaches on which they have worked their magic over the years: the classic handlebar, the horseshoe and the pencil moustache, to name but a few.
"We do get customers who ask us not to touch their moustache in November," said Tony, as he carefully trims a customer's hair, the sound of the electric clippers providing an ongoing background hum.
Evidently, Tony also understands the importance of the barbers as a sort of 'safe house' for men to discuss certain issues they may not feel comfortable with sharing with others, a concept that falls in line with Movember's core principles - openly discussing any kind of physical or mental debacle men find themselves in, in hope of receiving treatment as early as possible, before the problem snowballs.
"In any barber's it's quite normal for a customer to sit down and really open up about something, whether it's marital troubles, work-related stress or health issues," said Tony. "People share everything with us when they're here. Nothing is off limits - except politics," he said with a smile.
Our chat turns towards the key differences between a hairstylist and a barber, the latter catering for shorter cuts with a pair of clippers, hot towel shaves and the general up-keep of facial hair. Tony believes that over the years the profession lost some of its respect but that, lately, it's slowly regaining its status.
Is the traditional barber becoming a thing of the past in Malta? Salvu and Tony believe the profession is alive and kicking, with no signs of it slowing down. In fact, modern barbers' shops have sprouted up all over the island, their inspiration clearly drawn from the more traditional establishments.
Despite the stark contrast between the two, both barbershops are remnants of the days of old, and will be remembered as cornerstones of the community long after they've cut their final strand of hair. Alfred will undoubtedly continue to put a smile on people's faces and Tony & Salvu will proudly pass down their skills & knowledge to their next of kin.
While Movember campaigns have been hugely successful elsewhere in the world, they haven't exactly caught on here, with most men preferring a full beard to the lonely 'tash'. The Movember Foundation has seen a slight dip in funding over the years, but it is still a major player in the battle against prostate and testicular cancer research.
In just 15 years, the moustache has become a major symbol for men's health, in the same way as the pink ribbon has for breast cancer. Breaking male taboos is not easy, but the Movember Foundation will continue doing everything it can to ensure that men's health issues are no longer overlooked.