AFTER a month of freaky facial hair, top lips are once again free from fuzz as Movember draws to a close.

Throughout November, men across the region have shunned their razors and carefully cultivated their facial fur in aid of cancer charities.

But today (Friday, November 30), there were bald top lips aplenty at Carmel College, in Darlington, as teachers and sixth form students finally got rid of their whiskers at a mass shave-a-thon.

As part of the event 16-year-old student, Lucy Robson, was applauded by staff and students as she had her waist-length locks shorn to donate to charities that make wigs for children with cancer while raising funds for Cancer Research UK.

“I just wanted to do something that made a difference," she said.

"There are so many people who are affected by cancer and we can all do something to help stop it.”

After shaving his own moustache off, director of sixth form, Tim Madeley, said: “We wanted to do something different so we called ours Mobowvember so everyone, including the girls, have been wearing bowties and bows in their hair as well.”

To donate to Carmel College’s fundraising, search ‘Carmel MoBow Team’ on uk.movember.com

More than 50 Northumbrian Water staff also shaved off their moustaches at a shave-a-thon at the company’s headquarters in Pity Me, Durham City, with trainee barbers from New College Durham practising their cut throat shaving skills in exchange for a £5 donation to the cause.

The hirsute team have already raised more than £500 for men’s health charities over the last month and hope to break the £1,000 barrier once all the donations have come in.

Support analyst, Steve Smith, from Newcastle, said: “It didn’t take us long to decide to sign up as we love a good team challenge and we’ve been comparing moustaches every day.

“A few of us have more personal reasons for supporting Movember but we all feel it’s important to raise awareness of men’s health and raise funds for vital research at the same time.”