Read how beard contestants groom themselves for competition

Bearding began in Germany as a sport in which men competed to be the best in a number of traditional beard and mustache styles. In the U.S., which tends to have younger competitors than the German-based world championships, the rules are a little more lax.

Ahead of the World Beard and Moustache Championships in Leogang, Austria, this year and the unrelated National Beard and Moustache Championships in Brooklyn, the beard capital of the world, contestants from around the U.S. are preparing their facial hair.