The best German beards

Beards come in different sizes and shapes. In the German championship on Saturday, contenders participated in six categories, including "The Dali moustache," "the Chinese goatee" and "Verdi's full beard."

One of 135 contenders lines up with his exquisitely styled beard. Participants have to present themselves individually before the jury, stretch their chins and let judges pull their beards to test if they are real.

Jürgen Burkhardt, who participated in the "Free Style" category, did his beard in spirals. The total length of the strands is 1.80 meters (5.9 feet). He, clearly, takes his facial hair seriously. "Every beard and every human being are different," he said.

A competitor shows off his moustache at the competition in Schömberg. Iconic surrealist painter Salvador Dali is believed to have once said, "Since I don't smoke, I decided to grow a moustache. It is better for health." More recent studies have shown beards do, in fact, have some antibacterial properties.

Internationally, Germany is currently No. 1 when it comes to bearded gentlemen, but facial hair growers from the United States are putting down their razors in an effort to claim the title. American beard wearers begin early, growing a full beard by the time they are in their mid-20s.

Judges rate beards on a scale of five to 10 and are sometimes quite miserly with points. Many participants go home with a five on their scorecard.

German beard growers are worried that the trend of long facial hair may slowly die out. Despite the growing number of hipsters sporting well-combed and tastefully trimmed beards, some fear a decline in the attention to detail many men give their beards and moustaches.

Here are some tips for eager beard-lovers from Schömberg's participants: Never use hairspray as it dries hair, wax is the better styling choice. Drinking from a straw will also go a long way in keeping your beard and moustache hair healthy and shiny.