"Participant Andreas Pelowski from Germany poses during the European Beard Championship in Leogang, Austria, on September 20, 2025" Credit Johann Groder / APA / EXPA / AFP / Getty.
I thought it was a mustache until I looked more closely. One of the Photos of the Week at The Atlantic.
It fits the dictionary definition of a beard (facial hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals) but I sure wouldn't call that a beard. More like a moustache with a comb-over.
ReplyDeleteAgreed - he is using his cheeks to support the 'stache. A mustache should be just on the upper lip.
DeleteHow does he give it that "porous" structure rather than having all the hairs matted together?
DeleteHairspray. It's hairspray.
ReplyDelete[source: Bavarian here, with a big beard, who looked into this frankly weird scene ...]
Ahhh. MIcroplastics. Now I understand.
DeleteIf I understand, some of the guys in 'stach and beard competitions like this sometimes use diluted water-based (Elmer's) white glue to sculpt their whiskers.
DeleteObviously depends on the specific rules of the competition he might be in.
ReplyDelete