Growing an award-winning beard doesn't happen overnight.
In fact, it's been six years in the making for three-time winner and judge of Friday night's NZ Beard and Moustache Competition Sam Wakelin.
The competition has run annually for four years in Auckland, with all donations from the night supporting Lifeline Aotearoa and The Barter Barber.
Participants can enter in a range of different categories, including best beard, best moustache, freestyle and crowd favourite.
Even women can enter under a special category - whiskerina - where they can style their long hair up onto the front of their face or flaunt their own facial hair.
For Mr Wakelin, who won the full beard natural category three times in a row, maintenance is simple.
"I just basically brush it out and put a bit of beard oil in."
But he says contestants in the moustache or freestyle categories are probably preparing right now, "getting it in shape".
Mr Wakelin, who has also competed internationally in the United States, decided to step back from competing and "let someone else have a go", but will be a judge tonight. He's looking for "the shape of the beard, consistency and maintenance".
"It's how they've looked after their beard, whether it suits their face, their look."
Personality will be a factor too.
"There was a chap there the first year I won that had a longer beard than me and I'd kind of gone with a Greek God costume, so the whole look can help."
Mr Wakeling says there's a culture shift towards beard acceptance in New Zealand, especially in the South Island, and it could mean more contestants in years to come.
Newshub.
