The key facts

  • Matthew Hey of Kansas set a Guinness record for the longest beard — 1.6 meters
  • The previous record held by Rudolph Martino was 1.06 meters
  • The beard grows 7–10 cm per year; Hey ties it to his belt so it doesn't get in the way when walking

A record 20 years in the making

Matthew Hey, a resident of Kansas, has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the owner of the world's longest beard — it measures 1.6 meters, reports Guinness World Records. The story of the record began about 20 years ago, when several children asked the American to braid his beard. He liked the result, decided to keep the hair, and over time it matted into a thick lock that grows about 7–10 centimeters each year.

By how much the previous record has been surpassed

The new achievement significantly exceeds the previous one: the former record in this category belonged to the American Rudolph Martino, whose beard reached 1.06 meters — Hey's result is half a meter longer. According to Guinness World Records, the Kansas resident's beard is now so long that it reaches the floor: to keep it from getting in the way when walking, it is twisted several times and tied to his belt. The care routine is simple — ordinary shampoo and conditioner, with no trimming.

How the record holder feels about his beard

Hey himself does not consider the beard the main feature of his personality: he is passionate about cars, computers, video games and weightlifting, and, according to him, close friends mention these hobbies far more often than his unusual appearance. He does not plan to part with the beard for now, although he has jokingly wondered how much it might be worth and whether it is time to insure it.