New York-based designer Michael Allen likes messing around with his facial hair, so he decided to create a whole typeface out of it. Alphabeard, took Allen two years to complete, mainly because he had to wait at least three weeks between each shave for the hair to grow back.

"I could sometimes get multiple letters out of one shave in different stages", he says. "O, C and L were all from the same original beard."

Each shave was tested on his now six-year-old son, who would try to guess what letter Dad was wearing.

The exuberant looks didn't go down well with everyone at home, though. "Sometimes I'd ask my wife for a kiss and she'd refuse," he laughs.