Winners by a whisker: Meet the hirsute gents with the world's wackiest beards




Photographer Dave Mead has scoured the planet looking for the most extreme examples of facial hair and judging by these chaps he seems to have succeeded.

And when it comes to hairy faces Germany seems to be leading the way, although there are strong contenders from The US and Canada.



And it seems big beards mean big money with framed prints of the chaps selling on the internet for $500.



We've selected six of the best for your enjoyment but if you still fancy a bit more face fuzz log onto the full gallery at davemead.bigcartel.com

Gerhard of Pforzheim, Germany (left) and fellow countryman Hans-Peter of Rheinsheim show of their amazing twirls



John of Toronto, Canada (left), goes for the garden gnome style while Reinhard of Neubausen, Germany, sports a robust traditional look



With his long and lustrous growth Jack of San Francisco, California (left) is reminiscent of Charles Darwin while Karl-Heinz of Berlin, Germany displays a pair of lopsided lambchops





