Beard-dating season is now in session, ladies and gentlemen.

And there's an entire social network devoted to connecting people with beards to those who "want to stroke" them.

Bristlr, which is currently operating in open beta mode, allows users to chat with the bearded he-men near them.

The app is the pet project of 27-year-old Manchester, England resident John Kershaw. That's right. A British, bearded man.

Kershaw fully acknowledges that Bristlr could be the newest innovation in the facial hair-exclusive dating scene.

The app is open to all genders and sexual orientations. It's even open to those who're simply curious.

In an email, he writes,

So far it seems to be people who unashamedly love beards. And bacon... a lot of the bearded folk seem to have a fantastic Ron Swanson style. I think there's also a pretty sizeable percentage of people on there who signed up thinking the website can't possibly be real.

You simply make a profile and select whether you have a beard or would like to spend time with one. If you both "heart" one another, you can exchange messages. You can even rate the beard in question.

Kershaw, who models his own facial accessory after George Clooney, says Bristlr was the result of his enthusiasm for specialized socialization apps. He's in possession of a beard, so it seemed like a natural next step.

Kershaw reveals the app's logo was designed with facial hair icons in mind.

He adds,

The beard in the Bristlr logo is unofficially named Riker after William Riker from Star Track [The Next Generation]. Not that Bristlr is made by nerds or anything.

If beard porn is what gets you through those lonely, autumn evenings, then try out Bristlr. At the very least, you may get the chance to touch a few hairy masterpieces.

And if you're looking for beard-spiration, Kershaw recommends the Beards & Tats Instagram, as well as Urban Beardsman Magazine.

It's beard-hunting season.

Citations: Bristlr