Man Grows Beard For 20 Years After Children Ask Him To Braid It, Sets Guinness World Record

Matthew Hey of Baldwin City, Kansas, has been recognised for a natural beard lock measuring 5 ft 3 in, nearly two feet ahead of the previous record.

A 54-year-old man from the United States has earned a Guinness World Records title for the longest natural beard locks on a living person, with his facial hair stretching more than five feet.

Matthew Hey of Baldwin City, Kansas, measured his beard lock at 5 ft 3 in, or 1.603 metres, comfortably clearing the previous record of 3 ft 6 in held by Rudolf Martino.

Hey's record falls specifically under natural beard locks, a category distinct from the title for the longest beard on a living person. That separate record belongs to Sarwan Singh of Canada, whose beard measured 8 ft 3 in when last recorded.

Hey has been growing his beard for around two decades. According to Guinness World Records, he had always kept it shorter but started letting it grow after some children asked him to braid it.

He liked the look, and over time the braid matted naturally into a single lock. It has continued growing by roughly 3 to 4 inches each year, and eventually became long enough for him to wrap around his waist like a belt.

Despite the length, Hey said his beard is not what defines him. Recalling a conversation with a teenage girl who asked whether his facial hair defined him, he said he answered not at all. He added that the beard came not because of what he did but because of what he did not do, referring to his decision to stop cutting his hair.

When he made the official attempt in Independence, Missouri, the lock was stretched across almost the full length of a large wooden board. The measurement put him nearly two feet ahead of the previous holder.

Even with the title secured, Hey does not plan to stop growing it. He joked about the possibility of eventually cutting it, wondering what a world record beard might be worth and whether it could be insured. He said he does not plan on cutting his beard or dying, but that sometimes things happen.

His grooming routine remains simple, involving shampoo, conditioner and no trimming.

The length does create a practical problem. Since the beard can reach the floor when left loose, he usually folds it several times and ties it up to make daily activities easier.

Guinness noted that Hey has plenty of interests beyond his appearance. He is passionate about cars and computers, particularly Mazda RX-7 sports cars and Amiga computers, and enjoys weightlifting, video games and time with loved ones. He said most of his friends would associate him more with these hobbies than with his beard.

Strangers usually react with brief compliments or ask whether the beard is real, though he has also encountered people who judge him for how he looks. He said the issue is less about beard growing and more about accepting people who look different, urging tolerance and kindness regardless of appearance.