Christopher DeVargas

Zabi Naqshband, 31, service manager at McGhie’s Ski Bike & Board; bassist for Illicitor

Describe your beard. I started growing a beard as early as I can remember, and its current form started nine years ago. I grew it for a Halloween costume and just kept it. It’s not all one color—there’s lots of colors in there. I don’t know if that’s me being Afghan or if it’s just genetics.

What products are you fond of using? For a really long time I would just use whatever my wife had on the counter, whatever girl products were around. [Then] I started noticing companies making beard products, so I started trying stuff out. My friend Luke has this really awesome giant beard, and he started making a product, which I like. I’ve tried the dollar beard stuff online, but I like Luke’s better.

How does your mom feel about your beard? If it was her way, it would be like half the size that it is now. After 9/11 and even now, our society doesn’t take too well to Middle Eastern people. It’s kind of a relief to go from being called a terrorist to being called Duck Dynasty. –Leslie Ventura

Curtis Joe Walker

Curtis Joe Walker, 38, photographer

Describe your current “chemo beard.” All of my hair has been growing from the same moment at the same rate without ever being cut for the last 13 months. … You’ve got awkward stages where you just don’t like what’s going on. You suffer through those and make the most of it, and then on the other side it just gets better and better, and now I’m on my way to Gandalf-land.

What is it like going from clean-shaven to bearded? It really does give you a different outlook on life, [and] people treat you different because you’re a different book now; you’ve got a different cover. When I shaved the last one off, my daughter said to me, “You look like you don’t want to murder everyone all the time now.” (laughs)

Any tips for eating while bearded? Sandwiches are great. They were obviously invented by someone with facial hair. –Erin Ryan

Zack W

Roy Page, 44, owner and amplifier/vacuum tube specialist at Roy’s Repair-O-Rama; lead guitarist of The Black Jetts

Describe your beard. No mustache. No chin. Just giant sideburns. … I can’t begin to tell you how many young ladies have asked to braid them.

How long have you had that style? I started growing the ’chops in 2001. They’ve been wrecked several times working on cars, motorcycles—and smoking.

What’s your all-time favorite beard? I really wanted the huge beard, but I wasn’t a fan of the mustache. [Without one] it looks like you’re Amish, or Abraham Lincoln. Some really bad ’90s rap-metal dudes did that. –Mike Prevatt

Christopher DeVargas

Lane Olson, 51, general manager at PublicUs

Describe your beard. It’s gray, and my hair is not gray. When I’m working I twist it up so that it doesn’t drag or gross anybody out when I’m working with food.

What are your grooming techniques? I wash it and condition it every day. I know there’s beard products, and occasionally I’ll use them if I need to tame it down a little bit. For the most part I’m twisting it up so that it’s more like a chin bun.

Why is PublicUs so beardy? We want people to show their personality and be who they are. A lot of places require people to cover up and shave. It wasn’t an intentional thing to pick guys with beards, but it was definitely intentional to have a variation of types of people. –Leslie Ventura

Robert Teddy, 47, pastry chef; instructor at Le Cordon Bleu

Describe your beard. My beard is an entity of its own, and I say that because it seems to get more attention than I do.

Depending on the beard, can that attention be negative? You have to beard responsibly. You cannot eat soup in public. You cannot eat an ice cream cone in public. And women can be critical. I know some women who will talk to me, and their eyes never leave my beard. It’s like, ‘Hey, sister, eyes up here!’ (laughs)

You won silver at the National Beard and Moustache Championships in 2012, but your beard probably got more attention on Halloween Wars, which your team won this season. I asked the Food Network producers, why did you single me out and have me on the show? They said, “Honestly, it was your beard.” –Erin Ryan