A Michigan man has grown the world's longest beard for a woman after giving up her thrice-a-day shaving routine, according to Guinness World Records.

Erin Honeycutt, 38, was able to grow a record-breaking 30cm beard mainly because she suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome, Guinness officials said in a press release on Wednesday.

This health condition causes hormonal imbalance and, among other things, can lead to excessive hair growth. In Erin's case, this last symptom allowed her to claim the title of woman with the longest beard in the world without taking any hormones or supplements.

She said that life with such a long beard has mixed feelings. Still, she said it was fun to win a world record for something she was once ashamed of.