Both towns have announced plans for the competition, with Glenorchy men given almost four months to grow facial hair fit for a man of the 1860s after a mass shave-off on July 1.
Arrowtown men have just 10 weeks to harvest a hibernator after registration and shaving in the town on August 5.
The competitions are part of the Gold 150 celebrations being held across the Lakes district and Central Otago regions at Labour Weekend, with many participants in the Arrowtown competition also involved in the re-enactment of the gold rush, planned for October 20.
Gold 150 co-ordinator Julie Hughes said she knew organisers would not be overly popular with wives and girlfriends of the participants, but it was all in the name of authenticity.
"The only way to make the re-enactment look authentic is for the guys to have real beards - we will not allow you to stick a beard on."
Registrations would be held in Arrowtown at Jonesy's Bar, Ramshaw Lane, from 2pm to 4pm on August 5 before a "shave-off" to ensure no-one had a head start with stubble.
Photos would be taken of each entrant after they had shaved - in Glenorchy men could take part in the "close-shave event" at the Glenorchy Lodge at 3pm on July 1.
If they were unable to attend, photographic proof had to be emailed in, with the clean-shaven participant holding up a July 1 newspaper.
The men would then be left to foster their facial hair before judging took place in Arrowtown and Glenorchy over Labour Weekend.
Arrowtown 150 beard-growing subcommittee member David Clarke said it was an "equal opportunity" beard-growing competition and women were welcome to enter.
"Ladies can come to the shave-off ... We're not interested in legs - it's got to be the face.
"If you have gone to the shave-off and you have been shaved off you have to come to the judging.
"The ladies can see how long that single hair has grown before it gets plucked."
Mr Clarke and fellow beard-growing subcommittee member Peter Doyle would both be participating in the competition, although there was a concern about "what colour will come out" of the chin region.
Judges were yet to be confirmed, but there would be awards for the longest, thickest and most original beard as well as one for best effort.
An award would also be made for best moustache - a section open only to volunteer fire brigade members and those granted special dispensation, for example, men (or women) whose employers would not allow them to grow a beard.
Fire brigade members were not allowed to grow beards because of their need to use breathing apparatus equipment, with beards affecting the seal on the masks.
Mr Clarke said there would be strict rules for the competition - most of them around maintenance.
Banned from the competition would be "mutton chops", goatees and attempts to "sculpture" the facial hair.
"It's got to be a natural beard - no maintenance.
"No self-respecting gold miner ever would have done poofy hair trimming.
"We want the beards to follow the natural path - sculpting will be questioned and must be kept to a minimum."
Anyone who could not go the full 10 weeks - or broke the rules of the competition - would be "sequestered to the Hall of Shame", he said.
A retired barber would also be brought in as a consultant for the competition, with a possibility "cut throat razors", stored at the Lakes District Museum, would be ridded of their rust and utilised in the mass shave.
Mr Clarke was hoping about 100 people would enter the event and support the community.
However, he was concerned the Arrowtown Rugby premier team might be put off from entering, having had its own facial hair-growing competition over the first round of the Central Otago Premier competition.
Coach Hayden Finch said there would likely be a few starters from the rugby team for the August shave-off. However, many of the players were unlikely to "go through that again", with the past seven weeks of hair growing proving too much for many of the team, he said.
