Hi,
I am 24 and I have never really tried to grow a beard before, but I'm starting to get interested in it. However, I don't think my growth pattern is very good.

I'm not totally sure how long it's been since the last time I shaved, but I'm thinking about 2 weeks, maybe a little less. As you can see, the upper part of my cheeks has almost nothing, and there's nothing connecting my upper lip to my jaw. I'm wondering if anyone with a passable beard has this kind of pattern at the beginning of their growth?
I'm looking to have something short like this eventually:

It looks nice and casual and friendly. But I definitely do not want to grow a "neckbeard" and it seems to my beard-amateur eye that, left unchecked, it would end up as one. Can anyone tell me if there is any point in trying? I feel like if I'm ever going to be able to grow something I should have gained that ability by now, but maybe I'm doomed to never be able to.
I'm wondering though if maybe some of my cheek hairs etc. do grow, but extremely slowly, so maybe if I could continuously trim the rest to let them catch up. Is that something people do? If so, advice for a trimmer/whatever to do so with?
I am 24 and I have never really tried to grow a beard before, but I'm starting to get interested in it. However, I don't think my growth pattern is very good.

I'm not totally sure how long it's been since the last time I shaved, but I'm thinking about 2 weeks, maybe a little less. As you can see, the upper part of my cheeks has almost nothing, and there's nothing connecting my upper lip to my jaw. I'm wondering if anyone with a passable beard has this kind of pattern at the beginning of their growth?
I'm looking to have something short like this eventually:

It looks nice and casual and friendly. But I definitely do not want to grow a "neckbeard" and it seems to my beard-amateur eye that, left unchecked, it would end up as one. Can anyone tell me if there is any point in trying? I feel like if I'm ever going to be able to grow something I should have gained that ability by now, but maybe I'm doomed to never be able to.
I'm wondering though if maybe some of my cheek hairs etc. do grow, but extremely slowly, so maybe if I could continuously trim the rest to let them catch up. Is that something people do? If so, advice for a trimmer/whatever to do so with?
