Continue topical or switch to oral or stop?

I have been using minoxidil for a year, and now it’s been a couple months since i completely stopped, as it gave me some patchy growth in my cheeks/sideburns, but now the skin there gets a lot of bumps and inflammation under the new coarse follicles it grew.

I’m considering hopping back on and applying only to slightly below the cheeks and sideburns, so I can grow an italian beard style look.

Since I at least had some growth over a year, is it worth continuing for another year or so on topical, or have I hit my genetic limit (I’m 22). Should I switch to oral?