Hi all, 

I've kept a short beard/stubble since the age of 18. I've always wanted a full beard and 10 years ago I tried to grow it out but my follicles even at the age of 30 were patchy and not mature enough (late bloomer in puberty). Fast forward and now that I'm near my 40s, I'd like to try again. Overall I'm happy with how it grows from the side view, but when viewed from the front, there is this sparse area in the middle between the soul patch and the chin that gives the beard a "hanging neck beard" vibes if you know what I mean and it was the main motivation behind me shaving it all off 10 years ago! My father has had a short circle beard forever and has the same thing so it's genetic. In theory, I should just let the soul patch grow out and cover this area but the the soul patch is disconnected, looks bad when it grows out (tends to grow out of the face rather than down) and the hair around my mouth and below my lip is blonder adding to the overall appearance of the hanging beard.

Would love some advice on this and also just general shaping and styling tips for my face going forward, keeping in mind the cheeks have a lot of grey patches which look hella messy/patchy growing out, hence why I keep it short.

Lastly, have you bearded fellas got some advice for the flattened beard when you wake up in the morning?

Many thanks if you have read through all of that, I welcome any advice!

Looking for styling advice