19 M, have been shedding terminal hairs a lot lately.. Have a genetic of MPB from dad’s side and my temples have been regressing pretty bad this past few months. I went to a dermatologist and got prescribed a 5% minoxidil to be used 1x/day and ketoconazole shampoo 2-3x/week. However i read online that finasteride is needed to battle this issue, but my derm didnt prescribe fin and idk why.. im contemplating on using fin but i still dk.. Can i use minoxidil only for now (for prolly a year) and see the progress or will it be too late for me if i dont start fin now? I am definitely starting minoxidil a week from now tho and plan to be fully committed with it. Please enlighten me!
It’s fine to start with just minox for now. Min will help with regrowth and thickness, and the keto shampoo will manage scalp health. Starting fin later could help stop further loss due to DHT. If you want to keep options open, continuing with min initially and adding fin later is a common approach. Here’s more info if you need it: The Beginner’s Guide.