If you are serious about saving your hair, you should try finasteride. If you got genuine sides or it couldn't save your hair, my apologies on this assumption. But it's the only way to save your hair as of now, even look into RU before you lose it. Transplants alone on a Norwood 5-6 only give situational coverage, it's not as great as you think in person, even in those with thick hair and tons of donor. I've seen a lot. You seem really hair obsessed/depressed and definitely that thin artificial coverage won't give you the full head you think it will. finasteride + transplants (allows dense packing) is a different story. Otherwise you will get pictures and moments where you look rather bald. It won't be hair like any other 20 something, if you can accept that, it's okay.
If you're just on Minoxidil with aggressive loss, you're only buying a few months to a year at most with quality hair. It's a waste of time and money using it in such circumstances and also has skin and more serious sides in some people. You know, finasteride really pisses off surgeons because they are only getting the patient to come in once, whereas normally it would be 2-3 times. I've even heard someone tell me this so you should appreciate it's efficacy. It's the only way to let the follicles heal, maintain density and true naturalness. That said, finasteride also encourages more people to seek surgery as the reward is greater for the patient so docs shouldn't be so greedy. Still, they despise it and would be happy if it was off the market. Minoxidil is bollocks alone so they don't mind promoting it, also helps the transplant grow faster in the short term.
finasteride is donor protective too and as such helps protects the hair transplant results. Surgeons no longer say transplant results are permanent, rather they guarantee results for a certain duration. The reality is transplants will thin too especially in aggressive cases without finasteride. Also the gap between those on finasteride and those not, keeps increasing. So even in people who are not the best responders to this medication, they are still massively benefiting. Personally in 6 years my hair just got better on this, even year 5, small positive changes. Figure out what matters more. Finasteride can give keep temp sides in 2% but can also maintain all your hair for most of your prime life...there will be no hair depression. Versus not trying it and thinking of hair 24/7 in all it's negative forms. If you an accept shave or so so transplant only results with thick donor, those are also good choices. Being in limbo is the worst thing.
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