CJ is right on.
You will go through sheds from time to time. The "Big 3" treatments all take time to work because it takes months for hair to move from its existing growth cycle, into its rest cycle, then shed, then move back into growth cycle again with a new, minoxidil-fortified thickness. And even when this starts, it takes THREE MONTHS for this new hair shaft to grow long enough to become visible on the surface of the scalp.
And this is just for the FIRST cycle of hairs... it will take a few cycles of this duration for a critical mass of your scalp hair to undergo this change and start to make a cosmetic impact on your overall look.
That being said, all the while that this is going on, your hair will be going through the normal and everyday ebb and flow that all of our hair goes through, whether it be an male pattern baldness sufferer or non-male pattern baldness sufferer.
You need to understand that fighting male pattern baldness is a long term war. A roller coaster ride. You will have good days and you will have bad days. You need to remain DISCIPLINED and CONSISTENT in your regimen and do so diligently for at least a YEAR before you should be drawing any conclusions about your status as a responder.
Keep your head up! Roughly 2/3's of all who try minoxidil have statistically shown cosmetically acceptable improvement. And an even larger percentage, an overwhelming majority of users, at the very least report a fortification and maintenance of their existing condition. And that's the worst case scenario!
If you want to see if minoxidil will work for you, if you are one of the 2/3's of those who try it and see some improvement, then you need to ride out the ups and downs and give it the disciplined , 2/x day treatment over the course of an entire year. Chances are, you'll be a happier man than you are now.
