I'm a guy with long hair and this is how I do it.
The easiest way to apply is with a dropper. The sprayer is only good if you barely have any hair on your head.
I start by parting my hair on the side and put a drop in the back of the part, tilt my head forward and let the drop roll to the front of the part. Then I gently rub it into the part. (more like press it into the part)
I part my hair several times across the top of my head doing the same thing til I reach the other side.
Then I rub a couple drops into my temples and then I put just under a 1ml on the vertex.
For each application I use about 2ml. My hair is quite long and absorbs a lot of the minoxidil but it works for me. Total application time is about 10 minutes maybe less.