Here's what I think the deal is. If you're a young guy (or gal) with fast, aggressive balding, then minoxidil isn't going to be effective on its own for very long. However if you're in your late 30s or 40s and your rate of balding is slower, and you're a good responder, then it can be effective for several years on its own without any DHT blocker, keeping the user at or above baseline. As with every medication it depends upon the specific condition of the patient and his or her response to the drug.