Japanbound, let me give you the Gardener's theory of minoxidil application.
Think of minoxidil as being three parts. First, there is the minoxidil chemical itself, which is suspended in a mixture of Propylene Glycol and Alcohol. When it is applied, the alcohol (which is very thin and runny, and dries very quickly) runs downhill from wherever you apply it, and spreads the contents of the droplet to the areas of the scalp surrounding where it was placed. As the alcohol either runs off, or evaporates, it leaves little gelatinous globs of the PPG, which has the actual minoxidil in it. As the PPG is thicker, it tends to coagulate around hair shafts and pores... and as the PPG dries, it deposits the minoxidil into the scalp. The minoxidil itself is a crystaline substance, and when the PPG is completely dry, the remaining minoxidil looks like finely ground salt sitting on your scalp.
I'm sure you have noticed this if you have spent time applying and watching minoxidil in your hair. The optimum application lets the alcohol run a little, just enough to deposit the PPG/minoxidil globs in the surrounding hair, and then it evaporates from your body heat. Of course, as the alcohol is runny, it can run PAST your hair and onto your forehead, etc. What you want to do is to keep the drop from running TOO much TOO quickly, giving the alcohol time to dry and the PPG time to find something to hold onto. If you apply in droplets that are too big, the alcohol and PPG/minoxidil runs past the hair and you waste precious minoxidil.
So, here is what I suggest to optimally apply minoxidil to maximize the effect. First off, when you approach the mirror to do this the first time, take your time! Allow 5-10 minutes. Of course as you become more adept with the dropper/dauber and more familiar with which amounts of minoxidil will cause drippage and which will hold perfectly in your hair in the different areas of your scalp, you will get MUCH quicker with it (2-3 mins). But at first, take your time.
Keep a handful of tissue handy, and a hard comb to part your hair. Part your hair into corn rows, and very slowly drop very small droplets into the parts. It is easy to just squirt the sh*t and get it over with, but that will only cause a run on your forehead or somewhere you don't need it. Apply one droplet, watch it hit the skin, and give it a sec to take hold. Then another droplet. Keep the droplets small, because if you place two large droplets next to each other, they will merge and turn into a very large droplet which will run and waste your minoxidil.
Get a feel for the dropper, how much certain pressure will release. Get a feel for your hair thickness in certain areas of your scalp. When applying to thin areas on a slope area of your head (like on your temples), you have to keep the droplets as small as you can, and give the alcohol a little time to burn off before applying another. On thick areas, you can be a little less deliberate.
By doing this, I don't have to touch my scalp and get the sh*t in my hair, which is a waste. It generally keeps my hair fairly dry, which is good because until the hair dries it looks like sh*t!
Also keep in mind that complete coverage is not necessary... there is a layer of soft skin under the hard outer scalp in which the chemical gets dispersed internally.... so even if you don't hit an area directly with a minoxidil bomblet, it will still get chemical through horny layer diffusion. Believe me, I know this to be true because my sideburns and upper beard are getting thicker!
I'm using a generic minoxidil which seems to have the same alcohol/PPG combo as Rogaine. Dr Lee's stuff has a higher proportion of alcohol to PPG. This is good in that it dries faster and has less chance to cause irritation if you are PPG-sensitive.=... but the down side is that with less PPG, the minoxidil-laden PPG globs are smaller and have less 'traction' on your head. This means you have to be even MORE deliberate with your application.
Hope this helps... and saves you some money by avoiding minoxidil waste.