If you are balding in a horseshoe pattern then how can it be anything but androgenetic alopecia?
Anyway, it would be cool if someone compiled the amount of people with success that:
a) Uses dermaroller daily of around 0.5mm or less with minoxidil
b) Uses dermaroller weekly or bi weekly with 1.5mm ish with minoxidil
c) A combination of a) and b)
d) Uses dermaroller daily of around 0.5mm or less with minoxidil
e) Uses dermaroller weekly or bi weekly without 1.5mm ish with minoxidil
From what I can remember d) and e) are literally 0%, and a) is the biggest percentage of success, which leads me to believe that it's mostly minoxidil increased absorption and that's about it. There's some success with c) too. People doing b), I think it's a small minority of success. If someone has the time then compile the data and show results.