will oral minoxidil work well on its own

[than]

started getting a burning/itching feeling on my scalp and especially around my hairline a and temples some time ago and noticed more recently that I'm receding. It's enough that I'm willing to do something about it now but im still kinda young and I'd really prefer not to take finasteride/dutasteride if I don't have to. so is oral minoxidil an effective long term treatment on its own or is it only really useful as an adjunct to finasteride? I will order some from alldaychemist asap if its good

 

[Redgate]

You'll get some results but will eventually go back to baseline and then get worse than how you are now. It's definitely not effective long-term without anti-androgens. It's also something you try if more conventional treatments fail (topical min, finasteride/dutasteride, needling) because side effects could be more serious.

 

[Selb]

It’s powerful enough that I think it’ll keep you at or above baseline for maybe 3 years. That depends on your dosage too. 5mg daily would probably keep you at least maintained for 5 years. But without a 5a blocker you’re risking it.

 

[Fontaine]

I'll say this minoxidil is a more worrying drug than finasteride or dutasteride as it can affect the heart

Make of that what you will