4 months into topical minoxidil + finasteride — noticing thicker hair? Thoughts on progress?

Is this regrowth? 10/18/2025

A user documented their two-year hair regrowth journey using finasteride, minoxidil, and derma rolling, showing significant improvement. They switched from topical to oral minoxidil after the first year, experiencing some shedding and minor bloating.

This conversation was about a user named Substantial_Pen_1099 who has been using an regimen of 5mg oral minoxidil, 1mg finasteride everyday, 2% keto shampoo every three days, and weekly 0.5mm dermarolling for hair loss treatment over the course of 3 months. Others in the conversation expressed disbelief at their progress, to which Substantial_Pen_1099 provided video proof as evidence.

The user is using topical Minoxidil 5% and Finasteride 0.1% for hair loss and is concerned about potential side effects of oral treatments due to a history of depression and testosterone replacement therapy. Other users suggest that oral Finasteride may be more effective, but results typically take several months to a year to become noticeable.

The user has been using finasteride and minoxidil for 11 months but experienced hair thinning after adding topical dutasteride. They plan to continue with Lipogaine, finasteride, and a reduced frequency of topical dutasteride, along with dermarolling and biotin.

The user "macroburstmedia" is asking if adding topical minoxidil to their current treatment of oral minoxidil and finasteride can improve hair growth. Some users have shared their experiences with using both oral and topical minoxidil, while others suggest increasing the oral minoxidil dose instead.

A user's progress with using Minoxidil 5% twice daily, dermarolling 1.5mm once per week and ketoconazole 2% shampoo for 2.5 months. Other users have suggested that the user should also use finasteride in order to maintain their results.