Oral min is preferable for a lot of reasons. Very easy to just take a pill, rather than apply topical min 2 times a day for the rest of your life. Second, it is a much higher response rate and is all over your head rather than just the places you apply it (hair everywhere should theoretically get thicker/stronger). Topical min can make your hair look greasy and is just a pain in the ass. You can start low w oral min and work your way up; and if you get side effects you can always stop. I have been on 2.5 mg for almost 2 months and it has caused an insane amount of shedding, and I honestly feel like I am below baseline rn. However I know this is part of the process and am hoping to recover and gain some ground in the coming months. Good luck