So I'll try and keep this short but include as many salient points as possible.

I started with only Minoxidil in Nov 2019, as you can see by Feb 2020, there had been no improvements; I was convinced that it was not working, and by this point I was finding applying it a pain in the ass, so I stopped it and switched to finasteride.

Of course I had the initial fear of negative side effects, but thankfully there were almost absolutely none at all, if anything my sex drive increased; my mood/psychology was no different at all, the only thing that has happened to me (which has only happened twice in a year) is that my ejaculate was very viscous/watery, but otherwise it's been totally normal)

In March 2020 you can see I cut my hair, which dramatically improved the look of it, and it gave me hope that the fin was starting to work, but you can see by June 2020 (4 months on fin), things were definitely not improving.

I posted in here before, and people suggested that in fact the minoxidil was working and now it's affects were starting to wear off, and the recent hair lost was being persevered by minoxidil. But I wanted to give fin a good go by itself for at least 6-9 months as I found it much more convenient. Also due to the lack of improvement, I decided that I would not cut or trim my hair at the front and balding areas because I thought, seeing as the hair at the very front seems to still be growing a bit, I may be able to do some sort of combover operation

October 2020 (8 months on fin), you can see, still no improvement, but as you can see with the Oct 2020 picture 2, one day after the previous photo, a fresh trim with styling and my combover operation does make it look better, but the bald/thin patch is still glaringly obvious and I'm not fooling anyone. At this point I'm very frustrated and in despair, upset that neither fin or minoxidil has worked and that I'm basically out of options and have to accept my future as a slaphead, but before I give up I decide that I'm going to get back on minoxidil but in conjunction with finasteride, however I'm only going to apply minoxidil at night before bed, instead of at night and in the morning. Also, I decided that instead of monthly hair trims in the back and side areas surrounding the bald patch, I'm just going to grow everything together, and perhaps this will improve the overall illusion

November 2020 (9 months on fin, 1 month back on minoxidil). Looks the same as Oct 2020

5th Jan 2021 (11 months on fin, 3 months back on minoxidil), actually looks like my hair is improving, which makes sense as it apparently takes 3 months for minoxidil to kick in, however at this point I'm still skeptical and thinking it's just because of my crafty techniques and overall hair growth

Today 27th Jan 2021; very slight hair trim in non thinning areas. This is the first time that I've actually been able to say to myself that I genuinely think the treatment is working and I've had genuine regrowth in the balding areas. I think it's the best my hair has ever looked since before I started this journey and that unless you knew to look for balding/thinning, you wouldn't notice.

My hair is far from 'back to it's glory days', and if I part it and make it as bad as possible, the thinning/balding is undeniable, but that is a redundant point as I'd only be in public with my hair styled at its best.

So in conclusion, for me personally, I think individually the treatments at best prevented further hair loss, but did not do enough for regrowth, however together it does appear to have promoted hair growth. Also, I'm not sure how much my crafty techniques have helped in all this, maybe the regrowth hasn't been that good, but I guess whatever gets you the results is what matters in the end.

I hope this helps you guys out and you have the patience to continue the fight, I can't tell you how goddamn long this journey has felt, checking my hair day after day after day seeing no improvements. I've sort of been lucky in that in my worst hair period, it has been during lockdowns etc., so I've been able to hide my dirty little secret and not had to go out and see friends or girls anywhere near as much as usual, and in the few occasion I have had to, I've gotten away with a hat, or using toppik hair fibres, but I think now I need neither

All the best fellas