18 months of fin+min+needling: hairline holding, data inside

NW2.5 at start, NW2.5 today — which is the entire victory. Protocol: finasteride 1mg daily (physician-supervised), 5% minoxidil AM/PM, 1.5mm microneedling weekly.

Monthly crown + hairline photos, same bathroom, same lighting. Density estimates from photo comparison: stable to marginally improved at the temples.

Sides report (since it's always asked): none noticed at 18 months. The horror stories are real for a small percentage, but selection bias runs the discourse — the 96% with no issues don't write posts. Physician conversation, not forum roulette.

Cost of holding: ~$30/month. Cost of not holding: a $6-12k transplant that ALSO requires these same drugs to protect. Prevention math is undefeated.