Just take the dutasteride

Started losing hair at 19. Fortunately it halted quickly; only went to a diffuse NW2. I'm 28 now, and over those years the diffuse has subtly gotten worse.

I'm still at a point where the average person who isn't aware of these things would say I have a full head of hair, but if I posted here it would be the first thing you guys noticed. No bald spot, can't see my scalp through my hair, but the thinning and the recessed temples mean I can't wear the hairstyles I want to wear.

I started minoxidil a few months ago and just a couple of weeks ago started dutasteride. For so long I bought into the fearmongering about sides and PFS and was scared to try these drugs. Ironically, finasteride (topical and oral) gave me severe sides while topical dutasteride gave me mild sides that went away within a week of continued use (and then gave me the libido of a 16-year-old). When quitting finasteride I experienced no permanent side effects. They went away within a week after stopping.

Just do it. Go with dutasteride off the bat, don't even start with finasteride. Dutasteride has more anecdotes of temple regrowth/strengthening, and will thicken your hair even more. It also has more leeway in terms of playing with the dose if you get sides, due to the long half-life. Both topical and oral work (it's a myth that topical doesn't work). You can get them prescribed from an online telehealth pharmacy in like 15 minutes as long as you're 18.

I'm hopeful I will regain significant density and at least go from an NW2 to an NW1.5. If I can do that, I can wear any hairstyle I want. I've already seen results from the minoxidil (but am going through a shed rn so those results have gone), so I know it's possible. I have a ton of vellus hairs covering my juvenile temple area. I'm happy that I will (hopefully) get to live my 30s with relatively thick hair, but sad that I had to live my 20s without it.

If you're reading this and are experiencing hair loss, just do it. It's so worth it, and it's worth the peace of mind knowing that you won't experience hair loss into your 30s and 40s unless your AGA is extremely aggressive. Not to mention, it's significantly easier to regain lost ground in your 20s compared to your 30s and 40s.