Need adv for AGA after 6 months on finasteride

Hello,

I am 24 years old and think I'm currently around Norwood 2/3. I've been experiencing hair loss and thinning for the past 3 years, and it has become much more concerning over the last year.

About 4 years ago, I visited a dermatologist for a skin issue. He told me I had androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and basically said I should accept it. At that time, I only had mild temple recession and knew nothing about AGA or its treatment. He prescribed medicated shampoos, which I used for about a month. During that time, my hair fall became much worse, so I stopped using them. Since then, my hair loss and thinning have gradually progressed. I genuinely feel my condition worsened after that treatment.

For the last 1–1.5 years, I've had many tiny hairs around my temples. They haven't disappeared, but they also haven't grown into thicker terminal hairs.

I've also tried several hair serums and oils on and off. They may have helped a little, but hair loss is on my mind almost 24/7 and it's affecting my confidence and ability to focus on other things.

Recently, I trimmed my whole head to a #30 guard because I was tired of hiding the thinning areas. Since then, it's been very difficult to look at myself in the mirror, and my confidence has become very low.

About 6 months ago, I started finasteride 0.5 mg daily. Honestly, I can't tell if it's helping. Some days I think there's been a slight improvement, while other days I don't. It feels 50/50.

For the last 3 months, I've also been taking an A2Z multivitamin, cod liver oil, and 5 mg biotin daily, and using ketoconazole shampoo once a week.

I'm considering adding minoxidil and would really appreciate hearing from people who have been in a similar situation.

A few questions:

1. Is 6 months generally too early to judge finasteride results?
2. If you added minoxidil after several months on finasteride, what was your experience?
3. Which type and strength of topical minoxidil do most people usually start with?
4. Are there any common side effects or precautions I should be aware of?
5. Before my next dermatologist appointment, are there any blood tests or topics you would recommend discussing?

I know nobody can diagnose my situation online, but I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences and any general advice.

Thank you.