Is minoxidil starting to fail me?

[MM1987]

Hi all. I’ve been using minoxidil and finasteride for around 5 years, and it’s been great. My hair stopped receding and even thickened out so I could grow my hair long and even had a lot of compliments on my hair from old and new acquaintances, although it was never what it was.

Over the last twelve months however there’s been significant hair loss again. I have had about two or three times where I wasn’t as strict with putting in the minoxidil (usually I strictly apply twice daily), and I worry I broke the cycle of healthy hair growth… and also I had a bit of a disaster trying a micro needler about 6 months back. I’d had this done when I went for a traditional Chinese massage and some treatment a few years ago and it seemed to stop some temporary shedding. But when I got my own and did it at home I noticed my hair thinning out even more quickly. I thought maybe I’d just cut a lot of my hair off by mistake with the needles as I wasn’t very careful, but I’ve since read somewhere you can damage your hair follicles… This doesn’t seem really likely to me considering the amount of scrapes and knocks a scalp gets over a lifetime but I guess it’s possible.

Or is minoxidil just losing its efficiency for me? It was thinning quite fast again beside I used the micro needler, and it’s definitely receded again as well as looking thin.

Any advice about anything I could do to supplement the minoxidil or anything else which might help?

I’m 34 years old, white, and my hair loss first began as a slight receding hairline from late teens.

Any advice and info would be appreciated. Thanks