I think planning ahead is the most important part, I wrote about it recently, there is a psychology behind this. This is a psychological issue for many and as you obsess more, you start losing your logic and you are more tend to act without thinking. You see great results and you want to have the same, so you don't question anything about it. And then you have maximum grafts from the surgery because you asked, and many clinics accept it because that is what the patient asked for and more grafts mean more revenues. I don't really blame them but from my point of view, it is taking advantage of people. Then after years, when there is a gap forming between transplants and back of your head, you can't get the surgery. Unfortunately. you are trapped with using topicals or trying extremes. I believe, that should be discussed everywhere and only that way, we can help people. When I talked to ISHRS surgeons, they blame those black market/shady clinics but I simply told them the same thing, we have to educate these people because it is difficult for them. There is a million of info out there and you don't know who to trust. Fake reviews, photoshopped/light adjusted before and after pictures and using people in forums to protect some individuals or attack the others who basically explain what happened to them is everywhere.
I am sorry for the long response but I believe this should be seen by everyone who comes here to get some decent information and everyone deserves to know the truth. Coming back to Minoxidil, I believe it can help the patient to hold the crown hair for a longer duration and it helps you buying time. After that, it is up to you, if you are like me, you just want to be done with it so I would rather lose it all fast and try to cover the area with topicals or fibres and then get the surgery. But for many others, they choose to buy as much time as possible which is very normal. I think it depends on your mentality