Congratulations to your dermatologist! He/she is right. Propecia is going to have a better chance of maintaining or re-growing your hair. It works best the sooner you start to notice loss. The hair follicles are starting to atrophy (get smaller and eventually shrivel up). Once they are shriveled up, they are history. But if you catch them when just atrophying, they can recover. You don't become "addicted" to it. But when you discontinue it, your genetics are still your genetics and the process will start up again.
Regarding the side effects, that is WAY over-blown. They have to do that if they are going to advertise a prescription drug to the general public. Any sexual side-effects (i.e. trouble with erection, libido, etc.) are not common and if they DO happen usually disappear in a couple of weeks. If they don't resolve while taking the drug, just stop it and the side-effects go away.
The idea of a pregnant lady just touching the tablets is WAY on the side of caution to make the lawyers happy. But why have a pregnant lady handling them anyway, so hence the stern warning. I guess if they say don't even touch them, then there is NO WAY a pregnant lady would take one, although again, why would she?
The major side effect is cost. I think it runs about $45 to $50 a month. So if you have the money...hey, it's your choice. Odds are roughly 50% you will be thrilled, 20% you will think it's doing ok, and 30% that you thought it was a waste. If you are going to give it a fair trial, you should just plan on taking a picture of yourself before you start, take it for 3 months even if it doesn't seem to be doing anything, then take another picture and compare. Now for some MAJOR fun, you should post the before and after pictures on this forum!!!! Anyone else want to see that???
By the way, Propecia is 1mg of finasteride. The drug finasteride originally came out as a 5mg tablet to shrink men's prostates so they could urinate more easily. So, so much for Propecia being dangerous at 1/5th the original dose.
Regarding Rogaine, that was originally a high-blood pressure tablet named minoxidil (brand name Loniten). They noticed people taking it grew a lot of hair, not always where desired. Isn't it a cruel irony that as one ages, hair STOPS growing where we want and STARTS growing where we don't? (nostrils, between eyebrows, ears, etc.) So they started using it as a lotion on the scalp. I have had one person use it and absorbed enough to drop his blood pressure and get dizzy, but that isn't common.
There's the long-winded but complete and serious story from someone who knows. I was first a pharmacist and now am a doctor so I would know. I don't have any interest in Merck (Propecia) or Rogaine (Parke-Davis I think). I do have an interest in you just knowing the correct information in the right context and then you making your own voluntary decision.
P.S. I agree that personality wins out over a head of hair, but this summer,personality hasn't kept my scalp from getting TORCHED. I'm starting to have to wear sunscreen ON MY HEAD!
Good luck.