hi, the prescription seems to me of androgenetic alopecia. Whatever your doctor has prescribed is a standard drug therapy for this kind of hair fall and time taken for results to be visible is usually 3 months to 6 months depending on the severity of hair fall. As far as side effects are concerned, both the drugs are quite safe without any long term side effects. The most common side effect seen with minoxidil is red irritated scalp( that too is rarely seen) and increased hair growth at times on face and hands. To prevent these, wash your hands after minoxidil use and always try that the solution shouldnt trickle from your scalp. Secondly it should not be applied on wet scalp or after oiling your hair. As far as finesteride is concerned, side effects of eryctile dysfunction and loss in libido have been reported . However, these are reversible once you stop the drug and secondly they are rarely noted with finesteride taken in daily doses of 1 mg. So your prescription is completely safe to use. Other treatment options for your kind of hair fall are mesotherapy with minoxidil, platelet rich plasma and stem cell factor and also hair transplantation. YOu can discuss your dermatologist for the same. Take care