Should I Start Taking Minoxidil Even Without a Firm Diagnosis?

I am a 24 year old female who has experienced accelerated hair loss over the past 3-4 months. I have experienced a weight loss and am at a stressful point in my life, but also have a strong family history of baldness. I was advised by a dermatologist to start using minoxidil, as she said that it would work if I indeed have female pattern baldness and if it is telogen effluvium, it will help shift the hair back into growth phase. However, my understanding is that once minoxidil is started, it must be continued virtually forever or the effects will be reversed. Is this a wise thing to do given that I do not yet have a firm diagnosis? Thank you.

You are correct that if you start with minoxidil, you may be taking it forever. Get a diagnosis, mapping our your hair for miniaturization and the female AGA diagnosis. That is the correct way of going about the process.