i went to a dermatologist. Can't say whether what he did helped or not with any certainty because i had 2 separate patches. one had meds, the other didn't. But, you can see there's been better growth at the crown than the one behind my ear.
sorry for the cut and paste, i'm taking this from my fotki.
my dermatologist 1st prescribed an ointment called Dermator (prednicarbate, a steriod related to prednisone). after a couple months and no progress he then prescribed: Olux (clobetasol propionate), a foam. after a 2 weeks or so i noticed peach fuzz then the fuzz started turning darker until it turned into real hair.
i also tried a variety of essential oils and started taking biotin. the biotin seemed like it was causing even more shedding after a week or so so i stopped. the eo's, i massaged in but i can't recall getting any real benefit from them. i also had horrible itching during a shedding phase and would use witch hazel on cotton balls to dab on the patch - this helped immensely.
i also had a bald patch behind my left ear which i hadn't noticed at all for months and months.
This patch did not receive any medication at all because i didn't know it was there. Still, you can see how much shorter it is compared to the patch on the crown...............so basically it regrew itself but not as quickly as the other patch.
If you do decide to go to a derm and he/she offers a choice between a topical steroid and the injections, try the topical first and see if it doesn't stop the follicle attacks and jump start your growth. if after a few weeks it doesn't work, go for the injections.
i told him i'd tried some home remedies and if they would cause the condition to worsen and he said no. i also asked him about monoxidil products and he said it may or may not work. he said they do stimulate growth but i'd have to continue to use it :S
what i really think happened was that this round of alopecia had basically run it's course and the meds probably helped my scalp get over it faster than if i used nothing at all.