Hi, I know they believe it is an autoimmune disease, however I'm wondering based on some other symptoms I'm seeing if it could be either virus, fungus, or bacteria related. I'm going to copy a post I found at http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/alopecia.html. Have you tried antibiotics or other fungal/viral medication? Interesting that some people get regrowth with Tea Tree Oil. In any case, here's the post:

REMEDIES HELPED, BUT ANTIBIOTICS BEST
1 YEA

[YEA] 10/01/2007: T from Ottawa, Canada writes: "re: Alopecia -- Hello, On and off seemingly during high stress times (exam time when I was in university, during heavy work load times at my job) my scalp becomes irritated, red and inflamed. Bald patches start forming and the scalp is very soft in those areas. I have tried many different types of herbal solutions. I have tried apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil with lavender oil, hydrogen peroxide, taking a spoon of baking soda twice a day etc. All seemed to help slightly. The tea tree oil was probably the most effective. However, because I've suffered from this many times in the past I feel I should let people know that the only thing that really 100% worked for me was not herbal. It required a trip to my doctor and a prescription for minocin (an antibiotic). It's very cheap and worth it. Within a week the irritation, redness, inflammation disappeared. Within a month the bald patches had also filled in. I would recommend anyone with this problem visit their doctor and ask about an antibiotic. It will save you a lot of pain and stress. Good luck."