Male Baldness Info

I am going to see my dermatologist about what I think is alopecia areata — a disease that makes your hair follicles shut down in random spots on your head. My hair has fallen out in several places, most of which are about the size of a fingerprint, but in others spots it’s more noticeable.
Apparently this disease goes hand in hand with eczema, allergies and asthma, all of which I have lived with and treated successfully so I can live a normal life. But this hair loss is a new thing.
I just wanted to find out if there are other people with this problem. It’s not male-pattern baldness. It’s not that my hairline is receding, it’s that it is falling out in spots and might not grow back for a while if at all.
What treatments might my doctor suggest for this? What did you do about this illness, if you’ve had it? Did it ever grow back, or were you stuck with only some of your hair?
Thanks in advance for your advice. This is an embarrassing problem and I just want to know I’m not alone.

Hi. I’m a 24-year-old female with long hair using 5% Rogaine foam for mild ‘male’ pattern baldness. I have two usage questions.
1. The instructions say to “massage” the foam into your scalp after applying. I usually apply the foam by making 4-6 parts in my hair, applying the foam directly onto each exposed line of scalp, and then massaging each section for 5-10 seconds. Is this enough massaging? How long am i supposed to massage the scalp?
2. I know that using Rogaine can cause some unwanted hair growth in women, so i’m careful to use latex gloves when applying it. But I’m worried about the Rogaine spreading even after it dries. If i put my dry, rogained hair on my pillow at night, and then my cheek rests on the same part of the pillow, can the dry rogaine residue be absorbed and cause hair growth on my face? What if my rogained hair gets into my face while i’m sleeping? Or is it only effective/absorbable when wet, right out of the can? I know that Rogaine mainly works by getting into your bloodstream, but I’m still worried about having Rogained pillowcases or garments right up against my face.
Please only answer if you have experience using rogaine or if you are a dermatologist/hair expert.
Thanks so much!