short hairs mixed in with long hairs in front

[Krakow]

A few years ago, my hairdresser brought to my attention the fact that my hair at the entire front of my head, (covering about an inch  or so from the forehead into the scalp) was a mix of mostly short hairs that never grew any longer than 2 or 3 inches and longer hair.  The rest of the hair on my head is of more uniform length and healthy.  I went to a couple of dermatologists, and one, a young one, said it probably was breakage (but my hair is healthy) and the other said the condition might the first phase of future thinning due to age (I am now late middle age). Now, I had chemotherapy several years ago --- could that have altered the growth pattern?  Also, I wear a hat everyday to protect my skin from the sun, but the hat is not tight at all.  Could the rubbing action of the hat on the hair when the hat is being put on or taken off cause hairs to break?  Do I need more nutrients?  (I eat balanced meals, but don't take vitamins.)  I also have adult eczema which and some flaky areas on my scalp, but not in the area where these short hair occur.  I did have some seborheic dermatitis in the problem area, but a prescription of Loprex cleared it up last summer.

This problem greatly takes away from the attractiveness of my hair style.  Please help.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Variation in hair length or texture is not usually related to nutrition or to any condition that leads to long-term hair loss.  My best guess is that this is indeed from rubbing (since I gather you're not breaking off the hairs by blow-drying, etc.)  Seborrheic dermatitis and eczema don't cause hair loss unless you rub or pull at the hair.  I suggest you avoid any kind of trauma that you can, and perhaps the hair will grow in.  I have not seen permanent hair loss of this type from chemotherapy.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff