While hair loss is common and even to be expected, sudden hair loss is not. Normal loss of hair is defined as the loose strands you find in the shower, on your pillow, or left in your brush. You may find more than usual at varying times in your life. This is also to be expected.

Sudden hair loss on the other hand, would be finding large clumps of hair. If this happens only once or even a few times, you do not need to worry. But if you are finding that your hair is coming out in large amounts consistently over time, then this would be classified as sudden hair loss and you should pay immediate attention to this.

Sudden hair loss may simply be the result of something temporary. Once cause of sudden hair loss is a sudden change in the hormonal balance of your body. Severe stress to the body can result in hormonal changes that cause sudden hair loss. For example, it is not uncommon for women to experience large amounts of hair falling out after they give birth. After a few months this sudden hair loss should subside. Experiencing a severe injury or having major surgery can also cause sudden hair loss. Again, the amount of hair falling out should dwindle back down to normal after a few months.

Loss of hair is a common side effect to many medications. We are most familiar with this phenomenon in cancer patients who are taking chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is not the only medication that causes sudden hair loss however. Blood thinners and birth control pills can also result in sudden hair loss. Once the medication is stopped however, the amount of hair falling out will also stop.

If you experience sudden hair loss but are not taking prescription drugs and have not recently experienced any major stress to the body, you should consider the sudden hair loss as a possible warning sign. Loss of hair may be an indicator of some other physical problem. Thyroid Disease, for example, is often accompanied by sudden hair loss. Diabetes and Lupus also have sudden hair loss as one of the early signs.

Loss of hair that is due to a heredity condition known as alopecia will show up with large clumps of hair falling out at a time. However, this process is gradual, so you will slowly notice that over time, you are loosing more and more hair.

Another possible cause of sudden hair loss may be an infection. If your scalp has an infection, you are likely to see significant loss of hair as a result. Usually a topically applied solution can resolve this problem.

If you are experiencing any kind of sudden hair loss you should see your doctor to help identify the cause. Without a clear idea what may be causing your hair to fall out, you can not know what treatment is best. The doctor will run a blood test first to see if you have an infection. The blood test will also help determine if there is a dietary deficiency or a hormonal imbalance. Once the cause has been established, you can begin to see the appropriate treatment for your sudden hair loss condition.