Sudden hair loss is characterized by the sudden loss of large amounts of hair. For example, large amounts of hair left on the pillow after sleeping and large amounts of hair coming out when washing or brushing your hair. And we’re not talking about a few hairs here. In the case of sudden hair loss typically large chunks of hair fall out on a regular basis, often times leading to significant bald areas on the scalp.

And while there can be other causes of sudden hair loss such as the side effects of some medications and diseases such as diabetes and localised infection of the scalp, sudden hair loss is almost always caused by a sudden emotional shock or trauma. Sudden hair loss doesn’t discriminate against men or women and can occur in both sexes although it typically is more common in males.

The cause of sudden hair loss that accompanies trauma is due to sudden hormonal imbalances occurring as a consequence of the shock of the trauma. Adrenaline gets dumped into the system leading to erratic behaviour of the other hormones, which if not addressed quickly can lead to a host of health complaints.

Like most acute conditions, the causes of sudden hair loss need to be identified as early as possible in order for the appropriate treatment to begin. A medical practitioner needs to be consulted in order to rule out any other diseases that may be causing the sudden hair loss, and also to make adjustments to any medication the patient may be taking that may also be contributing to their loss of hair.

In order to arrive at the definite cause of the sudden hair loss, various tests will need to be performed. Blood tests are typically used to evaluate nutritional levels, hormonal imbalances, and any possible disease states that may be causing the hair to fall out.

Just as there are numerous causes for hair loss that occurs over a period of time, if any treatment is to be undertaken the appropriate cause must be determined. In some cases an incorrect treatment, my actually exacerbate the problem.

In regard to treatment, the sudden loss of hair is almost always occurring due to, something that is happening in the present time or in the very recent past. And as such, whatever that cause is, it needs to be addressed rather than simply prescribing hair loss medications and hair loss shampoos.

While it is certainly possible in the case of long-standing, hair loss to self prescribe and treat yourself (sometimes quite successfully) sudden hair loss is a medical condition that needs medical evaluation and treatment.

An added problem that needs to be considered with this kind of hair loss is the psychological impact that the hair loss itself is having. If the cause of the sudden hair loss is determined to be psychologically or emotionally based, then worrying and stressing over the hair loss, while being a totally normal reaction that most people would have, will only make the problem worse. A condition caused by stress, rarely improves by being more stressed about it.

If it is determined that the treatment is going to be ongoing over a long period of time some counselling may be appropriate to help with the psychological impact of the hair loss.

If you become aware of sudden hair loss the best course of action is to see your doctor about the problem and be guided to the appropriate treatment based on their evaluation. And while it is easy to say not to worry about it, be aware that any additional stress or strain you put on yourself at this time will definitely hamper the quick resolution of your sudden hair loss problem.