Your hair contains all of the minerals found in your body, including both essential nutritional minerals and harmful heavy metals. Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (commonly abbreviated as HTMA) is a laboratory procedure designed to quantify this mineral composition within the hair. Typically, the test outcomes offer insights into the mineral presence in your tissues, offering a comprehensive view of your internal environment. This data allows for the interpretation of various metabolic processes. Not only does it provide a glimpse into your nutritional status, but it also sheds light on the efficiency of your body's functioning.

This method of analysis offers a unique perspective into tissues and cells that would otherwise remain unseen, providing a non-invasive and cost-effective alternative to traditional tissue biopsies.

If we differentiate between diet as what we consume and nutrition as what our bodies absorb, it becomes evident that identifying our body's specific needs at any given time is crucial for maintaining health. With over 30 years of research, hair analysis has emerged as a practical method for assessing mineral balance within the body. This valuable tool not only highlights which foods and supplements are necessary but also identifies those that should be avoided.

However, what constitutes good nutrition for one individual may not necessarily apply to another. Your Hair Analysis Report is crafted to assist both you and your healthcare provider in devising the most suitable nutritional program tailored to your specific needs.

When mineral levels are tested in the blood, the results reflect the minerals being transported at that specific moment. The blood strongly maintains homeostasis, often at the expense of tissues. It tends to draw minerals from tissues to keep blood levels stable, while excess minerals are stored in tissues to reduce blood levels.

While blood testing is valuable in many respects, it alone doesn't offer comprehensive insights into mineral levels. Not to mention, tissue minerals are 10x greater than they are in the blood, so there is less variance and more insight can be acquired.

Toxic metals typically aren't present in high levels in the blood, except immediately following acute exposure, as they're swiftly relocated to maintain blood equilibrium. Urine testing often involves the client taking a chelator to draw out heavy metals, with the test then gauging the levels in that specific urine sample. Stool tests offer insights into heavy metals eliminated via the biliary route on the given day.

HTMA reveals heavy metals eliminated through the hair over the preceding 2-3 months. These metals tend to accumulate in soft tissues, and HTMA can detect low levels of chronic exposure that result in gradual buildup over time.

Minerals play vital roles in countless enzyme reactions across all systems of your body. For example, they are crucial for muscle contraction and relaxation, facilitate nutrient transfer across cell membranes, and fulfill numerous other functions.

Given their foundational importance, imbalances in minerals often underlie various symptoms and conditions. When interpreting HTMA results, we don't tailor our analysis based on specific conditions or symptoms. However, we typically identify potential mineral imbalances that could be linked to the symptoms individuals are experiencing.

Our approach to balancing minerals remains consistent. We prioritize addressing the highest priority pattern or ratio identified in the HTMA results first, as it directly impacts other minerals and contributes to overall balance restoration.

The hair to be collected should be clean and you should not use permed, dyed or bleached hair. The hair should come from several areas of your scalp on the back portion of your head. Part your hair and cut as close to the scalp as possible. Cut away excess hair from the sample, leaving about 1 to 1 ½ inches of the root end. The total amount of hair needed is about a tablespoon. (A scale for the proper amount will be included in the envelope sent to you.) If you can't send scalp hair, nails and pubic samples can be used. But be aware that the test results may not reflect your most recent mineral patterns because these tissues grow more slowly and sporadic than scalp hair.

"Certain cosmetic hair treatments can contaminate scalp hair such as dyes that contain lead acetate, bleaching processes that artificially affect calcium, and medicated shampoos that contain zinc or selenium. However, only the individual element is affected. All of the other minerals tested are valid.
With our extensive ability for interpreting and comparing test results to individual metabolic characteristics, these effects can be overcome." - From the Trace Elements website

Your lab reports are based upon a vast amount of scientific studies and on-going research conducted by David L.
Watts, Ph.D. at Trace Elements. From the Trace Elements website, "each report will evaluate several hundred factors, such as; the nutritional mineral levels, their interrelationships (ratios), heavy metals, as well as your individual metabolic categorization. Your individualized Hair Analysis report takes each of these factors into consideration along with your age, sex and current health symptoms. What emerges is a very comprehensive report complete with graphs and accompanying explanations and recommendations for you and a more technical report for your health care professional. Use of this additional screening test may help you to learn a lot about your body, perhaps answers you have been seeking for years."

Not only will you receive this report, but I will go through the report line by line to create an analysis for you along with nutrition and lifestyle recommendations based on the findings. Having someone who is educated and experienced in properly interpreting and analyzing this data is of utmost importance.

Once you receive your report and 12 week protocol I will recommend following this for 12 weeks then re-testing. We want to see if the changes help you feel better as well as get those minerals, metals and ratios in good standing. If you wanna DIY it, you are welcome to do so. If you would like continued support along the way we will chat about what that will look like in our email correspondence based on availability in my current programs.