Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis
Unlock your health with just a lock of your hair
What can a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis tell me about my health?
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is an invaluable diagnostic tool for your overall health. HTMA measures the mineral content of your hair to determine the excess, deficit or biounavailability of certain minerals in your body. Why should you care about the minerals in your hair? Minerals are a foundational necessity for all of your enzymatic, immune, hormonal and metabolic bodily functions. Without a proper balance, your health may suffer.
There are many reasons as to why mineral imbalances occur in our bodies. We are quick to blame ourselves when something in our bodies goes awry, however this may have started long before you even babbled your first words. That’s right! In a minute, we will list some common external factors that can exacerbate a mineral imbalance, however we cannot overlook the role your parents play in this. You could have inherited a mineral pattern from your parents that they didn’t even know they had. Pretty interesting, right?
Here are some common causes of a mineral imbalance:
-Improper diet such as excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates.
-Improper diet for your body type
-Excessive sugar consumption
-Taking vitamins and minerals that are not compatible with your current body chemistry
-Medications
-Pregnancy
-Birth
-Birth Control
-Stress
-Toxic heavy metal load from your environment (including water and food), job or hobby
How does a mineral imbalance occur?
These are some of the conditions that may be a result of/exacerbated by a mineral imbalance:
-Depression
-Hypoglycemia
-Hyperactivity
-Headaches
-Hypertension
-Anxiety
-Arthritis
-Hair Loss
-Anemia
-Thyroid imbalance
- Chronic Lyme Disease
- Chronic Mold Toxicity
-Prostate issues
-Digestion issues
-Diabetes
-Cardiovascular Disease
-Skin conditions
-Issues regulating emotions
-Allergies
-Dental issues
-Arteriosclerosis
-Osteoporosis
-Periodontal disease
-Muscle cramps
- Sleep disturbances
What a mineral imbalance may look like
Who can benefit from a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis?
Ideally, everyone. Even if you are feeling relatively well, it is always a good idea to get a baseline for where you are at. Oftentimes, we don’t want to rock the health boat when we are feeling well, thus we don’t get any testing done. It is when our health has taken a little bit of a detour that it sounds the alarm to go down the road of figuring out what is going on.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is a great tool for anyone who hasn’t been able to find any answers to what their ailments are. They’ve been through the diagnostic ringer and have been told that, “they’re fine” but clearly are not. HTMA is also a great diagnostic tool for anyone who has tried a variety of different therapies to no avail. Due to your unique biochemistry, different therapies can work for some people and not for others. By getting tested and creating a protocol specifically tailored to you, HTMA opens up a whole new paradigm of healing. It is oftentimes the most basic and simplistic of therapies that can be the most effective. With this protocol, we are literally building your health foundation by utilizing the mineral building blocks your body needs.
By testing your hair, and seeing the results, we can customize a supplement and dietary protocol for you to follow. Everybody is different, and we celebrate that here by supporting what YOUR specific body needs to unlock your true healing potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you order a test?
You can purchase a test right here at our online store. Once we receive your order, we will mail out your test to you and also the questionnaire that is needed by the testing facility. Your sample will be sent to Analytical Research Labs, Inc. in Phoenix Arizona.
How do I collect a hair sample?
Included with your test will be a hair scale to measure the amount of hair, along with more detailed instructions. You will be asked to mail in 1” to 1.5” of your hair from the root: As in the first inch to inch and a half of your hair. You will then use the scale to make sure that the amount of hair that you included will be enough for the lab to utilize. It isn’t much: Just collect it from two indiscrete areas on your head. The ideal cutting tool to collect your sample would be scissors, but you can use trimming sheers if need be. Just make sure to wipe the blade down before you collect your sample.
The day that you will be collecting your sample, make sure that your hair has been washed 4 hours prior, but no more than 24 hours from collecting your hair sample. You will also be asked to NOT use conditioner or any other products besides shampoo when you wash your hair and get it ready for collection. If you do not want to use the hair on your head, auxiliary hair can be utilized such as beard hair, armpit hair or pubic hair. Make sure to isolate your collection to only one hair location (as in do not mix hair from your head and beard hair for your sample).
If you are a well system, it is advised that you use bottled spring water for a week before collecting your sample. This is due to the use of water softeners in well systems. If you use well water with softeners for your testing sample, it could skew your results.
What minerals and heavy metals am I being tested for?
Nutrient Minerals: Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Selenium (Se), and Phosphorus (P).
Toxic Heavy Metals: Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), and Aluminum (AI).
Additional Minerals: Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Molybdenum (Mo), Lithium (Li), and Boron (B).
How old do you have to be for a HTMA?
We do treat children, and the youngest age that can be tested is 3 years old. There is no limit on how old you can be to get tested.
How long do I wait for my test results?
Generally your results will take about 2-3 weeks to be completed by the lab. When your test results are almost ready, we will reach out to you and schedule your results consult.
What happens during my results consult?
During your consult with our practitioner, you will go over what your hair tissue sample revealed. You will learn about what mineral(s) you are deficient in, what mineral(s) you have in excess and what mineral(s) aren’t bioavailable in your body. For example, you could be on the carnivore diet and eating a lot of red meat, and then shocked to learn that your results say that you are low in iron. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to supplement with iron, but rather that your body isn’t using the iron that is already present: Making it biounavailable. Your practitioner will go over how the minerals work together in ratios, and where you currently are with regards to that (and where the ideal number should be).
You will also review what heavy metals showed up on your results. If they showed up on the first test, that is a great sign that your body is already working to naturally push them out. If they didn’t show up it could mean that they are immobilized in the body or hidden in the tissues. Since metals replace minerals that are lacking, when you replenish your body’s natural minerals it will allow the natural detoxification process you body should be doing, to occur.
You will also go over what is known as your oxidation rate: Whether you are a slow, mixed or fast oxidizer. This will help determine how quickly you use up minerals, what dietary choices will suite your body, etc. Your practitioner will be able to make the necessary recommendations for you based on your results.
At the end of your consult, your practitioner will go over what supplements are necessary for you to replenish the minerals in your body, along with any recommended methods of eliminating the toxins from your body.
Where do I order supplements from?
-Endo-Met Laboratories - These supplements are uniquely formulated to help replenish the minerals you need in your body, and the preferred supplement company of our lab testing partner. When you receive your test results, there will be a phone number to call. You will call Endo-met directly and they will send you a link to set up an account on their portal.
-Fullscript - Any supplements that Endo-Met Laboratories do not provide, your practitioner will provide you with a script for them through Fullscript. Fullscript is an online supplement dispensary that allows practitioners to build supplement plans for their patients. Ordering is super easy, and you can also set up auto-shipment plans.
Will there be a follow up test?
Yes. 4 months after starting your protocol, you will be asked to complete another hair tissue analysis. This is done because we want to make sure that your mineral levels are balancing out. We can then compare your two test scores in order to monitor and track the progress you are making!
