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What is Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis?

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a quantitative test that measures the mineral composition of hair, (precise to parts per million). It is a safe and non-invasive test that reflects the level of nutrients and toxic elements in body tissue.

It is regarded by many integrative doctors, naturopaths, nutritional therapists and vets as one of the most valuable screening tools available in everyday and preventative health care.

Girls with long hair
Importance of Minerals
Minerals are essential for growth, healing, vitality and wellbeing. They provide structural support in bones and teeth, and maintain the body’s pH, water balance, nerve activity, muscle contractions, energy production and enzyme reactions. They are the basic ‘spark plugs’ of life.
Imbalances and Toxins
Our health and wellbeing may be aggravated by mineral imbalances and toxic metal excesses, aggravating conditions including cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, learning difficulties and hyperactivity in children, to name just a few.

Don’t play guessing games with your health!

WHAT CAN I TEST FOR?

What can Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Reveal?

Mineral Deficiencies and Excesses

Heavy Metal Toxicity

Metabolic Rate (fast or slow)

Immune

Mental Health

Nervous System Imbalance

Liver & Kidney Stress

Diabetes and Insulin resistance

Energy Levels & Fatigue

Cardiovascular Health

Adrenal & Thyroid Function

Sports Endurance & Recovery

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis provides valuable information on existing health conditions. Further, it helps with early detection and prevention of conditions, as mineral imbalances are often seen before symptoms occur.

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis provides valuable information on existing health conditions.

Further, it helps with early detection and prevention of conditions, as mineral imbalances are often seen before symptoms occur.

Happy healthy mature people

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis provides vital information to help you get your health back on-track and maintain wellness in all stages of life!

What can I test for?

Find out more

Can I view a Report?

Find out more

How to take a sample?

Find out more

Download a Request Form

HTMA Request Form

Print Hair Envelope

Hair Submittal Envelope

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis provides clinical data missed by standard blood, urine and stool testing.

It  provides important information to help you get your health back on-track and maintain wellness in all stages of life!

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is an analytical test that measures the mineral composition of hair. It is a safe and non-invasive test that reflects the level of nutrient and toxic elements in body tissue. It is regarded by integrative doctors, naturopaths and nutritional therapists as one of the most valuable screening tools available in everyday and preventative health care.

Hair is a body tissue made up of mostly dead, keratinized cells fused together. The shaft of the hair is the portion that projects from the skin’s surface. The root of the hair, below the skin’s surface, contains living matrix cells from which the hair grows.  Matrix cells depend on the blood supply for nourishment and growth. As they grow and divide, minerals are keratinized into the growing hair shaft, creating a permanent record of metabolic activity and exposure to toxic elements.

Research has shown that hair tissue is useful in indicating nutrient imbalances and exposure to toxic elements. If your health, diet or environment has created a mineral imbalance or toxic mineral excess, it will be recorded in the hair shaft.

Minerals are essential for growth, healing, vitality and wellbeing. They provide structural support in bones and teeth, and maintain the body’s pH, water balance, nerve activity, muscle contractions, energy production and enzyme reactions. They are the basic ‘spark plugs’ of life.

Ideally we should get all the minerals we need from a balanced diet. Unfortunately today this is rarely possible. Modern farming techniques, fertilisers and depleted soils reduce the mineral content of foods. Environmental pollutants, chemical food additives, pharmaceutical medicines and stressful lifestyles also have a detrimental effect on our nutritional status.

Many health conditions are aggravated by mineral imbalances and toxic metal excesses, including cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, learning difficulties and hyperactivity in children, to name just a few.

Consequently, we need to test and monitor our nutritional status more than ever.  

  • Safe, scientific, non-invasive pathology test.
  • Reliable data on up to 35 nutrient and toxic minerals, and over 25 important mineral ratios.
  • Discovery of nutrient mineral imbalances or toxic mineral excesses that may be affecting your health.
  • Valuable health information often not revealed in standard blood and urine tests.
  • Unlike blood, hair is less susceptible to the homeostatic mechanisms that quickly affect trace elements levels.
  • Long term deviations of mineral retention or losses are more easily detected in hair that blood. Hair provides a record of past as well as present trace element levels, ie biological activity.
  • Personalised interpretive test reports that assess your current mineral status, highlight areas of concern and recommend dietary changes and supplements for improved health and wellbeing. NB: Supplement recommendation only available on Practitioner Report.

Hair Tissue mineral analysis provides another avenue for the exploration of your health status. Hair samples will pick up imbalances that a routine blood test can miss. HTMA is a great way to prevent the onset of health conditions as mineral imbalances are seen in the body long before these conditions become chronic.

Minerals provide structure for the bones and teeth, they maintain the body’s pH and water balance, nerve activity, muscle contraction, energy production, enzyme reaction and hormonal function. Therefore monitoring our nutritional status is important for our health.

Children

Minerals are essential for growth and development. In many cases early HTMA testing is advisable for children. It is especially advisable for behavioral issues, learning difficulties, hyperactivity and reoccurring illnesses.

 

Sportspersons and Athletes

Maintaining balanced levels of essential nutrients is essential for endurance, improving performance and recovery from injury.

 

Fertility and Pre-Pregnancy

When nutritional elements are out of balance it can lead to health consequences. Many minerals have a direct impact on our hormone levels and can cause issues with fertility. And when toxic elements are present they can have an effect on the health of a baby.

 

Menopause

Minerals have a direct impact on our hormones. Hormonal imbalance can result in hot flushes and night sweats, problems with sleep, mood changes and other symptoms.

 

Elderly

A hair tissue mineral analysis can reveal some of the reasons behind conditions suffered by the elderly. Addressing mineral imbalances and detoxifying heavy metals can considerably improve mood and quality of life.

 

Health conditions

Mineral imbalances and toxic elements can aggravate many health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, thyroid imbalances, high blood pressure, blood sugar imbalances, osteoporosis and migraines to name a few.

Our laboratory (Trace Elements Inc) is internationally recognised and considered a world leader in Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis. The laboratory employs state of the art technology and is a federally licensed clinical facility, following strictly established analytical, health and safety protocols. It is regularly inspected by the Clinical Laboratory Division of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

The laboratory conducts daily, weekly and monthly QA/QC studies to confirm and validate all aspects of test methodology, including precision, accuracy and verifiable detection limits. Further, the laboratory is continuously evaluating the different aspects of daily laboratory performance, such as; reagents, QC reference materials, split specimen analysis, double-blind samples, spiked samples, calibration-verification studies and routine daily monitoring of patient data trends, before, during and after each daily analytical run. This attention to detail assures that our clients are receiving data obtained by the highest standards. Additional audits involve personnel training, laboratory reporting, safety issues and customer service.

Learn More

10 Reasons to have a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

  • Hair specimens can be collected more quickly and easily than blood, urine, or any other tissue, using a non-invasive method.
  • Hair analysis is more cost-effective than mineral testing through other means.
  • Unlike blood, hair is less susceptible to the homeostatic mechanisms that quickly affect trace element levels.
  • Long-term deviations of mineral retention or losses are more easily detected in hair than blood.
  • Hair testing reveals key information about your level of metabolic activity.
  • Concentrations of most elements in the hair are significantly higher than found in the blood and other tissues.
  • Hair provides a record of past as well as present trace element levels, i.e. biological activity.
  • Hair provides information of substances entering the hair from the blood serum as well as from external sources.
  • Hair is invaluable in the assessment of toxic metal levels.
  • Hair testing measures mineral imbalances that can directly affect related vitamin activity.

Our Reports

Our reports are easy to read, comprehensive and incorporate the latest developments in nutritional therapeutics. Our interpretative reports have two parts:

  • An informative report for the patient
  • A more technical report for the practitioner

The reports contain a wealth of clinical data which, when interpreted correctly, can provide an indication of nutrient imbalances and mineral toxicity. Our advanced reports are designed to shed light on the patient’s current health status, identify potential areas of concern and direct dietary and supplemental measures to improve patient health. 

Our Laboratory

Our laboratory facilities are based in the United States and owned by Trace Elements Incorporated (TEI). TEI is a licensed and certified clinical laboratory that undergoes regular inspections with the Clinical Laboratory Division of the Department of Health and Human Services, HCFA. Our laboratory uses ICP-MS (Mass Spectrometry), the most modern and advanced analytical technology to be applied to routine elemental mineral analysis.  All testing at TEI is performed in a laboratory clean room environment, utilising the latest microwave temperature-controlled digestion technique and using a highly skilled and professional analytical/support staff. The ICP-MS is re-calibrated after every 12th sample the equipment.

Our Quality Assurance

Minerals Tested

Nutrients Elements
  • Boron*
  • Calcium
  • Chromium
  • Cobalt
  • Copper
  • Iron
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Molybdenum
  • Phosphorus
  • Potassium
  • Selenium
  • Sodium
  • Sulfur
  • Zinc

*Additional fee applies

Toxic Elements
  • Aluminium
  • Antimony *
  • Arsenic
  • Beryllium
  • Cadmium
  • Lead
  • Mercury
  • Uranium

*Additional fee applies

Additional Elements
  • Barium
  • Bismuth
  • Germanium
  • Lithium
  • Nickel
  • Platinum
  • Rubidium
  • Strontium
  • Thallium
  • Tin
  • Titanium
  • Tungsten
  • Vanadium
  • Zirconium

Why Practitioners use Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

  • Identify heavy metals and toxic element burdens and access progress.
  • Identify nutritional deficiencies, excesses and imbalances then develop a precise nutritional therapeutic approach
  • Ability to monitor health and nutritional balances over time – retest, review and revise the plan.
  • Recognition of the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses to metabolic dysfunctions.
  • Determining the link between the nutritional, neurological and endocrine systems, as identified by hair mineral patterns.
  • Development of a supplement program for specific bio-individual and metabolic types.
  • Identification of endocrine interrelationships and their impact upon biochemical and nutritional status; recognition of specific nutritional influences upon the biochemical and endocrine systems.
  • Real measurements of nutrient and toxic minerals in parts per million.