What is Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, or, Hair Mineral Analysis, or HTMA?
Hair tissue mineral analysis, or more simply, hair mineral analysis is a test done to discover the types and amounts of certain nutritive and other minerals, including toxins, in human or animal hair. This can be interpreted by a knowledgeable practitioner to discover important information about the person or animal whose hair was analyzed. Practitioners who use the test call it a screening test because it gives valuable information but it is not diagnostic.
The test is done through a chemical analysis technique called spectroscopy. While there are a handful of labs in the US that provide this service, I use almost exclusively Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) in Phoenix, Az, a CDC approved Laboratory. Occasionally I will choose Trace Elements Incorporated (TEI) laboratory in Texas for analysis, if more of the trace and “ultra-trace” mineral levels are desired.
This test very accurately and precisely measures mineral levels in the hair. Hair is a tissue into which the body excretes minerals.
Because all cellular functions are based on enzymes which are based on minerals, the body’s excretion of minerals tells us about its cellular and other functions.
For example it can show “fast” or “slow” thyroid and adrenal function, weaknesses such as poor sugar and carbohydrate handling ability, liver and kidney stress, good or poor vitality and much more, even emotional tendencies.
Ratios between minerals are also valuable indicators. For example, a low sodium to potassium ratio tends to indicate poor immune function and adrenal weakness, as well as a tendency toward frustration and resentment.
A hair test can reveal trends towards certain physical health conditions for example, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, digestive weakness, food allergy, osteoporosis, depression, fatigue, weak immunity, poor wound healing, and much more. For a more complete list, see the article List of Conditions Nutritional Balancing Has the Potential To Help With.
NOT A Diagnostic Test:
Hair mineral testing is not a diagnostic test, but it is still very useful for the information it provides. Long before a person qualifies for diagnosis of a disease, they are headed toward that disease state. How much better is it to catch the problem before it manifests than to wait until the problem is severe enough to qualify for a physician’s diagnosis?
A Hair Test Reveals The Stage of the Stress a Person is In
A hair test shows us the stage of stress that a person’s body is in, for example, alarm, resistance, exhaustion, etc. These are the stages of stress identified by the well known Dr. Hans Seyle, MD, PhD., an endocrinologist who originated from Austria in the early 1900’s and went on to do groundbreaking research into the nature and effects of stress on our bodies. A hair test also shows levels of twenty one nutrient minerals in the body, levels of toxins such as lead, mercury and arsenic, and four different mineral ratios that are important indicators of glandular health as well as overall vitality.
The hair mineral analysis test is showing a resistance stress response with features of the exhaustion stage showing. It also shows toxic levels of nickel and mercury, low thyroid function and weak adrenal function.
Important Note About Proper Laboratory Procedure:
In order for a hair mineral analysis test to properly reveal the true values of certain nutrients, the hair sample must not be washed at the laboratory. Many laboratories utilize a wash procedure before the analysis is done. This wash is done with harsh chemical stripping agents designed to remove “external contaminants” which at the same time removes a portion of the more soluble elements from the hair (for example, sodium and potassium, two key electrolytes). This skews test results so that they cannot be used to assist in the understanding of a person’s metabolic state and nutritional needs. The two laboratories in the USA that do NOT wash the hair before analysis are Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) and Trace Elements Incorporated (TEI).
Dr. Lawrence Wilson, MD, from whom I learned the science and art of Nutritional Balancing and hair mineral analysis has a thorough discussion of the issue around washing the hair at the laboratory which is found here.