What is Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis?
What if I told you that you CAN reverse AGE?
You will soon understand how nutrient deficiencies and toxicity put years on your face and pounds on your waist and how hair tissue mineral analysis can reveal the blueprint to reversing your age so you can feel healthy and beautiful once again!
You will NOT be like most people who become victims to oxidative stress, which causes premature aging and multitude of symptoms that eventually turn into disease.
My story
I used to burn myself into the ground with diets, coffee, excessive exercise and worry. I did not think there was another way. Until I had to find a way.
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition, which caused me to experience extreme fatigue. To the point where I could not function well and had to give up my corporate career to be able to heal and have the energy to care for my baby.
Except doctors and even yoga and essential oils did not help me much. I did not experience miraculous recovery until I found HTMA, balanced my minerals and detoxed.
My life began anew. 10 years later I had another baby but this time I did not need hormones to get pregnant and did not crash after childbirth.
No matter what you struggle with: your weight, energy, moods, skin … it is all rooted in stress. The stress is all around us and it causes mineral imbalances, nutrient deficiencies and toxicity.
Anytime you experience stress, your minerals get depleted.
And because our soil is nutrient depleted we simply cannot replenish the used up minerals with our diet even if we eat a perfect paleo diet!
That’s why most people start taking supplements and initially feel better
But because everyone’s deficiencies are unique, the one fits all formula in your multi now causes imbalances in minerals, which is a problem in inself
Using HTMA (hair tissue mineral analysis) we can create a customized supplement protocol EASILY based on your scientific results that identified your deficiencies
Everyone’s body is toxic
Anytime you are depleted in nutrients, toxins from the environment fill in those gaps.
Stored in your brain, organs, joints and bones they cause lots of damage or oxidative stress, which is the reason for premature aging.
If you want to AGE WELL or reverse the premature AGING, then you need to learn how to optimize the mineral balance in your body and DETOX heavy metals and chemicals
That’s what I am sharing my experience and knowledge with you. I had Hashimoto’s, I was depleted and unhealthy. I implemented the protocol from HTMA and then had a baby at 40.
Balanced YOU Program is a perfect solution!
It is customized and based on the results of hair tissue mineral analysis.
I interpret your results and use these results to create a customized protocol to replenish nutrient deficiencies, balance minerals and detox. I show you where metabolic STRESS is hiding and affecting your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. You will be able to effectively reduce your exposure to environmental and other stressors.
You can achieve your goals and dreams with hair tissue mineral analysis!!!
You can expect to feel more balanced, look younger and look forward to years to come because they will be filled with more joy, ease and peace.
40’s can be new 20’s and 60’s new 40’s. At 80 you can expect to play tennis, travel with your grandkids and write books or garden or anything else your soul desires!
What exactly is hair tissue mineral analysis?
Hair Mineral Analysis is the quickest and most affordable way to determine if you have heavy metal toxicity and mineral deficiency - two of the primary drivers of disease today.
It’s an incredibly powerful tool that is used to design a comprehensive Balanced YOU program to recover and improve your health.
Hair analysis is a reliable heavy-metal and minerals screening tool when you consider that hair follicles are washed by blood, lymph, and extracellular fluids that deposit tiny fragments of any metal contaminants they contain. As the hair emerges from its follicle, it hardens and fossilizes the metabolic products within it. Hair tissue mineral analysis uses this record to show what toxic metals you have been exposed to, as well as the current levels and ratios of nutrient minerals.
The amounts of minerals deposited in the hair reveal all kinds of things about your body chemistry.
Your test results reveal and explain the causes of many health symptoms and disease, whose underlying causes are almost always related to nutritional deficiencies, mineral imbalances and heavy metal toxicity (internal stressors caused by external stressors at one point).
Benefits of HTMA testing
Sampling is simple and non-invasive.
Since hair is a stable material that requires no special handling, samples may be sent via standard mail, therefore allowing hair analysis to be performed entirely from the comfort of one’s own home.
It’s cost-effective!
HTMA addresses your individual bodily needs
HTMA can give you critical facts about your body before you become chronically ill or face a serious disease
What Is Tested on a Hair Mineral Analysis?
A hair tissue mineral analysis tests for 37 nutritive minerals and toxic metals. It is a screening test that measures the mineral content of your hair. Mineral content of your hair reflects the mineral content of the body’s tissues. If a mineral deficiency or excess exists in the hair, it usually indicates a mineral imbalance within the body, or bio-unavailability of that mineral.
The hair is tested because it is one of many places the body dumps excess minerals and heavy metals for storage away from vital organs. The amounts of minerals deposited in the hair reveal all kinds of things about your body chemistry. A hair mineral analysis is the basis upon which a customized Balanced YOU program is designed.
Your hair sample is simply cut at the scalp by your practitioner, a friend or YOU. (Here is a quick video I recorded to show you how it is done: https://youtu.be/BjY4ELHR-Kw)
You need about 1.1 grams of hair to do the test. One inch (2.2cm) of hair will show what is being dumped into the hair over a three month period.
Will my first test show all my Heavy Metal toxicities?
Not all toxins will show up on your first test because heavy metals are stored in your tissues like the bones, brain and organs.
As you heal and replenish your nutrient deficiencies on Balanced YOU Program, the toxins will be released from storage (mobilized) and we will safely bind and remove these toxins from your body.
It is very important to monitor progress and tweak the recommendations via regular retests (every 4 months the first year and usually only twice a year thereafter).
Hidden toxins
Acute metal poisoning is rare. More common, however, is a chronic, low-level exposure to toxic metals that can result in significant retention in the body that can be associated with a vast array of adverse health effects and chronic disease.
Many people are very ill by the time they do a hair test and their bodies do not have the energy or are too sick to detox any longer. Most metals are what we call “hidden,” which means that the toxic metals don’t show up in the hair even though they are in other parts of the body. These toxins build up in the fat cells, liver, kidneys and other areas of the body. In many people, their bodies are too tired and malnourished to get rid of these toxins, so they stay “hidden” in these tissues.
When the body gets stronger, it will start pushing them out and removing them. When it does this, some of them will be put into the hair and we will see them on future hair tests.
You may ask, “How do you know everyone has toxic metals?” This knowledge comes from years of experience with these hair tests. Also, everyone gets exposed to various toxic metals. If the body has enough energy to get rid of it on a continual basis, the level is higher on the hair test. A very low level means that one can’t get rid of it, and it is accumulating inside one’s body.
Heavy metals must actively be purged for years and will only reveal themselves on subsequent hair tests as they are removed from the tissues and flushed out of the body. This requires a comprehensive program provided by me that combines the right diet, supplements, lifestyle and detox protocols that allow detoxification of these heavy metals on the deepest level.
What does a Hair Mineral Analysis reveal?
Hair mineral analyses are not medical tests. They are screening tests only and do not diagnose disease. However, a properly performed and interpreted hair analysis can reveal various mineral imbalances that indicate a tendency for various conditions. All of the mineral levels as a whole give a trained and experienced practitioner an idea of the condition of the various organs and the body as a whole.
Conditions which may result or be aggravated by a mineral imbalance are:
Depression,
Hypoglycemia,
Hyperactivity,
Headaches,
Hypertension,
Arthritis,
Hair Loss,
Anemia,
Thyroid Disturbance,
Prostate Disorders,
Digestive Disturbance,
Diabetes,
Musculo-Skeletal Disorders,
Cardiovascular Disease,
Skin Rashes,
Emotional Problems,
Allergies,
Hormonal imbalances
Adrenal fatigue and More.
Is Hair Mineral Analysis accurate?
The accuracy of the test depends upon which lab it is sent to. Just like medical tests, there are great testing companies like Metametrix and companies that do a really poor job. I send all my hair tests to Analytical Research Labs (ARL), who I think are the best hair mineral testing company in the US.
The key issue and debate surrounding hair testing and whether it’s accurate really is simply about whether the hair is washed in the laboratory or not (ARL does not wash hair samples)
The detractors are not really making this distinction. There have been a couple studies as to the efficacy of hair testing, but they were all washing the hair so of course the testing was not accurate. These studies were simply designed poorly. The test is not going to be accurate if you wash the hair with harsh solvents, which is what most companies do. This washes away the water-soluble minerals like sodium and potassium that are critical in determining thyroid and adrenal function.
YOU: I found an inexpensive hair test online!
Me: Don’t waste your money! Here is why:
If you do a quick Google search, you’ll find HTMA offered for under $100.
Most companies will do a hair mineral analysis at their cost (around $100) because they really just want to make their money selling you supplements.
They will most likely send you a computer generated report and computer generated supplement recommendations.
Again, they are making their money on supplements and they are NOT interested in getting to know YOU and helping you change your diet and lifestyle, they are not going to teach you detox procedures or how your body works.
You cannot get them on the phone or if you do, you will pay $120-200 an hour for consultations.
I offer a comprehensive program to correct the imbalances found on the test and I’m invested in helping you heal your body. Balanced YOU Program includes hair tissue mineral analysis, consultations, education, customized recommendations, unlimited support, years of experience working with women like you who want TRANSFORMATION, who are afraid of getting breast cancer, who have children and life and cannot do EVERYTHING they learn in books or on the internet. I can help you understand what is happening in your body, what caused it and I will start you with changes you CAN implement and we will build on what you CAN do! I will check in on you because I truly care!!! And if I don’t know an answer, I have a mentor with 40+ years of experience!!! Dr. L Wilson can point me in the right direction!!!
Who Needs a Hair Analysis?
Everyone should be tested to see what issues are going on in the body of which they may be unaware. Hair analysis can be used as a preventative tool by revealing mineral imbalances even before any health ailments manifest. Hair analysis opens up a whole new vista for solving health ailments by recognizing your biochemical individuality.
Even Dr. Mercola was shocked to find out his toxicity level when he got tested! He said:
I believe accumulation of toxins is an unfortunate artifact of living in the 21st century.
Many who have finally found Balanced YOU Program have tried many different therapies and treatments but have had little or no improvement in their condition. More commonly, the treatment simply mitigated their symptoms, not addressing the root cause of the illness or symptoms.
Balanced YOU Program addresses the root causes of illness, which is almost always related to nutritional deficiencies and heavy metal and chemical toxicity.
More importantly, anyone who has an illness for which there is no treatment or no explanation can be found is a perfect candidate to do a hair mineral analysis.
I tested my son for the first time when he was 2 years old. He was getting sick often and I finally lost trust in his pediatrician. When I detoxed Kai from heavy metals he inherited from me and received via vaccination, his health was recovered!!! His temper even got much better and he began to enjoy his life more.
You can also test animals! So many pets die from cancer and age prematurely. Like us, they are toxic and nutrient deficient.
Why Test for Minerals?
Minerals are the “sparkplugs” of life. They are involved in almost all enzyme reactions in the body.
Without enzyme activity, life does not exist.
The hair analysis graph shows the following nutrient minerals: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium, selenium, and phosphorus.
These minerals are necessary for proper functions of the organs and tissues of the body, but can also metastasize (store in organs where they’re not supposed to be) and prevent proper function in an unhealthy body.
Magnesium and potassium are intracellular minerals, which means only 1% of them is inside your blood, the rest is in the cells. Without HTMA you simply don’t know your mineral status!!!
Common Causes of Mineral Imbalances
Exposure to toxic metals from the air, food, water, environment, job or hobby.
Improper diet such as excessive intake of refined carbohydrates and sugars, strict vegetarian and vegan diets or other nutrient deficient/restrictive diets.
Inheritance of mineral patterns from parents. Mothers pass their mineral deficiencies and excesses to their children.
Taking vitamins and minerals that are not compatible with your current body chemistry.
Medications
Birth Control Pills
Stress depletes minerals
Is heavy metal toxicity a cause of my health ailments?
Hair mineral analysis screens for toxic metals including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum and nickel. Presently, humanity is exposed to the highest levels of toxic metals in recorded history, up to several thousand times higher than even several hundred years ago due to industrialization.
Many health conditions are simply heavy metal toxicity and can contribute to any imaginable health ailment or condition including cases of diabetes, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and others.
The danger of toxic metals in our environment is greatly aggravated due to low mineral content of our food supply and contamination of our food supply.
If one does not consume preferred minerals in the diet, the body will pick up whatever toxic metals from the food, air, and water as substitutes. A key principle to remember is an abundance of essential minerals in the diet protects the body against toxic metals.
What are common toxicities found on hair tests?
Copper toxicity is one of the most commonly encountered imbalances that we find on hair tests and is a contributor to many health problems including anorexia, fatigue, premenstrual syndrome, depression, anxiety, migraine headaches, allergies, childhood hyperactivity and learning disorders.
Mercury is found in almost everyone from consuming fish, although it’s also in the air due to coal burning. Mercury toxicity is associated with countless health issues including adrenal gland dysfunction, thyroid dysfunction, alopecia, bipolar disorder, birth defects, blushing, depression, dermatitis, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, hearing loss, hyperactivity, immune system dysfunction, insomnia, kidney damage, memory loss, mood swings, nervousness, numbness and tingling, pain in limbs, schizophrenia, tremors, peripheral vision loss and muscle weakness.
Aluminum is the most common element of the earth’s crust and is a very common toxicity. Aluminum has been found to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease, anemia and other blood disorders, colic, fatigue, dental caries, dementia dialactica, hypoparathyroidism, kidney and liver dysfunctions, neuromuscular disorders, osteomalacia and Parkinson’s disease.
Iron toxicity is typically due to overconsumption of grain and protein powder products that are “fortified”, but with a toxic form of iron. Iron toxicity is associated with inflammation, diabetes, hypoglycemia, prostate disorders, cancers, feelings of anger and rage, and infections.
Hair Mineral Analysis vs. Urine Testing
In a urine metals analysis one compares the levels of metals in urine before and after the administration of a pharmaceutical metal detoxification agent such as EDTA, DMSA or DMPS. Urine metals push tests using EDTA, DMSA or DMPS are perfectly good tests to show heavy metals in the body. Like any metals test, they will not show all your heavy metals. Most of our heavy metals are buried deep in our bones, brains and tissues and will only be revealed on any test after being on a detox program for an extended period of time.
These push tests are great adjuncts to HTMA because they show metals that are not on an HTMA and they use chelators to reveal metals that typically don’t show on an HTMA like lead.
Hair Mineral Analysis vs. Blood Testing
I don’t find blood to be an accurate indicator of metal or mineral status in the body. This is why so many people get tests and show low or no levels of metals. This tests gives many physicians a false sense of toxicity and they then miss vital information underlying a patients health issues.
The blood is generally maintained at the expense of other tissues such as the hair. The blood is the life force of the body and must be kept at very precise mineral levels – homeostasis. Mineral levels are kept relatively constant in the blood even when pathology is present (often at the expense of other tissues) and therefore the blood does not always accurately reflect existing mineral deficiencies and excesses. By the time mineral levels are low in the blood, the person is usually very ill.
This means that if there are any mineral imbalances in the body, they will show up first in the tissues such as the hair often years before the blood. For instance, if you have a zinc deficiency, it will show up far sooner in the hair because the body will literally reroute zinc from the less important tissues such as the hair to maintain the level in the blood and other vital organs.
Therefore, analysis of the mineral content of an individual’s hair can provide us with a general ‘blueprint’ of the mineral content in the rest of the body’s tissues. Since these minerals are crucial to the functioning of enzymes, hormones and other biochemical systems that sustain life, it is possible to read this ‘blueprint’ and see where metabolic patterns are deviating from the norm.
Toxic metals are not found in high concentrations in the blood except 90 days or less after an acute exposure. The body quickly shunts toxic metals into the tissues such as the hair, where they do much less damage. Since the body shunts heavy metals out of blood and into storage quickly, blood serum is not a good place to locate toxic metals unless the exposure took place in the past 1-3 months.
Metals are far easier to detect and measure accurately in the hair. Blood tests can vary significantly from hour to hour depending upon one’s diet, activity level, the time of day and many other factors. One benefit of hair analysis is the readings are not affected by day-to-day ups and downs of dietary changes such as the last meal you ate, menstrual cycles, and other short-term factors. Hair tests show a three month average of what has been dumped into the hair.
Can an HTMA Test Help Determine Vitamin Deficiencies/Requirements?
Minerals interact not only with each other but also with vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Minerals influence each of these factors, and they in turn influence mineral status. Minerals act as enzyme activators, and vitamins are synergistic to minerals as coenzymes. It is extremely rare that a mineral disturbance develops without a corresponding disturbance in the synergistic vitamin(s). It is also rare for a disturbance in the utilization or activity of a vitamin to occur without affecting the synergistic mineral(s).
An example of this can be seen in the relationship between vitamin C and the iron and copper levels in your body. Vitamin C plays a vital role in your body's ability to absorb iron, and also reduces copper retention. Boron and iron influence the status of vitamin B2. Vitamin B2 affects the relationship between calcium and magnesium. Vitamin B1 enhances sodium retention. B12 enhances iron and cobalt absorption. Vitamin A enhances the utilization of zinc, while antagonizing vitamins D and E. Therefore, evaluating the body's mineral status provides good clues of vitamin status and requirements.
Hair Sampling Guidelines
The Best Type of Hair Sample
The accuracy of a mineral analysis depends upon many factors. While the laboratory is responsible for the technical aspects of the test, the results will only be as good as the raw material or sample that is received. For this reason, the more care that is exercised by the person sampling the hair, the better the results will be.
Head hair provides the best sample, because it is clean and grows fast and evenly. If head hair is not available, however, pubic hair or other body hair may be used. It's important not to mix sample sources, such as half head hair and half pubic hair, which would provide unreliable results.
Hair Treatments and Perspiration
Most shampoos, rinses, conditioners, tints, sprays, and other hair products don't affect the test for three reasons:
Most of these products do not contain metals, which is all the hair test measures. Review the ingredients of all your hair products carefully. to ensure that metals are not present. For example, Grecian Formula shampoo included lead acetate as an ingredient until approximately June 2018. Head & Shoulders shampoo contains zinc and could elevate zinc readings. Selsun Blue shampoo contains selenium and could elevate this reading.
Hair is only 10-15% porous. This means that not very much is absorbed by the hair itself. (The scalp is porous and can absorb many chemicals.)
Most shampoos are only applied for 15-30 seconds, not long enough for much absorption to take place.
Home dye/color products do not alter the test appreciably. However, it is best to wash the hair at least 6-8 times after a color treatment before sampling. After a beauty parlor permanent or bleach treatment, ideally it would be best to let the hair grow out for 6-8 weeks. However, you may make a clinical decision that it is not possible to wait this long. The test may not be as accurate in this case, but the readings can still be very useful.
Heavy sweating just before sampling can increase sodium and potassium readings. Swimming in pools can increase your levels of copper and sodium.
How to Sample the Hair
Be sure to sample enough hair. The paper scale you receive when you order the test should tip to the other side. One of the most frequent problems at the laboratory occurs when too little hair is sent (less than 125 mg).
Scissors should be clean and sharp. Steel scissors are better than aluminum scissors. Be sure to cut off the ends of any hair that is over 1" to 1.5" long. Short hair can be a challenge, and thinning shears can often be helpful. Thinning will allow a more even sampling without leaving any "holes". Thinning shears are best when the hair is less than 1.5" long.
Hair should be dry when it is being sampled. Otherwise it cannot be weighed correctly. The sample should be taken between 4 and 20 hours after washing. This allows the hair to re-equilibrate after washing. Hair that has not been washed for more than 4 or 5 days is more prone to environmental contamination. If a salt-based water softener is used in the home, hair sodium levels may be affected.
Samples can be stored if needed, as hair does not deteriorate with time. Retest samples should be taken from the same area as the original sample, if at all possible. This assures continuity from sample to sample. However, it is not necessary to find the precise strands of hair for the next retest. Simply take the sample from the same general area.
Get a Hair Mineral Analysis
If you’re interested in getting a hair mineral analysis, you can purchase Balanced You Program from my store. The program includes HTMA test and with it you can begin your healing journey.
A hair mineral analysis shows your mineral levels and toxic heavy metal levels – or at least which are being currently dumped, or eliminated, into the hair. Additionally, it reveals your stress pattern – or how your adrenals and thyroid are functioning. It is a wonderful test for the purposes of designing an individualized Balanced YOU Program based upon your individual biochemistry.
Takeaway
EVERYONE has heavy metal toxicity. The only point of testing is so that your health practitioner can give you a plan to remove your heavy metals and replace the minerals in which you’re found to be deficient. In the absence of an effective plan to remove your heavy metals, you are only receiving a test that provides obvious information – that you have heavy metal toxicities.
I implore you to start thinking about your health and working to improve your health before you get sick. A hair mineral analysis can give you a crystal ball and preview into your state of health because it shows health issues and body chemistry imbalances before you manifest symptoms.
One thing to be aware of is once you present with symptoms or illness like cancer, for instance, you’ve been sick for 5-10 years. A hair mineral analysis will give you a place to begin and a plan to improve your health beyond what you thought imaginable. Regain your energy, clarity and vitality.