Hair mineral analysis is an analytical screening test which measures the mineral content of hair.

The hair sample is obtained by cutting up to 1.5 inches of growth closest to the scalp at the nape of the neck. A shorter sample can be submitted for accurate results, as long as the total amount comes to about 250mg (approximately 1 tablespoon).

Further instructions will be included with your hair analysis kit regarding sampling size and requirements. It is best to sample from about 4 - 5 locations to get an equal representation for the most accurate results.

Following this recommendation of sampling from several areas also makes it so that the sampling process is much less noticeable as far as your hair style is concerned. The hair sample is then prepared in the laboratory and put through a series of chemical and digestive high temperature procedures to determine its mineral content.

A state-of-the-art ICP-Mass Spectrometry system is used to achieve the most precise and accurate results. This process separates the mineral content so that the dozens of tests that are performed can obtain a mineral profile that is presented in the full color graphs and then is discussed in the final laboratory interpretation.

Hair is effective for testing mineral status and metabolic activity because of its very nature. Hair is formed from clusters of cells that combine to make up the hair follicle. During the growth phase, the hair is exposed to the internal environment such as blood, lymph and extra-cellular fluids. As the hair continues to grow and as it reaches the surface of the skin, its outer layers harden. This locks in the metabolic elements accumulated during the growth phase. This provides a lasting record of the metal content and nutritional metabolic activity that occurred during this time.

Minerals are essential for life and abundant health. They are necessary for muscular activity, cellular metabolism, nerve conduction, structural support, immune functions, endocrine activity / anti-oxidants, enzyme functions, water uptake, acid / alkaline balance and healthy DNA functioning. Having all this information on hand provides an insightful blueprint for a health practitioner that can be used to design a health protocol specific to your health objectives and nutritional requirements.

As a screening tool it also provides valuable information to warrant further clinical diagnosis into areas of concern.

Your detailed report will be sent by email as it was prepared by the lab. If you are ordering a hair analysis interpretation and health program support package, you will also receive this at the same time.

If you have ordered an interpretation and health support package, then based on your results you will also receive detoxification, nourishment, maintenance, supplementation, dietary changes, pH information and a schedule of when to take your Trace Elements Supplements to bring your body back to perfect health.

If you also ordered heath program support with Keri Dennis - CFMP, then you will receive detailed feedback and guidance to implement the recommendations in your report. Be sure to discuss your Hair Mineral Analysis with a qualified health professional that is familiar with hair analysis data before you try to make dietary, nutritional or supplemental changes.

It usually takes about 15 business days, AFTER we have received your hair sample

Within about 1 - 2 days of receiving your sample, we will send an email notifying you of its safe arrival. Your email will also confirm that your hair sample did conform to our weight and length requirements for the lab to be able to preform a comprehensive and accurate analysis.

Dozens of tests and confirming tests are done on every hair sample, so be sure to send the required amount to avoid any delays that would occur from us having to contact you for a follow-up sample. If you are sending a sample from Canada by Canada Post, you should consider using a courier service like UPS if timely results are important. We have seen hair samples take 10-12 days coming across the border.

Your initial purchase will include an email from us that will cover the next steps to take. You can often just click on one of the options displayed by your email program or service provider to “Add to address book”. Your email settings often uses this to confirm that what you are receiving from us is legitimate when we send your final analysis results.

Your hair analysis test results are personalized for you, complete with graphs and explanations which will provide insights into nutritional imbalances that when addressed can be essential in supporting your health and vitality objectives.

Included with your test report is a complete and comprehensive evaluation and discussion of your significant mineral levels, ratios and toxic metals that were discovered in your analyzed hair sample. The interpretation section includes a listing of individual foods and food groups that you can either include or avoid in your diet. These recommendations are made with consideration to any potential food allergy indicators and the unique metabolic requirements that were identified in your hair sample.

Your report includes 2 full-color charts with up to 36 elements and up to 15 pages of supporting information as follows:

• • 14 Nutritional Elements.
• • 8 Toxic Elements.
• • Up to 14 Additional Elements.
• • An in-depth interpretive break down about what your hair analysis test results are saying.
• • Laboratory recommendations based on over 30 years of research to address any nutritional imbalances discovered by your analysis.
• • A full health program that, depending on your health requirements could have dietary, nutritional and metabolic lifestyle recommendations.
• • Supplementation schedule, including recommended dosages.

Note: Your HTMA will also provide information based on health conditions that are often seen in individuals that have the same nutritional imbalances as discussed in your report. This information is based on more than 30 years of ongoing research. As a screening method, this provides an insightful tool for discussing further clinical diagnosis options with your health practitioner. We always recommend that further types of diagnosis are done using professional medical and alternative sources before any health decisions are made. You can view a sample Here. [Opens new window]

If you are working with a Qualified Health Professional like Keri Dennis - CFMP, then you will have someone to work with to implement your health program. This is by far the BEST VALUE and is recommended for anyone that is not trained in proper hair test interpretation. If you are having trouble opening the PDF document above, then you might need to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat. You can get your version using the graphic below:

We offer several options for purchasing online or over the phone.

Purchasing Online

PayPal is one method that we offer that is preferred by many online shoppers due to the levels of protection and security that they offer. If you prefer to use a a credit card instead, then you can bypass the PayPal system WITHOUT having an account with them.

You can use the following credit cards during checkout:

Instructions for purchasing WITHOUT PayPal:

1. On the PayPal page, use the option titled, “Don’t have a PayPal account?”. (They hide it a bit, and you may need to scroll down)

2. Use the credit card of your choice.

3. When asked if you would like to open a PayPal account, decline and continue your checkout as a “GUEST”. Declining PayPal account creation and checking out as a guest will complete your purchase. Your hair analysis instructions will be sent to you instantly upon completion.

Purchasing Over The Phone

If you prefer to make your purchase over the phone, please Contact Us during regular business hours (Monday - Friday: 8am - 4pm PST).

Yes!

Hair Analysis Kits that have not been submitted to the lab can be submitted for a full refunded for up to 1 year and 1 day.

To review the return request policies for the different services and products offered through this website, please go to our return requests page.

You will need to make sure that you find out what has or is still putting the toxicity into your child.

This will require some detective work on your part, but it’s worth it as the sources that are poisoning your child could also be poisoning you and the rest of your family.

Then, you will want to implement a detoxification program into your child’s daily lifestyle and dietary plan to remove chemical toxicities from your body.

Take you first step on the road to better health by ordering your hair analysis test now!

For the most accurate results, do not include the root of the hair follicle with your sample.

Minerals are locked into the hair shaft as it grows, which in turn provides all that is required for accurate test results. During the laboratory testing procedure a protein matrix is dissolved within the lab, and then a state-of-the-art ICP-Mass Spectrometry system is used for the trace element analysis

Including the hair root would add in variables that could alter the final results… so it is best to follow the hair sampling protocol as specified by your hair analysis kit instructions.

A hair analysis is able to detect mineral levels in an analyzed sample. Because of the interrelationship with other nutrients, a hair analysis is also able to give insightful indications about many kinds of nutritional imbalances including vitamin deficiency.

Vitamins are closely associated with the metabolic functions of minerals. Enzymes are proteins that initiate and support cellular metabolic processes that require minerals for their activation. Vitamins are considered co-enzymes, aiding the minerals in their activity. Vitamin supplementation is often required to correct a mineral deficiency. For instance, in studies done with individuals suffering from night blindness, which is a common sign of vitamin A deficiency it was discovered that many individuals would not improve their eyesight after they started to supplement vitamin A.

Those patients that did not respond were found to also have a co-existing Zinc deficiency. When Zinc was supplemented, the night blindness was corrected. This study* also highlights the importance of obtaining an accurate mineral analysis, as taking more vitamin A would have produced a nutritional imbalance between other vitamins and minerals… rather than correcting the problem that vitamin A supplementation was intended for.

It is rare for a disturbance in the utilization or activity of a vitamin to occur without affecting the synergistic mineral(s).

Vitamin C for instance has a direct effect on iron absorption and also reduces copper retention. Iron and boron influence vitamin B2 levels. Vitamin B also affects the relationship between magnesium and calcium. The research involving the recognition of many synergistic and antagonistic interrelationships between vitamins and minerals continues to grow in depth and complexity. Testing your mineral status will provide insightful clues into your body’s unique vitamin requirements. Fortunately, your hair analysis report will provide vitamin and dietary recommendations that you can use for your nutritional rebalancing objectives.

Here at Hair Analysis Kit, your hair samples are NOT washed or exposed to cleaning solvents prior to analysis.

Studies indicate that the washing of hair samples at the laboratory have been shown to significantly wash out water-soluble minerals, by as much as 50%. This would have a significant impact on the accuracy of the recommendations made by both the laboratory and the attending health professional.

A 2001 study in the Journal of the AMA tested a number of labs for their accuracy and reliability of results. Of all the laboratories that were tested, our lab choice was one of only two nationwide… that passed their tests and showed superb reliability.

* Why is this important? Why get a hair analysis unless the information is reliable? Where your or your family’s health is concerned, inaccurate or incomplete information can cause more harm than good. Designing a detox or mineral re-balancing protocol requires that you have the most reliable information on hand.

Your hair analysis report will provide information on the following elements:

Toxic Elements

“Heavy Metals” are well-known for their interference upon healthy biochemical processes. They are commonly found in the environment and therefore are present in varying degrees in all biological systems. These poisonous metals pose a serious concern when excess amounts accumulate in the human body. This accumulation is commonly called, “Heavy Metal Poisoning”. Heavy Metals are called heavy, due to their “atomic weight”. This characteristic makes them dangerous because they often displace elements that have a lighter weight. Displacement of essential and trace elements impacts healthy metabolic functions which if left unchecked can lead to numerous health conditions. Mercury [Hg], Arsenic [As], Lead [Pb], Aluminum [Al], Cadmium [Cd], Uranium [U ], Beryllium [Be], Antimony [Sb]

Nutritional Elements

The nutrient elements have all been extensively studied and are considered essential for many biological functions in the human body. They play key roles in such metabolic processes as endocrine function, muscular activity, reproduction and structural integrity. Toxic excesses and deficiencies with these nutritional elements can often impact other nutritional inter-relationships, so rarely is only one issue discovered by a hair mineral analysis. Calcium [Ca], Magnesium [Mg], Copper [Cu], Zinc [Zn], Sodium [Na], Manganese [Mn], Potassium [K], Iron [Fe], Selenium [Se], Phosphorus [P], Chromium [Cr], Cobalt [Co], Molybdeum [Mo], Sulfur [S]

Additional Elements

Additional elements are included with your hair analysis report as they are considered to be possibly essential by the human body. Additional studies are being conducted to better define their requirements and the optimum amounts needed to support healthy biological functioning. Germanium [Ge], Barium [Ba], Bismuth [Bi], Rubidium [Rb], Lithium [Li], Nickel [Ni], Platinum [Pt], Thallium [Tl], Vanadium [V], Strontium [Sr], Tin [Sn], Titanium [Ti], Tungsten [W], Zirconium [Zr]

It is fine to send in hair that has been washed, but you will want to sample it while it is dry. Preferably in the morning before the days washing. If you are using vinegar as a post treatment, please forgo using it in your most recent washing before sending in your hair sample. After 30 years of research our choice laboratory has done numerous studies regarding the effects of many commonly used shampoo and conditioners. In these studies they have found NO significant effects on mineral content that would affect the accuracy of hair analysis as a screening method for heavy metals and nutritional deficiencies. There are several “Medicated” shampoos, conditioners and preparations that are discussed on this page that should be avoided for a few days prior to submitting your hair sample. Examples of medicated shampoos, conditioners and preparations that should be avoided for a few days before submitting your sample:

Head & Shoulders Dandruff Shampoos like Head & Shoulders will elevate the Zinc levels in your hair analysis results. This hair preparation product has NOT been found to affect the other elements being tested. Selsun Blue Selsun Blue is also a Dandruff shampoo, which will elevate selenium. This hair preparation product has NOT be found to affect the other elements being tested. Grecian Formula Darkening agents like Grecian Formula use lead acetate in its formulation. Even if the use of Grecian Formula increases the lead readings obtained from your sample, the other elements tested are NOT directly affected. Because metals are absorbed into the skin, the years of use of a lead based product on the scalp can eventually accumulate in an increased body burden of lead. Long term users of this product will often see this as one of the heavy metals that are found in excessive amounts even after discontinuing the product for many months, or even years. This is because the body would have already absorbed it through the skin and into the body over many years of use. Youth Formula Youth Formula is more of a browning agent that will cause the hair to turn a brown, or a chestnut color. This product also uses lead acetate in its formulation. Even discontinued use of this product for an extended period of time will still show elevated lead readings, because the body would have absorbed it through the skin over many years of use. The other elements tested do NOT tend to be directly affected. Further in our FAQ help pages you will find information about hair treatment products, dyes and bleaches. Please review before submitting your hair sample. Also, there is some debate about the process of “Laboratory Washing” of hair samples prior to analysis. Studies have shown that those methods tend to “Wash Out” water soluble minerals. Our choice laboratory does NOT use these methods as they believe it affects the accuracy of the final results. There is further reading available in our FAQ help pages.

Items that you would commonly already have at home can be used to successful submit your sample for hair analysis

The following is a brief overview. Please follow the instructions in your kit, as they are more detailed.

Hair sample collection should be done in a clean environment. You should also wash your hands, and make sure that your scissors or thinning shears are clean and in good condition. The total time to follow the instructions and prepare your package for mailing is usually less than 15 minutes.

Be sure to set out the following items in the space that you will be collecting and preparing your hair sample

1. Scissors. It is best to use a pair of stainless steel scissors, free of corrosion, rust or electro-plating to avoid contaminating your sample. Clean thinning shears may be used if your hair is very short.

2. Two Envelopes. One will be used for your hair sample. The second one will contain your filled out submittal form and your hair sample envelope which should be folded 1 - 2 times to fit inside.

3. A Pen. You will need this to fill in the details of your client submittal form that would have been provided when you purchased your hair analysis kit.

4. Your Client Submittal Form. You will need to print off this form, and include it inside your main envelope when you mail or courier your completed package to our office.

5. Your HAK ID#. Your will find your HAK ID# inside your confirmation email that is sent immediately after you purchased your hair analysis kit.

6. Measuring Tools. Often a tablespoon is used when measuring things visually. A weigh scale that displays measurements in milligrams can also be used. Please read the hair sample submission instructions found on our website carefully before preparing your sample.

Proper collection and preparation of your hair sample is extremely important and cannot be over-emphasized.

Yes. Upon purchase a receipt is sent to the email address you used during your purchase whether you are ordering a hair analysis, supplements or a health consultation with Keri Dennis - CFMP.

If you are ordering a hair analysis, you will also receive a HAK ID#. Use this id during correspondence when you contact us using any of our support options. You will also need to place this HAK ID on your submittal form when you send in your hair sample for analysis.

If you are ordering a health consultation, a email will be sent with further instructions on any additional information required, and how to schedule your consultation time.

One of the most common questions people ask about getting a hair analysis done, is just how much hair is required? And from what areas of the scalp does it need to be cut?

Amount

The lab performs dozens of tests and confirmation tests on every sample, to ensure the accuracy of the final results. To perform all these tests, about 250mg (or one tablespoon) of hair is required. If you are measuring this visually, it would be like placing 4 sugar cubes in a spoon. Hair grows at a rate of approximately 0.5 inches per month. The portion that is at the tips contains the oldest growth, while the hair closest to the scalp reflects the most recent growth. Essentially… the hair closest to your scalp shows your most recent health history and more importantly your current mineral status.

Therefore, we require that the amount sampled is no longer than 1.5 inches, to obtain a more accurate indicator of CURRENT toxic and mineral content. Submitting 0.5 - 1.0 inches is fine, just be sure to discard the oldest growth portion towards the tips. Sampling the proper amount is important. If you do not submit enough hair, the lab staff will halt the process and then we will need to retrieve a follow-up hair sample from you. This can considerably delay the delivery of your hair mineral analysis.

Location

It is best to sample from 4 - 5 locations, to get the best average representation. Sampling in this way, also makes it so that the process isn’t as noticeable to your current hair style. Avoid sampling from the top of your head. The metabolic information obtained by the lab is based on hair being sampled from the sides and along the nape of the neck. Hair grows at a different rate in these areas as compared to the top of your head or your forehead line.

The dietary recommendations made by the lab are somewhat influenced by the metabolic information obtained from your hair sample. The metabolic indicators provided from your analyzed hair sample is based on over 30 years of ongoing research, so please do follow the standardized guidelines when you prepare your hair sample. Your hair analysis kit will provide more in-depth and detailed information to assist you through every part of the hair sampling process.

Still Have Questions?

Your Health Program Consultant
Keri Dennis - CFMP

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