Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) Test
Uncover mineral imbalances, learn which foods and nutrients you need the most, and address the cause of your health problems with a non-invasive hair test.
Test from Home
Using our at-home HTMA test kit, you can start from anywhere in the United States or Canada.
Proper Lab Procedure
BEWARE: For accuracy and reliability, hair samples must be processed at a laboratory that does not wash the hair sample.
9+ Years Experience
HTMA is a complex test to interpret. I've reviewed hundreds of hair tests and can help you understand what it all means.
What is Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis?
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA for short) is a laboratory test for 20 minerals and toxic metals in your hair. The balance of minerals in your hair can tell you about your adrenal and thyroid function, metabolic type, stress patterns, immune system, and much more. Most importantly, hair analysis can help determine which vitamins and minerals you need to rebalance your body chemistry and restore energy production—the key to healing most health issues.
Hair analysis is unlike other tests because it provides insight at the cellular level, which is where most chemical reactions occur. This is why hair analysis often reveals significant imbalances even when other tests are normal.
Benefits of doing a hair analysis with an experienced practitioner:
Uncover biochemical imbalances that are causing fatigue and other health issues.
Many people struggle to find a cause of their health problems, even after visiting several doctors. But if you're not feeling well, there's a reason. And many times, hair analysis can explain why. For example, hair analysis can reveal heavy metal toxicity, mineral deficiencies, metabolic imbalances, dietary issues, hormonal imbalances, and much more. Read the section "What Can Hair Analysis Tell You About Your Health" below to learn more.
Take nutritional supplements with precision and accuracy.
Sifting through the array of health claims, marketing hype, and conflicting expert advice about nutrition is confusing and time-consuming. With hair analysis, you’ll have a nutrition program that’s customized for your unique needs. You’ll know exactly what supplements to take and how much to take. No more guessing, and no more trying to figure it out on your own. Hair analysis is the only scientific system for choosing nutritional supplements that's designed for optimal health.
Avoid wasting money on supplements that are inappropriate for your body chemistry.
Instead of jumping on the latest supplement trend, hair analysis gives you a look under the hood to assess your biochemistry BEFORE you start spending money on supplements. With hair analysis, you can start taking supplements that you actually need.
Avoid creating imbalances that make your health worse.
Taking random vitamins and supplements without any data from your body can easily create imbalances that disturb your sleep, lower your energy, make you more emotional, and cause other health problems. With hair analysis, you can be confident you are taking your health in the right direction.
Heal chronic health issues that haven't responded to other therapies.
When you give your body the right nutrients, in the right amounts for your specific needs, your body simply functions better. Your brain function improves. Your energy improves. Your appearance improves. Health problems begin to clear up on their own, without having to focus on them.
Monitor your progress and track results.
When taking supplements, it is hard to tell if they are working at a deeper level. With hair analysis, you’ll have benchmarks and guidelines that show you that you are improving. You’ll be able to track changes in your body chemistry and monitor your progress. Plus, we can adjust your program periodically as your body chemistry changes.
Support your body during stressful times.
New stress factors in your life can cause shifts in your body chemistry that leave you feeling anxious and out of balance. With hair analysis, we can recommend specific foods and supplements to help you reduce the stress response and restore balance during stressful life phases.
What Can Hair Analysis Tell You About Your Health?
IMPORTANT: All information in this article depends on a properly performed hair analysis. The hair must be tested at a reputable laboratory that does not wash the hair sample at the lab, and the test results must be interpreted using metabolic typing and the stress theory of disease.
Mineral Deficiencies
Stress Patterns
Dietary Problems
Adrenal Insufficiency
Metabolic Imbalances
Heavy Metal Toxicity
Thyroid Imbalances
Immune System
Personality Insights
Dietary Needs
When interpreted properly, hair analysis can answer the following questions:
- Are you lacking minerals that are needed to produce energy? Minerals such as magnesium, selenium, manganese, copper, zinc, and others are required in critical steps of the body’s energy cycles. Hair analysis can reveal low mineral levels years before they show up on other tests.
- Are toxic metals causing fatigue and other health problems? Toxic metals such as mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, and others interfere with thousands of enzyme reactions, many of which have to do with energy production. Toxic metals go under the radar because blood tests are not good at detecting them. However, everyone today has high levels of toxic metals in their bodies due to contamination of the food, air, and water. Although no test can detect the total amount of toxic metals in the body, hair analysis is known as a reliable test for toxic metal poisoning.
- WHY are your hormone levels low? Many people learn that their fatigue, cold intolerance, weight gain, and other symptoms are due to low hormone levels. But instead of looking for a cause, most doctors prescribe daily hormone replacement medication to manage the problem. Meanwhile, hair analysis can reveal several underlying causes of low hormones, including copper and mercury toxicity, and low levels of selenium, zinc, and chromium.
- Thyroid effect. Even when hormone levels are normal, many people still suffer from fatigue and other signs of hypothyroidism. This is because other factors can prevent hormones from being utilized within the cells. Hair analysis can show you if your hormones are reaching the cells and having the desired effect.
- Adrenal burnout or insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency refers to the inadequate production of adrenal hormones (aldosterone, cortisol, etc.). When adrenal hormone production is low, chronic fatigue and exhaustion are common. Since the adrenal hormones have powerful effects on your mineral levels, hair analysis can assess the adrenal glands from several angles. It one of the more reliable tests for adrenal insufficiency, a common problem today.
- Why fatigue does not respond to iron supplementation. Many cases of anemia have nothing to do with iron deficiency. For example, without bioavailable copper, iron is not incorporated into hemoglobin. In this case, iron supplementation is a bad idea and can make your health worse. Hair analysis can identify several biochemical imbalances associated with anemia, including copper imbalance, lead toxicity, and cadmium toxicity.
- How is stress affecting your health? Excessive stress from stimulant use, fast-paced lifestyles, worry, lack of rest, nutritional depletion, and other factors activates the sympathetic nervous system, also known as the fight-or-flight response. Excessive stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system prevents adequate regeneration of the body and eventually leads to burnout. Hair analysis can show you if you’re stuck in fight-or-flight, and the impact it is having on your health.
- What vitamins and minerals do you need to rebalance and heal? Each person has unique nutritional needs depending on their metabolic type, mineral balance, and other factors. Hair analysis and nutritional balancing is the most scientific and efficient way to determine which foods and supplements you need the most.
Hair analysis can also answer the following:
- Are you a Fast or Slow Oxidizer? (Critical for determining your nutritional needs.)
- How much fat should you include in your diet? (Fast oxidizers need more fats.)
- Are you eating the wrong foods for your metabolic type?
- Is it safe to become pregnant?
- Are you using toxic personal care products, such as aluminum-containing anti-perspirants?
- Occupational Exposure to Heavy Metals: Is your job making you sick?
- Your Stage of Stress: Are you in the exhaustion stage?
- Are you exceeding your carbohydrate tolerance (eating too many carbohydrates)?
“I used to think I knew so much about nutrition prior to hair analysis…”
I visited multiple practitioners for help with my symptoms, but no one gave me any clear answers. My aunt told me about hair analysis, and I decided to do it with Brian because it appeared to be an inexpensive way to get a whole-body picture of what was going on.
The hair analysis revealed I was a fast oxidizer—someone who converts food into energy at a faster pace than normal. This helped me understand why I often felt so hungry minutes after eating a meal. It also revealed that most of my minerals were on the low side and explained that my adrenal and thyroid glands were overactive due to high stress levels.
For someone who’s struggled with finding the right diet and supplements for the past two or three years, I was relieved to finally have a nutrition and supplement plan that was customized to my own needs.
—Stephanie, Woodbridge, Virginia
About Your HTMA Practitioner
My Experience with Hair Analysis
Destructive habits in my youth left me feeling exhausted by the time I graduated college. I tried one dead-end remedy after another until I did a hair mineral analysis.
My hair analysis revealed that mercury and copper toxicity were draining my energy and causing havoc with my nervous system (nervousness, anxiety etc.). It also revealed that the constant stress had depleted my adrenal glands and caused a zinc and magnesium deficiency.
On a nutritional balancing program, my energy gradually returned, and I was able to give up coffee and start playing basketball again. I also became more grounded and confident.
Today, I offer hair analysis and individualized nutritional balancing programs to clients across the United States, helping them resolve a wide-range of physical and mental health complaints that doctors have no answer for.
I am always excited to share test results with clients because it is often eye-opening and life-changing—especially for those who have struggled to find answers to their health problems.
Hair Analysis vs. Blood Analysis
How is Hair Analysis Different from Other Tests?
Blood and urine tests provide important information about a person’s biochemical status, but they only evaluate the fluids of the body.
Hair analysis is unique because it is a soft-tissue biopsy.
A biopsy is an analysis of a body tissue—a very different compartment than the blood. Biopsies provide information directly at the cellular level, which is where energy production and most other biochemical reactions occur.
The cells, not the blood, is where the magic happens.
Blood tests may show acceptable levels of minerals, hormones, and other nutrients, but what matters most is what is reaching your cells!
Longer-term reading
Another key difference between blood and hair testing is the time period measured. Blood tests measure what is in the blood at that exact moment. They are subject to fluctuations depending on the food you ate last, emotional activity, the time of day, and many other factors. Hair testing is not subject to these variations. Instead, hair analysis provides the average mineral levels over three to four months, making it very useful for detecting chronic imbalances.
Video Recording vs. Photograph
I like to think of hair analysis as a video recording and blood testing as a photograph. The examples below demonstrate key differences between testing for minerals in blood versus hair.
Example 1: Mineral Deficiencies
When calcium levels drop in the blood, the body rapidly responds by taking calcium from your bones and releasing it into the blood. This is why you can have osteoporosis (demineralization of the bone) and at the same time have a normal blood calcium level. The bones (tissues) are essentially robbed of minerals to protect the blood levels. This allows the body to deliver essential minerals to where they are needed most.
Hair analysis is an early warning system.
Since hair is a non-essential tissue, deficiencies show up much sooner in the hair than the blood.
Example 2: Toxic Metals
When you are exposed to toxic metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and others, the body removes them from the blood as quickly as possible. They are moved to locations where they can be stored or eliminated—including your hair. Toxic metals tend to only show up in the blood soon after exposure. Hair analysis can reveal past exposures to toxic metals that are missed by blood tests.
Why Don't Doctors Use Hair Analysis?
One of the main reasons doctors don’t use hair analysis is because hair analysis is based on a different paradigm than conventional medicine. Let me explain.
Conventional medicine is based on a diagnose-and-treat paradigm. Medical doctors are trained to identify or diagnose a recognized disease and then to use a specified remedy to treat the disease. It is a disease-centered system. The treatments used by medical doctors are mainly drugs and surgery, which of course do nothing for the underlying cause.
Hair analysis and nutritional balancing, in contrast, is a health-centered system. The goal is to improve a person’s health, not manage their disease. This involves rebuilding and balancing body chemistry.
If doctors were to use hair analysis, they would have to learn an entirely new and complex system. If they started using hair analysis, most of their drugs and surgery would become obsolete.
Of course, this will never happen because the pharmaceutical industry controls medical education and the medical licensing boards. There is an enormous financial interest in preserving the drug-based and disease-based medical system. Even natural doctors rely heavily on the diagnose-and-treat model, although their treatments and remedies are usually less toxic than conventional medicine.
Why Do Hair Analysis with Me?
The success of hair analysis depends on the proper interpretation of the test.
If the test is not interpreted properly, the corrective program will not be effective.
Most practitioners who offer hair analysis use the test solely to detect toxic metals or mineral deficiencies. Then they may suggest taking a supplement of whichever mineral is low. This approach is called replacement therapy.
But improving mineral balance is not as simple as replacing minerals that appear deficient.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Paul Eck pioneered a completely different way to interpret and utilize a hair mineral analysis.
He found that in order to improve the balance of minerals, one must work with the body’s mineral system.
Over the course of 25 years, he developed the principles of nutritional balancing science—a system for restoring optimal mineral balance.
This approach involves using the test as a whole-system analysis, rather than viewing each mineral reading as a separate test. This is the key to restoring optimal mineral balance.
WARNING: There are very few doctors or nutritionists who are trained in this system. Although I am not a doctor, I’ve been using hair analysis since 2015 and have reviewed hundreds of hair tests. I also consult with doctors who have decades of experience with hair analysis on a regular basis. Other types of hair analysis offered on Amazon such as 5Strands and Doctor’s Data are not the same!
Quick Turnaround
Using our at-home hair collection kit, you can start from anywhere in the United States.
Confidential and Private
I value privacy and will not release
8+ Years Experience
HTMA is a complex test to interpret. I've reviewed hundreds of hair tests and can help you understand what it all means.
How HTMA Works
The Hair Analysis Process
Getting started is easy. All we need is a few snips of hair taken from your scalp. And don’t worry, I’ll show you how to do it without creating noticeable bald spots.
Read below to learn about our HTMA Packages.
I was hesitant to have a hair sample cut from my scalp, but I was also eager to learn what hair analysis would tell me about my health.
The test also revealed a few things that I had already suspected: my liver was doing poor job at eliminating toxins and therefore I had some copper and heavy metal build-up. I also assumed that not every mineral level would be perfect, but I had no idea which were out of balance until I received my results.
I’ve done lots of tests but nothing compares to the amount of insight that I received from my hair analysis. It was amazing to see exactly what was going on in my body, as opposed to “shooting in the dark.”
I really enjoyed my consultation with Brian to review my test results. I had many questions, and Brian thoughtfully answered them all. I love that Brian’s approach addresses you as a whole, instead of just treating symptoms.
I would highly recommend hair analysis with Brian for anyone who has unexplained physical or mental health complaints. It’s also a great idea for anyone who’s interested in understanding their health on a deeper level.
— Laura, age 26
How Much Does Hair Analysis Cost?
Hair testing is relatively inexpensive. Most of the cost of doing a hair analysis comes from working with a practitioner. An experienced practitioner will interpret the test for you and design a nutrition program for you based on your test results. I offer three options for getting started with hair analysis:
Read below for more details about each HTMA package.
HTMA Only—$99
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) Test for 20 Minerals and Toxic Metals
You’ll get accurate readings for the levels and ratios of 20 minerals and toxic metals in your hair—presented in a chart that graphically illustrates your results. Your results provide the roadmap for rebalancing your body chemistry.
Hassle-Free Coordination of Your HTMA Test Kit
A hair collection kit will be shipped directly to your home with instructions for taking your hair sample. It will include a cardboard scale, an envelope for your hair sample, and a pre-addressed envelope with postage that you'll use to mail your hair sample to Analytical Research Labs in Phoenix, Arizona.
Understanding Your HTMA Test Results (Video Series)
In this three-part video series, I review the HTMA chart and explain how to interpret your hair analysis test results. Although these are pre-recorded videos and not personalized for your test results, they will give you a lot of insight into what your test results mean.
**BONUS: Review of Your HTMA Test Results**
As a bonus, I will personally review your test results and send you information about the major imbalances on your HTMA. This will help you decide how you want to move forward with your health.
HTMA Lite—$299
Everything in HTMA Only, plus:
Laboratory Interpretation and Health Report Booklet
You will get a detailed explanation of your test results in a 20+ page lab report that includes a toxic metal assessment, stress analysis, and insights into your metabolic type, dietary issues, energy level, immune system, adrenal and thyroid function, autonomic nervous system balance, and trends for over 50 common health conditions. You will receive this report in the mail. Click here to see a sample HTMA Report.
30-Minute Consultation to Review Your HTMA Test Results
Now that you have your test results, what does it all mean? In this 30-minute consultation, I will give you a detailed analysis of your test results. I have reviewed hundreds of hair tests over the past eight years and I will help you understand what your test results mean to you. I will also answer any questions you may have. You’ll choose between a phone or Zoom consultation.
Practitioner Report with My Analysis of Your Test Results
In addition to the laboratory report, you will also receive my analysis of your test results based on Dr. Lawrence Wilson’s interpretation system. This is an advanced interpretation system that gives you deeper insight into your health. This report is non-technical and easy to read—you don’t need a PhD to understand your results.
HTMA Premium—$499
Everything in HTMA Lite, plus:
Nutritional Balancing Program Setup
I’ll design a nutritional balancing program that’s customized for you based on your hair mineral analysis results and health history. Your program will include:
- Specific dietary guidelines for your metabolic type, including drinking water recommendations.
- Several carefully targeted nutritional supplements, designed to balance and strengthen your body chemistry.
- Lifestyle recommendations for rest, sleep, exercise, stress reduction, mental training, and more.
- Instructions for home-based detoxification and healing procedures.
- All of this in a PDF report so you have a clear record of your program recommendations.
50-Minute Consultation to Discuss Your Program
We’ll spend about an hour discussing your program recommendations. We’ll discuss your specific needs, and I’ll answer any of your questions. This consultation will be combined with the 30-minute consultation to review your test results for a total consultation of 80-90 minutes.
30-Minute Follow Up Consultation
After you have started your program, you’ll likely have many more questions. You’ll be able to book a follow up consultation at any time during the first two months to ask questions, talk about your program and your progress, or for general support. During this consultation, I will make adjustments to your diet and supplement program, as needed, to keep you moving forward.
Phone and Email Support (6 Months)
I am here to support you and answer questions if you are following the recommended supplement program. The first 15 minutes of all communications are free of charge. This way you can avoid the problems and pitfalls of trying to figure out everything on your own.
Choose a hair analysis package to get started
HTMA Only
If you want to test your mineral levels, ratios, and toxic metals with minimal investment.
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HTMA Kit Shipped to Your Home
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Graph of Your HTMA Test Results
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HTMA Test for 20 Minerals and Toxic Metals
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Understanding Your HTMA Results (Video Series)
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Option to Add Consultation at a Later Time
HTMA Lite
If you want a thorough, personalized interpretation of your test results.
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Everything in HTMA Only, plus...
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20+ Page Lab Report Explaining Your HTMA Test Results
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Practitioner HTMA Analysis Report
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30-Minute Consultation to Review Test Results
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Option to Add NB Program Setup at a Later Time
HTMA Premium
If you want to start a personalized nutritional balancing program based on your test results.
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Everything in HTMA Lite, plus...
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Nutritional Balancing Program Setup
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50-Minute Consultation to Discuss Program
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Phone and Email Support (6-Months)
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30-Minute Follow Up Consultation
Client Results with Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis
Update 7/2022: Two subsequent blood tests revealed normal level of thyroid hormones including TSH. It appears that my Grave's disease is resolved. I feel good! Just need to lose some weight.
I got the report from the analysis and started making changes that were recommended and I noticed about a week into the first few supplements and making the start of dietary changes that I was sleeping consistently every night without help. Falling into a good quality sleep and staying there. Waking up by myself with out the alarm clock and feeling refreshed. This alone was worth every penny. I really do appreciate the changes so far. And I am just getting started.
Should You Get a Hair Analysis?
Anyone who wants to function their best should consider doing a hair analysis to assess their body chemistry and see where they are out of balance. Using your test results, I can design a nutritional balancing program to optimize your mineral balance and support your body’s self-healing ability.
Those who need a hair analysis the most include:
- Anyone with unexplained or mysterious health issues.
- Anyone who takes nutritional supplements.
- Women with fertility issues.
- Women who want to assess their health before becoming pregnant.
True Prevention. Hair analysis can reveal imbalances years before they manifest as symptoms or more serious health problems, so you don’t have to wait until you are sick to take action.
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Nutrient minerals tested are calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium, selenium, phosphorus, cobalt, molybdenum, and lithium. Toxic metals tested are lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, and nickel.
The reason is that many of the minerals that are deposited in your hair are controlled by the nervous system, organs, glands, and/or other factors. For example, the balance between Calcium and Potassium provides information about thyroid activity. A person’s thyroid activity can provide further information about their symptoms, personality tendencies, energy level, and more. By analyzing multiple mineral levels, ratios, and patterns, you can see how it can quickly add up to providing a lot of information about a person’s health.
In other cases, a mineral level, ratio, or pattern has been correlated with certain symptoms, health conditions, and personality tendencies through clinical research, but there may not be a known scientific explanation.
NO! Hair analysis is not a diagnostic test for any disease. However, many mineral imbalances and patterns have been correlated with certain health problems.
Hair testing equipment (ICP Mass Spectrometers) measures hair mineral levels with an accuracy of plus or minus about 3%. This is about the same accuracy of most blood tests. The same technology is used for soil testing and testing of rock samples for mineral levels. It is the gold standard for testing minerals in biological samples.
You can expect to have your test results within 10 days of mailing your hair sample to the lab.
Yes, if you originally purchased HTMA Only or HTMA Lite, you’ll be able to purchase a consultation ($120) and/or Nutritional Balancing Program Setup ($200) at a later time.
*Upgrading to HTMA Premium must be done within two months of your hair test date so that our nutrition recommendations are still valid.
When you order HTMA Premium, you will receive recommendations for several nutritional supplements. Most of the supplements I recommend come from Endomet Labs. Endomet designs nutritional formulas to correct specific hair analysis patterns. The monthly cost for supplements is about $170.00 when you order directly from Endomet Labs. As my client, the lab will credit you with a 10% discount on every order (plus free shipping)!
When following a nutritional balancing program, we suggest doing a follow up test every 4-6 months. This is needed to ensure the diet and supplement program is still correct for you as your body chemistry changes. The fee for a retest is $199 for adults and $179 for children.
At this time, we are only offering HTMA to customers in the USA and Canada.
No, we do not participate in any insurance plans.
Hair Sampling Questions
Yes. You can cut your own hair sample or have a friend or hair dresser cut it.
The ideal sampling location is the back of your head (nape area). This is where hair grows most consistently. Beard hair or pubic hair should only be used as a last resort, or if sufficient head hair is not available.
You must cut your hair sample from as close to the scalp as possible. This will provide the most recent information. However, sampling can easily be done in a way that is not noticeable and does not affect your hair style. All of this is explained in the instructions.
If you have long hair, you can take larger samples from two or three areas in the back of your head. If you have short hair, it is best to take smaller samples from multiple areas.
The lab needs 125 mgs of hair (about a tablespoon). A cardboard scale is included in the kit to ensure you send enough hair.
Some dyes contain minerals, so it is best to take the sample before dying your hair or allow the hair to grow out an inch or so before sampling. Permanents and bleach treatments damage the structure of the hair, so it is best to allow the hair to grow out an inch or more before taking a sample.
I use Analytical Research Laboratories (ARL) in Phoenix, Arizona for hair analysis. ARL is CLIA-certified and is one of only two labs that uses proper testing techniques. This means that they do not wash the hair sample at the laboratory—a practice that has been shown to produce erratic results.
Hair Sampling Questions
Can I cut my own hair sample?
Yes. You can cut your own hair sample or have a friend or hair dresser cut it.
Which minerals does hair analysis measure?
The ideal sampling location is the back of your head (nape area). This is where hair grows most consistently. Beard hair or pubic hair should only be used as a last resort, or if sufficient head hair is not available.
The ideal sampling location is the back of your head (nape area). This is where hair grows most consistently. Beard hair or pubic hair should only be used as a last resort, or if sufficient head hair is not available.
How long does it take to get my results?
https://arltma.com/newsletters/calcium-shell/
Can I cut my own hair sample?
Yes. You can cut your own hair sample or have a friend or hair dresser cut it. If you are cutting the sample yourself, it is easiest to take the hair sample from the sides of your head.
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Finally, get answers to your health problems
Minerals affect how you feel, think, and act. Uncover and address your mineral imbalances with a hair mineral analysis.
Questions?
Contact me directly using the contact form below or call me at 703-485-8245 (texting disabled).
Updated April 2nd, 2024 4/02/2024