Hair Analysis
Our therapists and practitioners are highly dedicated, licensed professionals dedicated to meeting your individual needs. We specialize in helping transform your life with holistic healing practices.
Practitioners and Therapists:
Della Rae Danley, LMT #MA0028047
Denise Boehm, LMT #MA49001
Hazel Fritz, LMT #MA0019293
Kirsten Bonucci-Saltvedt, LMT #MA11659
Kathy Doner, MD Hypnotherapist
Carol B. Todisco
LMT MA 42074
Hair Analysis
Drug and chemical residues, toxins, heavy metals, and radiation present in
the body embed in hair fiber protein as it grows. Hair has the advantage of
long-term memory. It's a permanent record, like tree rings. A three-inch strand
of human hair will give a six-month history of what's going on in the body
since head hair grows at a rate of about a half an inch a month.
Hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) is an analytical test, which measures
the mineral content of the hair. The sampled hair, obtained by cutting the
first inch and one-half of growth closest to the scalp at the nape of the neck,
is prepared in a licensed clinical laboratory through a series of chemical
and high temperature digestive procedures. Testing is then performed using
highly sophisticated detection equipment and methods to achieve the most accurate
and precise results.
Hair is ideal tissue for sampling and testing. First, it can be cut easily
and painlessly and
can be sent to the lab without special handling requirements. Second, clinical
results have shown that a properly obtained sample can give an indication of
mineral status and toxic metal accumulation following long term or even acute
exposure.
A Hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) reveals a unique metabolic world: intracellular activity, which cannot be seen through most other tests. This provides a blueprint of the biochemistry occurring during the period of hair growth and development
Hair is used as one of the tissues of choice by the Environmental Protection Agency in determining toxic metal exposure. A 1980 report from the E.P.A. stated that human hair can be effectively used for biological monitoring of the highest priority toxic metals. This report confirmed the findings of other studies in the U.S. and abroad, which concluded that human hair may be a more appropriate tissue than blood or urine for studying community exposure to some trace elements.
Why test for minerals?
Trace minerals are essential in countless metabolic functions in all phases
of the life process.
- Zinc is involved in the production, storage and secretion of insulin and is necessary for growth hormones.
- Magnesium is required for normal muscular function, especially the heart. A deficiency has been associated with an increased incidence of abnormal heart conditions, anxiety and nervousness.
- Potassium is critical for normal nutrient transport into the cell. A deficiency can result in muscular weakness, mild depression and lethargy.
- Excess sodium is associated with hypertension, but adequate amounts are required for normal health.
What can cause a mineral imbalance?
There are many factors to take into consideration, such as:
- Diet - Improper diet through high intake of refined and processed foods, alcohol and fad diets can all lead to a chemical imbalance. Even the nutrient content of a "healthy" diet can be inadequate, depending upon the soil in which the food was grown or the method in which it was prepared.
- Stress - Physical or emotional stress can deplete the body of many nutrients while also reducing the capability to absorb and utilize many nutrients.
- Medications - Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can deplete the body stores of nutrient minerals and/or increase the levels of toxic metals. These medications include diuretics, antacids, aspirin and oral contraceptives.
- Pollution - From adolescence through adulthood the average person is continually exposed to a variety of toxic metal sources such as cigarette smoke (cadmium), hair dyes (lead), hydrogenated oils (nickel), anti-perspirants (aluminum), dental amalgams (mercury and cadmium), copper and aluminum cookware and lead-based cosmetics. These are just a few of the hundreds of sources, which can contribute to nutrient imbalances and adverse metabolic effects.
- Nutritional Supplements - Taking incorrect supplements or improper amounts of supplements can produce many vitamin and mineral excesses and/or deficiencies, contributing to an overall biochemical imbalance.
- Inherited Patterns - A predisposition toward certain mineral imbalances, deficiencies and excesses can be inherited from parents.
Can vitamin requirements be determined from a mineral
test?
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 a synergistic mineral(s). For example,
vitamin C affects iron absorption and 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, and vitamin A enhances the utilization of zinc, while
antagonizing vitamins D and E. Protein intake will affect zinc status, etc.
Therefore, evaluating mineral status provides good clues of vitamin status
and requirements.
Is Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis supported by research?
Hair tissue mineral analysis is supported by an impressive body of literature
in a variety of respected national and international scientific publications.
Over the past fifteen years, hair mineral testing has been extensive. Each
year in the United States alone, federally licensed clinical laboratories perform
over 150,000 hair mineral assays for health care professionals interested in
an additional screening aid for a comprehensive patient evaluation. This does
not take into consideration the thousands of subjects used in numerous continuing
research studies conducted by private and government research agencies.
Cost for Hair Analysis Services $130.00
Initial Consultation and Hair Analysis $85.00
Consultation with Findings $45.00
To set an appointment, please visit our Melbourne center, or contact us by telephone. We look forward to meeting you soon.
