Hair tissue mineral analysis

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is a non-invasive health screening tool for measuring your body’s mineral status. 

Mineral concentrations in your hair can provide a reliable indicator of mineral stores in the whole body. If your health, diet or environment has created a mineral imbalance or toxic mineral excess, it is recorded in the hair shaft.

This data from a hair tissue mineral analysis can highlight potential health problems and provides a nutritional program designed to meet your individual health needs.

Minerals are essential for growth, healing, vitality and wellbeing. They provide structural support in bones and teeth, and they maintain the body’s ‘acid-alkaline balance’, water balance, nerve conduction, muscle contractions and enzyme functions. Minerals participate in almost every metabolic process in the body.

Ideally, we should get all the minerals we need from a balanced diet. Unfortunately, this is difficult in today’s world. Modern farming techniques, fertilisers and depleted soils reduce the mineral content of foods. Environmental toxins, chemical food additives and stressful lifestyles also have a detrimental effect on our nutritional status. Consequently, we need to test and monitor our nutritional needs.

There are many causes for mineral imbalances, including, improper eating habits, stress, medication, pollution, genetics, individual constitution, and nutrition. 

These imbalances can be discussed during a consultation.

An imbalance of minerals can affect many things, including; acne, anaemia, atherosclerosis, depression, fatigue, high blood pressure, hypercholesterolaemia, infertility, macular degeneration, mood swings, PMS, stress, allergies, anxiety, cardiac conditions, diabetes, hair loss, hormone imbalances, hypoglycaemia, insomnia, memory, muscle cramps, prostate disorders, thyroid disorders, alzheimers, arthritis, dental problems, digestion, headaches, hyperactivity, immunity, migraines, osteoporosis, skin, wound healing.

During a homeopathy consultation, we can discuss conducting a hair mineral analysis. I’ll generally explore this option with you if there are obstacles stopping your body from healing in its natural state. 

To conduct a hair mineral analysis, you'll need to provide a sample of your hair to send off to the laboratory for testing. It is a quick and easy process which involves cutting the hair close to the scalp. It is best to use the first 4cm of hair as this reflects the body’s most recent metabolic activity. The laboratory requires 0.25gm (or one tablespoon) of hair for testing and the hair needs to be clean, shampooed, untreated and uncoloured.

I'll explain the process during your appointment and provide you with the kit so you can take the sample at home or with your hairdresser. Your sample is then sent off to the laboratory for testing and takes approximately 2-3 weeks for the results.

During a follow-up consultation, I’ll take you through your hair mineral analysis report. This is an in-depth report which contains your mineral analysis results and nutritional recommendations. I’ll then work with you to create an individual treatment plan to rectify any of the imbalances identified.