Consider diet is what we consume and nutrition is what we retain. A hair analysis helps pinpoint what your nutritional status is and with that information we can work together to find a plan that will help you be able to pinpoint what food and supplements you need to take AND which ones you need to avoid so that you can have better health.
With a properly obtained sample, hair analysis is extremely accurate. Over the last 20 years there are over 1000 references in peer-reviewed journals that document and support the reliability of hair analysis.
I love blood labs! However, blood tests give information about your mineral levels at the time of the test only. A hair test will show your actual storage levels of minerals over a certain period of time (generally 2-4 months). The caveat to this is that iron, copper and zinc are three minerals that I normally like to see in conjunction with an HTMA as those three nutritional elements are hard to assess solely from a hair sample.
A urine sample measures the minerals that are being excreted from your body- not necessarily what has been absorbed as fuel for you body.
A blood test and urine sample will only show a snap shot of your health at the time of test versus a hair analysis is like a video in regards to it gives information of whats going on longer term.
There may be times that urine, stool or blood would be more beneficial. If you aren’t sure what’s best for you, set up a discovery call and I can help you navigate what the best testing option may be.
Yes! It is impotent to get a “clean” sample. If you use a dandruff shampoo or other medicated shampoo it is impotent to use a clarifying shampoo so that you don’t get an inaccurate reading. If you have dyed or bleached your hair then you need to wait 4-6 weeks before taking the sample.
You will take the sample from your scalp hair using 3-5 different locations. You use scissors to cut the sample as close to the root as possible. You only keep the first 1-1.5in closest to the scalp and discard the rest. You will need about 1 tablespoon of hair.
Drugs do affect your nutritional status as well as your requirements. For example, steroids used for pain control can produce calcium loss. These effect vary with the amount and duration of the drug being taken. A hair analysis will show you how to counteract these effects by addressing any imbalance that is now evident. Some vitamins and minerals can interfere with medications, so it is important to check with your doctor as well if you are on medication.
This is a bit complicated to answer. Of course, you are aware that imbalances in your body that have developed over a lifetime are not correctable overnight. As those imbalances correct, underlying (and previously undetected) imbalances may surface. That is why it is important to retest every 2-4 months (depending on what your hair analysis showed). You can use hair analysis long term as a preventative health measure, or you can use it to correct the things that are currently causing issues in your life and once you experience relief from that you may choose to stop. Generally speaking I would say that to start correcting some of these long term issues it will take between 4-6 retest. This is of course dependent on many things such as how compliant you are with the protocol and lifestyle and dietary suggestions.