Hair Analysis - Why Should You Go For It?

A hair analysis or hair mineral analysis is carried to analyse the diseases and health symptoms as these are they are responsible for nutritional deficiencies, mineral imbalances and chemical toxicity.
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) tests are done as hair is one of the places where the body eliminates minerals and heavy metals. The levels and pattern of various minerals deposited in the hair can reveal a lot of information about your body chemistry and health.

Scientific basis for HTMA
When new hair cells form in the hair follicle, they absorb traces of substance going through the bloodstream of the person. Each hair has a life of about 5-6 years the after which it falls off the scalp, thus keeping a long lasting record all that passes through the body of an individual.

How is hair analysis carried out?
The hair closest to the scalp, like from the region around the nape of the neck is taken (a spoonful quantity) as it is the area where most recent growth is expected.
Hair analysis cannot show very recent changes in the body of a person, it can show changes that have occurred three months earlier or older than that.

Reasons why you should go for hair analysis:

1. It can measure the levels of a host of minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper, sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, etc. The amount of these and the ratio in which they are present helps understand and pre-empt certain diseases like Syndrome X and certain types of cancer.
2. It guides about the mineral deficiencies so that we can take the appropriate mineral supplement.
3. It can show if certain ingredients in your personal care items like deodorants, perfumes, hair care products are being absorbed to an abnormal extent by the body.
4. It can even help determine levels of heavy metal that are toxic like arsenic, uranium, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, lead, that are present as environmental pollutants in the soil, water, food, air of the people undergoing the hair analysis.
5. It can measure appropriate thyroid function by measuring the appropriate ratio of calcium and potassium levels.
6. It can measure the level of adrenal stress by measuring the ratio of sodium to magnesium.
7. It can provide information about your energy levels by determining your metabolic type ( slow oxidizer or fast oxidizer)
8. It can determine our body’s level of hidden inflammation. Certain mineral deficiency can lead to increase in free radicals in the body which can lead to a state of increased inflammatory markers.
9. It can help in determining the right mineral supplement can lead to better cognitive function and emotional stability by improving nerve function.
10. It can help determine carbohydrate tolerance and blood sugar imbalance like diabetes and insulin resistance.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!