Illustration of materials you supply — scissors, clean paper and envelopes. No physical kit is shipped; your sample is short clippings cut close to the scalp as your emailed instructions explain.
HTMA Essential
Your hair tissue mineral analysis — a laboratory panel of nutrient minerals and toxic metals from a single hair sample, delivered as the full Trace Elements lab report to review with your own practitioner. No practitioner review is included.
- Nutrient minerals & toxic metals measured from a single hair sample
- Mineral ratios alongside measured element levels
- Full Trace Elements lab report with color-coded graphs & charts
- Perfect to review with your own naturopath or functional-medicine provider
Nutrient minerals and toxic metals from a single hair sample
HTMA measures the concentration of selected elements in the hair specimen you submit, reported against the laboratory’s reference intervals. It does not diagnose the cause of fatigue, stress or sleep symptoms, and does not replace blood tests or medical assessment.
Nutrient minerals
The laboratory report lists each element measured — for example calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc and copper — with the laboratory’s reference intervals.
Toxic heavy metals
The laboratory report also lists toxic metals measured — for example lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum — with the laboratory’s reference intervals. A hair result alone does not diagnose poisoning or toxicity, and a result inside the reference interval does not mean a level is ‘safe’.
Key mineral ratios
Ratios are calculated from measured elements and are labeled by element (Ca/Mg — calcium to magnesium). They are not tests of thyroid, adrenal, hormone or blood-sugar function.
Why test hair?
Hair and blood are different specimens. Hair reflects elements incorporated into hair as it grew (scalp-near hair roughly covers the past few months of growth) and can be affected by external contamination, hair treatments and collection conditions.
This test reports elements measured in your submitted hair sample. It does not establish whole-body mineral stores, hormone levels, organ function or the cause of symptoms.
From order to results in 4 steps
Order online
Your collection instructions and HTMA submission form arrive by email.
Snip a small hair sample
A quick, painless trim from the back of the head — full guidance included.
Mail it to the lab
Return shipping is the customer’s responsibility — then the lab runs your analysis.
Get your results
A clear, color-coded mineral report — typically sent to us 10–14 days after the lab receives your sample.
A clear, color-coded results report
Every package includes the Trace Elements, Inc. laboratory report, which graphs each element measured against the laboratory’s reference intervals. A result outside an interval is not a diagnosis of deficiency or toxicity, and a result inside one does not mean a level is ‘safe’.
Essential is the laboratory report only — no practitioner review is included. Review it with your own naturopath, functional-medicine provider or other healthcare professional.
Trace Elements’ published sample reports show the laboratory’s report formats. Not every package includes everything shown in the laboratory’s examples — for example, the laboratory’s own interpretive narrative is a laboratory product, not our Report of Findings.
Independent functional health testing — not a medical clinic. Lab analysis by Trace Elements, Inc. Educational; not diagnosis or treatment.
Use results in context
Hair testing does not replace appropriate medical assessment or conventional tests such as blood work. HTMA does not diagnose thyroid or adrenal disease or establish the cause of symptoms, and interpretation of hair mineral patterns is not established for all the uses it is promoted for. Interpret results in clinical context with a licensed healthcare professional.
HTMA Essential — common questions
HTMA is a lab test that measures the levels of selected minerals and toxic metals in a small hair sample. Hair near the scalp roughly reflects the past few months of growth, and results can be affected by external contamination and hair treatments. It is not a standalone diagnosis or a substitute for medical care.
Just a small amount from the back of the head — about 1–1.5 inches from the root, approximately 1–1.5 tablespoons of clippings in total, taken from 3–4 spots near the scalp. Your emailed instructions walk you through it. Recently dyed or bleached hair can affect some readings, so wait 6–8 weeks or at least 7 washes; full guidance is emailed to you.
Results are typically sent to us 10–14 days after the lab receives your sample, and we will contact you once they arrive. Return shipping of your sample to the lab is the customer’s responsibility.
The Essential package gives you the Trace Elements laboratory report, with your measured mineral and metal values graphed against the laboratory’s reference intervals. No practitioner review is included — it is ideal if you already work with a naturopath or functional-medicine provider. For an educational written explanation, the Comprehensive package adds our 10+ page Report of Findings, written by our certified FDN-P practitioner.
Choose your HTMA package
Instructions by email · certified lab · lab estimate: 10–14 days after receipt.
Compare the other HTMA test packages
Already comparing options? See how the fuller HTMA packages build on the Essential lab report.
HTMA Comprehensive $179 USDEverything in Essential plus our 10+ page educational Report of Findings, written by our certified FDN-P practitioner.
Comprehensive HTMA test with Report of Findings →HTMA Premium $289 USDOur most complete package — full analysis, Report of Findings and a custom prerecorded practitioner video going over your results.
Premium HTMA package with a practitioner video →