What is a hair mineral analysis (HTMA) test and is it valid?

Many people are turning to a hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) test to uncover deeper insights into their health. This is because an HTMA test can reveal root causes of symptoms and also predict future issues a person may face due to various mineral imbalances, deficiencies, excesses and toxic metals.

What is a hair mineral analysis test?

A hair mineral analysis (HTMA) test is non-invasive and affordable, measuring mineral levels and toxic metals over the last three-month period (3 cm sample from the root). As hair grows (about 1 cm per month on average), it pulls in substances from the bloodstream during its formation. This includes essential minerals (like zinc, magnesium, and iron) and toxic metals (like mercury, lead, and arsenic). Once the hair strand forms, these substances are locked in and no longer metabolically active. That makes hair a stable, time-stamped record of exposure or nutritional status.

When assessing a first hair analysis test, the results will show data from the last three months if a 3 cm long sample is taken, however there are certain patterns on the hair test that suggest a person has had the same mineral and toxic metal pattern for a long time – for example a BOWL pattern (arranged like a bowl) on the first four minerals calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium indicates a stuck pattern – both physically and usually emotionally as well.

So unlike blood, which fluctuates daily and only provides a snapshot, hair reflects long-term mineral storage and toxin accumulation over the past 3–4 months and possibly a lot longer. This makes HTMA incredibly useful for detecting imbalances before symptoms appear, but often people seeking a hair test are usually experiencing a long list of symptoms already.

Commonly tested minerals include:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Iron
• Copper
• Selenium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Chromium
• Mercury
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Aluminium
• Nickel
• Molybdenum
• Lithium
• Cobalt

HTMA vs blood tests – what’s the difference?

An HTMA shows mineral levels over a 3-4 month period, whereas blood shows a snapshot of current levels and can be affected by what one has eaten or taken over the last day.
 
Blood is tightly regulated by the body to stay within a specific range. This means early imbalances often don’t show up in blood, while HTMA reveals what's stored in tissue, giving a more functional picture of what’s going on.

Hair samples are analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) or ICP optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). These are advanced instruments capable of detecting trace elements at parts-per-billion sensitivity.

At Analytical Research Labs (ARL) in the USA, which Hair Analysis UK and Hair Analysis USA use, HTMA is performed with rigorous quality controls to ensure accuracy and consistency. ARL uses ICP-OES, a trusted method for multi-elemental analysis.

Analytical Research Labs is one of the only labs that doesn’t wash hair samples, ensuring you get a more accurate representation of what's truly stored in your body. This is why ARL is considered by many to be one of the best hair mineral analysis labs worldwide.  It is also the first lab to create mineral balancing programmes and find a way to use hair analysis to help people resolve their health problems.

What can hair mineral analysis show?  

Many people today live with unexplained fatigue, anxiety, burnout, hormonal imbalance, and chronic symptoms that standard tests don’t explain. A hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) test can uncover hidden imbalances in your biochemical terrain that may be the root cause of these issues.

It can support healing from:

• chronic fatigue and burnout
• hormonal imbalances (PMS, low testosterone, thyroid issues)
• anxiety, panic attacks, and low mood
• insomnia and poor stress resilience
• digestive complaints linked to mineral deficiencies
• blood sugar dysregulation
• poor immune function or recurrent infections

What do we look at on a hair test as hair mineral analysis practitioners?

1. Mineral ratios – your metabolic blueprint

HTMA doesn’t just show individual mineral levels; more importantly, it reveals ratios between minerals, which reflect how systems in the body are functioning. Ratios represent homeostatic balances, disease trends and can predict future metabolic issues as well.

For example:

a) Calcium to magnesium ratio – relates to sugar and carb metabolism and is often called the blood-sugar ratio. Calcium is required for the release of insulin from the pancreas, and Magnesium inhibits insulin secretion. Magnesium is necessary to keep calcium in solution. A very high or very low ratio can be associated with extreme stress, but also sugar and carb intolerance or hypoglycaemia

b) Sodium to potassium – relates to adrenal function, energy, and fluid balance. It is considered the most important ratio because it shows the effectiveness of the sodium pump mechanism and the electrical potential of cells, which is regulated by sodium and potassium levels. In other words, if the ratio of these minerals is unbalanced, it can indicate important physiological malfunctions within the cells, such as poor nutrient uptake and limited waste removal and overall low vitality.  A high ratio is associated with inflammation, acute stress, allergies, kidney and liver dysfunction, etc, while a low one can not only indicate the same but also digestive issues, adrenal fatigue and even heart issues.

Other ratios are calcium to potassium (thyroid), sodium to magnesium (adrenals), zinc to copper (immune, copper toxicity, energy, mental health and hormones), calcium to Phosphorus (stress and nervous system).  

2. Chronic stress and adrenal fatigue

A hair analysis test can indicate adrenal burnout or chronic stress, such as low sodium and potassium levels, low or hidden iron and copper, high calcium (a loss) – a sign of brain fog, plus emotional suppression or long-term trauma.

3. Inflammation and energy production

An HTMA can uncover imbalances that block cellular energy (ATP) production and increase systemic inflammation, such as:

• High copper levels – or hidden toxicity, linked to anxiety, PMS, histamine issues, OCD, fears, eating disorders).
• Low magnesium - associated with anxiety, poor sleep, muscle tension, palpitations etc.
• Iron dysregulation.
• High toxic metals like aluminium or mercury, which interfere with mitochondria, mental health and energy production and glandular function.

HTMA detects heavy metals that have taken the place of certain minerals – this is called ionic mimicry. For example:

• Lead displaces Calcium, Iron, Zinc
• Cadmium displaces Zinc, Calcium, Selenium
• Mercury displaces Selenium, Sulfur (in amino acids like cysteine)

And so on. These metals can then be linked to certain symptoms:

• Mercury – linked to brain fog, fatigue, and immune suppression.
• Aluminum – associated with cognitive decline and nervous system issues.
• Lead – disrupts nervous system, bone, and kidney health.
• Cadmium – suppresses adrenal and immune function.

If you're looking for deeper insights into your health, especially when blood tests come back normal, HTMA may be the tool you're missing. It offers a clear window into mineral imbalances and toxic loads that impact energy, mood, hormones, and long-term health.

When choosing a provider, make sure your test is processed by a reliable lab like Analytical Research Labs that doesn’t wash hair, ensuring accurate and trustworthy results. At Hair Analysis UK we use ARL, and you can post your sample off to our UK agent, who will then send it to the USA lab for you.

We can then start to correct these imbalances through targeted nutrition, detoxification support, and lifestyle changes for marked improvements in energy, mood, digestion, and sleep.