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HAIR TEST & DETOX

Nutritional balancing to regain your energy!

 Trace minerals are essential in countless metabolic functions in all phases of the life process. 

What is hair mineral analysis?

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Hair tissue mineral analysis (HTMA) is a laboratory test that measures the mineral content of hair. The mineral content includes both nutritional minerals as well as toxic heavy metals.

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The test results provide a vivid picture of your internal environment. This would give an insight into your metabolism and hence giving a piece of candid information on the nutrients in your body and whether the body works effectively or not.

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How can hair mineral analysis help me achieve better health?

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Trace elements (minerals) are a substance that is more important in human nutrition than vitamins. The body can manufacture many vitamins, but it cannot produce necessary trace minerals or get rid of many possible excesses. We retain the nutrition from our diet so when we see deficiency or excess it helps to determine the best nutritional program for you.

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On the other hand, hair analysis will give us insights into potential heavy metal accumulation that contributes largely to all sorts of symptoms and problems;

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  • Weight problems 

  • Energy problems 

  • Brain problems 

  • Pain problems 

  • Digestive issue problems

  • Immune system problems  

Balancing Body Chemistry with Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis 

What can cause a mineral imbalance?

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  • Improper diet, inadequate nutrients in a healthy diet

  • Physical and emotional stress depleting nutrients and hindering absorption

  • Medication depletes nutrients, minerals and/or increases levels of toxic metals

  • Pollution like cigarettes, deodorant, cosmetics, dental amalgams, exhaust from traffic, toxic workplace/furniture, VOC's etc 

  • Nutritional supplements in an improper amount or incorrect form  

  • Genetics and inherited patterns from parents 

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What this test can reveal about your health?

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  • Potential heavy metal burdens and the exact kind

  • We will see your mineral deficiencies or excess and can create a targeted protocol 

  • Mineral toxicity (some minerals can become toxic in excess)

  • We will explore mineral ratios as these are equally important to individual levels 

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In addition a properly interpreted hair analyses can provide a picture of your body chemistry:

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  • Nutrition deficiencies and imbalances 

  • Metabolic rate (fast or slow)

  • Adrenal fatigue 

  • Thyroid function 

  • Nervous system function 

  • Protein synthesis 

  • Inflammation

  • Energy levels 

  • Liver and Kidney stress

  • Carbohydrate tolerance and blood sugar imbalance 

  • Cortisol and Stress hormone level 

"Minerals play an important role in countless metabolic functions"

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Advantage by running a hair test, unlike blood, saliva or urine test?

 

A hair test will show us the retention of minerals over a longer period, around 3 months. Unlike most other tests who only report what is being transported at the time of the test. A hair analysis will give us a bigger picture of your health status and then we can provide appropriate individual solutions.

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Since we are seeing deficiencies and excess we can create a targeted supplement protocol instead of a general protocol created by guessing and influence of the media. For example excess vitamin C supplementation may result in copper deficiencies which in return could cause a build-up of iron. And too much iron may play a role in headaches, arthritis, and high blood pressure.

Here are a few examples of some of the minerals and their role in metabolic functions;

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  • Magnesium; This is required for muscle relaxation as well as protein and fat synthesis. Signs of deficiencies include weakness, heart irregularities, muscle cramps, fatigue, insomnia, and anxiety.

  • The electrolytes potassium and sodium help with the transportation of nutrients into the cell and play important roles in nerve transmissions and muscle contractions.

  • Selenium works as a vital antioxidant and may help reduce heavy metal toxicity. It also may help decrease the risk of cancer by supporting DNA repair.

  • Boron is considered important for healthy joints and bones. It also may help the body absorb calcium and protect against calcium loss.

  • Zinc is critical to immune function and helps with many hormone activities including the storage and secretion of insulin. A deficiency may result in skin changes, hair loss, slow wound healing, acne, reduced appetite, and recurrent infections.

  • Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body and plays an important role in the structure of every cell in the body. A deficiency may cause fragile bones, joint stiffness, and weakness.

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Why do I use Trace Element, Inc. Laboratory exclusively? 

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  • They don't pre-wash the hair with solvents that leach out minerals before they get listed on the report 

  • A nice presentation of the individual markers

  • Reports 22 more elements than other hair laboratories 

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How to cut a hair sample?

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Step 1: Wash your hair 

  • Don't use dandruff shampoo

  • For best results avoid conditioners 

  • Do not use leave-in conditioners, hair gel, hair cream, hair spray or others until after you have cut the hair sample

  • Hair color, tint, dyes is ok, just wait a few washes 

  • Bleach, highlights and perms can alter the structure of the hair, simply sample a piece of hair that has not been highlighted 

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Step 2: Dry hair for 4 hours 

  • Hair needs to be fully dry when sampling

  • Avoid activity that will cause you to sweat

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Step 3: Cut the hair sample 

  • Cut it as closely to the scalp as possible with a clean scissor 

  • You will have enough hair when the 1 inch (2.5-4 cm) hair sample fills a FULL TEASPOON or tips the scale

  • For repeat hair analysis, it’s best to keep the samples no longer than one inch (2.5 cm)

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You may cut the samples from any part of the head but we recommend the back of the head, as it often grows fastest. If head hair is not available, the next best is beard hair, then arm/chest hair, but do not mix sample types (for example, do not mix beard hair and head hair). Pubic hair is not as accurate and should only be used as a last resort.

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Keep track of which end of the cut hair is from the scalp because we only want the inch or so of hair that was directly against your scalp! This is because the hair furthest from the scalp is the oldest. Older (longer) hair will show us the chemistry of your body months or even years ago, so it's not accurate for your body’s current chemistry.

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Step 4: Mail the sample 

  • Place your hair in the small PAPER envelope and add your information 

  • Do not place hair samples in plastic baggies, tin foil, or stapled or taped to forms

  • Place the hair in the paper envelope, fill out the forms and mail it off

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TIPS FOR SHORT HAIR

You can avoid leaving bald spots by cutting multiple very-small samples from all over the head.

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TIPS FOR MEDIUM-LENGTH OR LONG HAIR & RETEST

You can easily hide the sample location by pinning part of your hair up, to expose the center of the back of your head and cutting the sample from UNDER the hair, about 2-3 inches (5-7.6 cm) above the base of the hairline. That way the sample spot will be hidden whether you wear your hair up or down. This also allows you to easily find the same spot when you do a repeat hair mineral analysis after 3-4 months: you simply cut the new growth from the same spot.

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