If you’re looking to detoxify your body, a hair mineral analysis (HTMA) is the absolute best place to start.
Toxins and mineral imbalances are difficult to identify based on symptoms alone. A lot of different toxins cause similar issues — fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and so on.
If you have those symptoms, it’s nearly impossible to tell what you need to detox without more information. It could be lead, or cadmium, or arsenic, or it could just be a mineral deficiency.
You need accurate data on the mineral and toxin levels in your body to figure out how to fix the problem.
If you want to get properly tested for heavy metals and find out EXACTLY which metals you are being exposed to — a hair mineral analysis (HTMA) is invaluable.
It tests for 38 different minerals and heavy metals. And, with the right interpretation, the data from your HTMA will provide deep insight into your body chemistry, including:
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Mineral imbalances or deficiencies
- Metabolism (fast or slow)
- Stress Levels
- Adrenal fatigue
- Thyroid function
- Inflammation
- Fatigue
- Liver and kidney stress
- Carbohydrate tolerance and blood sugar imbalances
An HTMA is fast, accurate, and noninvasive. It only takes a small sample of your hair, which you can take yourself and mail from the comfort of your home. Hair samples are stable enough to withstand shipping.
And because collecting a sample is so simple — it doesn’t require an office visit or a blood draw — HTMA is the most affordable way to test for toxins. It’s perfect if you’re struggling with toxins and are on a tight budget. That’s why I offer HTMA testing on its own, separate from the full Myers Detox Protocol.
What Does HTMA Test For?
HTMA tests for 38 different minerals and heavy metals, including:
Minerals
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Copper
- Zinc
- Phosphorous
- Iron
- Manganese
- Chromium
- Selenium
- Boron
- Cobalt
- Molybdenum
- Sulfur
Heavy Metals
- Antimony
- Uranium
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Beryllium
- Bismuth
- Mercury
- Cadmium
- Lead
- Aluminum
- Thallium
- Titanium
- Nickel
- Strontium
- Tin
- Tungsten
- Platinum
Your HTMA results will give you results for all the above elements, as well as their normal ranges, all in an easy-to-read graph.
How to Interpret HTMA Results
Once you’ve received your HTMA results, you have the data you need to start addressing the root causes of your physical and mental health issues.
To get the most out of your HTMA, you can work with a practitioner to receive a full detox plan, including HTMA analysis, a personalized detox protocol, a list of recommended supplements, and more.
I also offer the Myers Detox Protocol, which has everything you need to detox and restore your health – and the plan is tailored to your specific HTMA results.
However, you can also learn a great deal about toxins and mineral imbalances by interpreting your HTMA results on your own. The most common imbalances and toxicities include:
- Stress. Chronic stress depletes your magnesium and zinc. If they’re both low, there’s a good chance you’re under an unhealthy amount of stress. Supplementing with magnesium and zinc will help restore mineral balance, but the real key if you see this pattern is to manage the stressors in your life.
- Heavy metal toxicity. The pollution in our modern environment means we’re exposed to more toxins than ever before. This is particularly true if you live in a city or eat processed food, or if you have amalgam fillings (for mercury toxicity). Heavy metal build-up is surprisingly common. Toxic metals can also replace minerals at enzyme binding sites in your body, which may cause mineral depletion to show up on your test as well. If your results show heavy metal toxicity, this article can help you identify and get rid of the sources.
- Copper dysregulation. High or low copper is quite common, and either can contribute to depression, anxiety, migraines, brain fog, trouble focusing, faster aging, and more[*]. If you have copper dysregulation, this podcast episode will tell you how to address it.
- Aluminum toxicity. Aluminum is a common toxin in beauty and personal products (most notably antiperspirant deodorant). It’s also a common contaminant in our food supply, and fluoridated tap water increases leaching from aluminum cookware into meals you make at home. Aluminum is neurotoxic and can contribute to Alzheimer’s development, and it can slow down liver and kidney function[*]. Aluminum also deactivates enzymes that help you detox mercury, so aluminum and mercury toxicity often go hand-in-hand. If your HTMA results show high aluminum, this guide to supporting your body’s natural elimination of aluminum can help.
If you see any of the above results, you can use the linked resources to address them and bring yourself back into balance.
HTMA can also be used as a great guide for a targeted supplementation to reverse individual mineral deficiencies, although deficiency in individual minerals is sometimes a symptom of a larger problem, which is why working with a practitioner is helpful when interpreting your HTMA results.
How to Start Detoxing Today
An HTMA can give you the information you need to address the root causes of physical and mental health issues. If you suspect you have a build-up of toxins or a micronutrient imbalance, or you have unexplained symptoms like brain fog, weight gain, fatigue, or hair loss, you will certainly benefit from getting an HTMA.
After a long search and after having worked with multiple labs, I send all of our hair samples to an internationally-recognized lab that is a world leader in HTMA laboratory services. They’ve run more than 100,000 tests, and they process hair samples without washing them, which sets them apart from many other labs (washing a sample removes minerals, which leads to inaccurate results for proper interpretation).
If you think you may have toxin build-up or a mineral imbalance and you want definitive, accurate data on your health, you can order your HTMA here.
*Please note that A Hair Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, reverse, or prevent any disease. It is not intended to replace any other medical test(s) that may be prescribed by your medical doctor.
