Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) is a laboratory test of a hair specimen. HTMA measures the concentration of selected elements in the hair specimen you submit, reported against the laboratory's reference intervals. This guide explains how the test works, what the report shows, and what hair testing can and cannot tell you.
In This Guide
What Exactly is HTMA?
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis is a laboratory test that measures elements — nutrient minerals and toxic metals — in a small sample of scalp hair. As hair grows, elements are incorporated into the hair shaft, so a hair sample is a different specimen from blood or urine and answers different questions.
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. That is why your collection instructions cover washing, products and hair treatments, and ask you to keep only the section closest to the scalp.
Key Fact
Your sample is about 1–1.5 inches of hair cut from the root. Scalp-near hair roughly covers the past few months of growth, but the exact period depends on how fast your hair grows, and the result is not a definitive record of your nutritional status over that time.
How Does HTMA Testing Work?
Sample Collection
Your emailed instructions explain collection step by step, including washing, packaging and the submission form. The amount of hair needed is:
- About 1–1.5 inches from the root
- Approximately 1–1.5 tablespoons total
- Cut from 3–4 areas near the scalp (ideally nape of neck)
- Keep only the section closest to the scalp
Hair should be small clippings, not long strands.
Laboratory Analysis
Your sample is analyzed by Trace Elements, Inc., a CLIA-certified laboratory (per the laboratory) using ICP-Mass Spectrometry. CLIA certification relates to the laboratory's testing processes. It does not make us a clinic, and it does not validate every health interpretation of hair results.
Reading the Report
The laboratory reports each measured element against its reference intervals and calculates ratios between some elements. Ratios are calculated from measured elements and are labelled by element (Ca/Mg — calcium to magnesium). They are not tests of thyroid, adrenal, hormone or blood-sugar function.
What Does HTMA Measure?
HTMA uses a laboratory panel of nutrient minerals and toxic metals. The laboratory report lists each element measured — for example calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, zinc and copper, and toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and aluminum — with the laboratory's reference intervals.
A hair measurement shows how much of an element was found in the hair specimen. It does not measure how much of that element is stored in the rest of your body.
Mineral Ratios
Reports also show ratios such as calcium to magnesium (Ca/Mg), sodium to potassium (Na/K) and zinc to copper (Zn/Cu). Some practitioners use ratio patterns as a starting point for a nutrition discussion, and you may see some ratios described elsewhere as "thyroid" or "adrenal" ratios. Those labels are interpretations, not measurements: interpretation of hair mineral patterns is not established for all the uses it is promoted for; laboratory measurement quality does not validate every interpretation.
What HTMA Can and Cannot Tell You
What HTMA offers:
- Non-invasive collection: a small hair sample collected at home, with no blood draw
- A stable specimen: hair is mailed to the laboratory in a paper envelope
- A measurement of the hair itself: the elements found in your hair specimen, including some toxic metals, which can prompt a conversation about possible exposure sources
What HTMA does not do:
- It does not diagnose disease, poisoning, deficiency or toxicity. A result outside the reference interval is not a diagnosis of deficiency or toxicity, and a result inside it does not mean a level is "safe".
- It does not measure whole-body mineral stores.
- It does not identify what is causing symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep, low mood or hair loss.
- It does not replace blood tests or medical assessment. Hair testing does not replace appropriate medical assessment or conventional tests such as blood work. Interpret results in clinical context with a licensed healthcare professional.
Who Orders an HTMA Test?
People order HTMA for different reasons — for example, an interest in the minerals and metals measured in their hair, or to share the laboratory report with their own naturopath or functional-medicine provider.
HTMA is not a way to find out what is causing a symptom. If you have symptoms such as persistent fatigue, low mood, sleep problems, hair loss or changes in weight, see a licensed healthcare professional: these symptoms have many possible causes, and some need prompt medical assessment. If you know or suspect you have been exposed to lead, mercury or another metal, ask a licensed healthcare professional about appropriate testing, which is usually a blood or urine test.
Children and Pregnancy
A parent or legal guardian may order a test for their child — see HTMA testing for children. Our interpretation is educational and does not include pediatric supplementation guidance. Supplement selection and dosing for anyone under 18 require an appropriately licensed healthcare professional with pediatric expertise. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss any testing and any change to supplements with a licensed healthcare professional.
HTMA vs Blood Tests
HTMA and blood tests use different specimens and serve different purposes. Blood tests measure what is in the blood at the time of the draw and are the established way to assess many medical questions, including iron status and lead exposure. HTMA measures elements in a hair specimen that grew over roughly the past few months.
Neither test is simply "better". A hair result should not be used to dismiss a blood result or to delay medical assessment.
Learn more in our comparison: HTMA vs Blood Test: How Hair and Blood Testing Differ.
What the Research Says
Hair has been studied for decades as a specimen for measuring trace elements and metal exposure, particularly in environmental and population research. Its use for judging an individual's nutritional status or health is more limited.
In 2001 the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) convened an expert panel that discussed limitations of hair analysis, including external contamination, variable laboratory methods and limited ability to relate hair levels to health effects (ATSDR hair analysis panel). It is a 2001 discussion summary, not a current rule.
HTMA is one piece of information, not a diagnostic test. Use it alongside, not instead of, care from a licensed healthcare professional.
Getting Tested in Canada
HTMA Test Canada accepts orders from across Canada. The process:
- Order online — choose Essential, Comprehensive or Premium (see below)
- Receive instructions by email — your collection instructions and HTMA submission form are emailed. No physical kit is shipped; you use your own mailing materials.
- Collect your sample at home — following the emailed instructions
- Mail your sample — mail it directly to Trace Elements, Inc. in Addison, Texas, using your own mailing materials and postage. From Canada, Canada Post tracked packet is usually most affordable, and your instructions explain the customs declaration.
- Get your results — results are typically sent to us 10–14 days after the lab receives your sample, and we email them to you. The Comprehensive Report of Findings and the Premium video follow the laboratory report.
What Each Package Includes
- Essential ($149 CAD): the Trace Elements laboratory report, with graphs of measured elements and ratios. It does not include a practitioner review — it is perfect to review with your own naturopath or functional-medicine provider.
- Comprehensive ($249 CAD): everything in Essential, plus a custom 10+ page educational Report of Findings and diet handout written by our FDN-P practitioner.
- Premium ($399 CAD): everything in Comprehensive, plus a custom 30–60 minute prerecorded video going over your results and 10% off a retest. It is not a live consultation.
Our Report of Findings and video are educational wellness information from our FDN-P practitioner. FDN-P is a certification, not a licence to practise medicine, and our interpretation is not a diagnosis, medical treatment plan or prescription.
Ready to Order an HTMA Test?
Compare what each package includes before you order.
View Test PackagesFrequently Asked Questions
Is HTMA testing accurate?
Measurement quality depends on the laboratory. Your sample is analyzed by Trace Elements, Inc., a CLIA-certified laboratory (per the laboratory) using ICP-Mass Spectrometry. An accurate measurement of a hair specimen is not the same as an accurate picture of your health: results can be affected by external contamination, hair treatments and collection conditions, and laboratory measurement quality does not validate every interpretation.
Can I test if I have short hair?
Usually, yes. You need about 1–1.5 inches from the root, approximately 1–1.5 tablespoons total, and your emailed instructions include a collection video for shorter hair. If you're unsure whether you can collect enough, email support@realhealthdiagnostics.com before you order.
Do hair treatments affect results?
They can. Your collection instructions say: if hair is dyed/bleached, wait 6–8 weeks or at least 7 washes; avoid public pools for 1 week prior; and stop anti-dandruff shampoos for 2 weeks prior.
How often should I test?
There is no set schedule. Hair grows slowly, so a retest only reflects new growth after several months. Whether a retest is useful for you is worth discussing with a licensed healthcare professional.
For the collection checklist, a mineral quick reference and a mineral-rich foods guide, see our HTMA resources and guides.