Hair Analysis, Lab Testing & Consultations

What each test actually answers

These panels are not interchangeable. They look at different systems and are frequently used alongside one another.

Minerals

Hair tissue mineral analysis

Measures mineral levels and toxic element exposure accumulated in tissue over months, and the ratios read from them — oxidation rate, the sodium/potassium vitality ratio, the zinc to copper relationship.

Hormones

Saliva and dried urine

Six-point circadian saliva collection maps cortisol and DHEA-S rhythm across a full day alongside the sex hormones. Dried urine adds estrogen metabolites and thyroid markers.

Metabolism

Urine amino acids

Metabolic testing identifies methylation status and indicates which forms of B vitamin and which amino acids — calming or stimulating — are appropriate.

How the hair analysis works

Collecting the sample

The kit is mailed to you. The sample is about a teaspoon of new growth cut close to the scalp, and the kit includes a scale so you can weigh it correctly. Collection takes a few minutes and can be done at home.

What comes back

A multi-element assay from the laboratory, and a Pattern Report interpreting the ratios and trends. Initial kits and retests come with thirty minutes of consultation time with Eileen Durfee.

Why retesting matters more than testing once

A single chart is a snapshot of what is mobile right now. Toxic metals sequestered deep in tissue frequently do not appear on a first test, and surface on later ones as body chemistry improves — which is why a rising number on a retest is often a sign the program is working rather than failing.

Retesting every three to five months exists because mineral patterns genuinely shift on that timescale. The sequence of charts carries more information than any single one, and program recommendations are adjusted from it.

Both kinds of testing belong in the picture. Blood work and hair tissue mineral analysis measure different things and answer different questions — blood reflects what is circulating now, tissue reflects accumulation over months. The interpretive framework used here comes from the combined work of Dr. Paul Eck, Dr. Lawrence Wilson and Dr. David Watts at Trace Elements Inc.

What I actually do with your chart — Eileen Durfee

I began training in nutritional balancing under Dr. Wilson in August 2011 and moved on as an independent practitioner in the autumn of 2017. Since then I have read a great many charts, and the reading order has settled into something fairly consistent.

The sodium/potassium ratio comes first, because it tells me the stage of stress — alarm or exhaustion — and that single question reframes everything after it. Then the oxidation rate, read from the calcium to potassium and sodium to magnesium relationships, because fast and slow patterns need close to opposite support. Then the zinc to copper relationship, ideally near 8 to 1, because copper hides and has to be read through its effects rather than its own number.

What I am not doing is diagnosing anything. A hair analysis does not name a disease and it does not replace your doctor. What it does is show the nutritional and toxic-element layer underneath the symptoms — the layer standard blood work is not built to describe — and that is enough to design a program tailored to your specific biochemistry rather than to a general recommendation.

The clients who get the most from this are the ones who commit to the retest cadence. I would genuinely rather someone test twice across a year than buy twice as many products in the same period.

Where to start

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Kit - Initial HTMA Test & Pattern ReportKit, multi-element assay, Pattern Report and thirty minutes of consultation time. Retest Hair Analysis Kit - ARL Profile 3 HTMA Retest & Pattern ReportFollow-up testing to track progress, recommended every three to five months. HTMA Profile 2 Multi-Element Assay & Pattern Report (Initial)Trace Elements Inc. initial assay with Pattern Report and consultation time. Dried Urine Hormones - Sex, Thyroid, AdrenalSex, thyroid and adrenal panel with cortisol curves and estrogen metabolites. Metabolic Testing Urine - Amino AcidAmino acid and metabolic profile identifying methylation status and supplement forms. TCM Consultation with Eileen DurfeeQuestionnaire review and individualized recommendations from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective.

Related concerns

Adrenal & Stress Recovery Detox & Liver Support Hormone Balance Thyroid & Metabolism Methylation Support Foundational / Daily Essentials Digestive & Gut Health All Health Concerns

Common questions

How much hair do you need, and how do I collect it?

About a teaspoon of new growth cut close to the scalp. The mailed kit includes a scale so you can weigh the sample correctly, and collection takes only a few minutes at home.

Does a hair analysis replace blood work?

No, and it is not meant to. Blood reflects what is circulating right now; a hair tissue mineral analysis reflects mineral levels and toxic element exposure accumulated in tissue over months. They answer different questions and work best together.

How often should I retest?

Every three to five months. Mineral patterns shift on that timescale, and the sequence of charts carries more information than any single result. Program recommendations are adjusted from the trend.

Why did my toxic metals increase on a retest?

That is common and often encouraging. Metals sequestered deep in tissue may not register on an early test, and become measurable as body chemistry improves and they begin to mobilize toward elimination.

Which test should I start with?

For most people the hair tissue mineral analysis is the starting point, since it maps the mineral and toxic element layer that so much else sits on. Hormone and metabolic panels are added when the picture calls for them.

Start with the chart

Every other category in this store gets easier once there is a hair tissue mineral analysis to read. The kit is mailed to you with a scale — the sample is about a teaspoon of new growth.

Get a Hair Analysis Kit See All Testing Options

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Wellness Shopping Online is operated by Nuco Enterprise Solutions LLC. Your healthcare provider can help you shape a program that fits your individual situation.