Human HTMA
First-time analysis
$175
Repeat / follow-up
$150
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis
A steady look at the minerals shaping your energy, thyroid, and metabolism.
HTMA is a lab-verified read of the essential trace minerals stored in your hair — a slow-growing tissue that records what blood levels rarely reveal — and it can also show the presence of toxic metals. Our practice has used it in clinical work for more than twenty-five years.
25+ years of clinical HTMA practice
Trace Elements, Inc. — USA-licensed reference lab
Human · Equine · Canine
The Test
A window into tissue-level mineral status.
Blood chemistry captures a single moment. Hair grows slowly, drawing minerals from circulation over weeks, and stores what the body was actually doing during that time. HTMA measures the levels of essential minerals — Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Copper, Zinc, Selenium, Chromium, Manganese, and more.
HTMA can also show the presence of toxic metals such as Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, and Aluminum, but it is not a quantitative measurement of body burden. Heavy metals are largely protein-bound and sequestered in deeper tissues, so a negative HTMA reading for a toxic metal is not an assurance of its absence. When toxic metals do appear on the report, that finding could be clinically meaningful.
Just as important as the individual levels are the ratios. Calcium-to-Magnesium, Sodium-to-Magnesium, Sodium-to-Potassium, Zinc-to-Copper, and — the most important of all — Calcium-to-Potassium each speak to specific physiology: adrenal reserve, thyroid function, neurotransmitter balance, and metabolic rate. A well-read HTMA is not a single number; it is a pattern.
“You can trace every illness, disease and symptom back to a mineral deficiency.” — Linus Pauling, Ph.D., two-time Nobel laureate
Pricing
Two ways to work with us.
Order the test for a full lab panel with a written interpretation, or add a consultation for a one-on-one review of your results and personalized guidance.
Tier 1
HTMA Testing
Collection kit, laboratory analysis at Trace Elements, Inc., and a written interpretation with recommendations.
Equine & Canine HTMA
First-time analysis
$225
Repeat / follow-up
$210
Tier 2
Personal Consultation
A one-on-one review of your HTMA report with individualized guidance, applying the clinical principles of Mineral Medicine — The Missing Elements That Change Everything.
With HTMA-trained associate
Human Consultation
Delivered by our HTMA-trained associates, teaching the principles of Mineral Medicine as applied to your report.
First-time consultation
$550
Repeat / follow-up
$495
Directly with our lead practitioner
Equine Consultation
A personal consultation with our lead practitioner — reviewing your horse's HTMA and building a tailored mineral protocol.
First-time consultation
$645
Repeat / follow-up
$595
A follow-up test is recommended three to six months after starting a mineral protocol. Repeat pricing applies to any subsequent test or consultation for the same patient or animal.
What you receive
More than numbers on a page.
Every HTMA order returns a full lab report — essential-mineral levels, a screen for the presence of toxic metals, key ratios, and the reference lab’s standard plain-language narrative. Guidance calibrated to the approach described in Mineral Medicine is delivered separately, in an optional consultation (see pricing).
01
Full mineral panel
Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Copper, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, Manganese, Molybdenum, and other essential nutrients — measured in parts per million.
02
Toxic-metal screen
A screen for the presence of Mercury, Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Aluminum, Nickel, Uranium, and other heavy metals. Because these metals are largely protein-bound and stored in deeper tissue, HTMA can indicate their presence but is not a quantitative measure — a negative reading is not proof of absence.
03
Significant ratios
Ca/Mg, Na/Mg, Na/K, Zn/Cu, and — the most important of all — Ca/K. Together they speak directly to thyroid function, adrenal reserve, neurotransmitter balance, and metabolic rate.
04
Metabolic-type read
Fast, slow, mixed — a physiological framing that shapes which foods, minerals, and supplements are likely to help versus hinder.
05
Graphed results
Every value plotted against its reference range so you can see, at a glance, where you sit — and where subsequent tests move you.
06
Lab narrative
A plain-language summary of your results generated by the reference lab. Note: this is the lab’s standard interpretation — not a protocol specific to the approach described in Mineral Medicine.
07
Consultation interpretation (optional)
Whole-food, mineral, and cofactor recommendations calibrated to the approach described in Mineral Medicine. Human consultations are delivered by our HTMA-trained associates. Animal consultations are delivered by our lead practitioner directly.
08
Supplement plan (consultation)
A targeted, prioritized outline of the minerals and cofactors most likely to help restore balance for your pattern — provided during the optional consultation, not as part of the standalone lab report.
09
All ages, all species
Human testing from infants through elders. Veterinary panels validated for horses and dogs. Same analytic lab; species-specific interpretation.
How it works
Simple to collect. Careful to read.
From order to interpretation, the process is designed to be effortless on your side.
Place your order
Order online or by phone. We ship the collection kit — a small envelope, instructions, and a prepaid return mailer — within one business day.
Collect the sample
Cut close to the scalp — only the undyed and untreated, new-growth hair is used. The sample is weighed to at least 150 mg. Full instructions are included for humans, horses, and dogs.
Lab analysis
Trace Elements, Inc. — a licensed USA reference laboratory — measures essential-mineral content by ICP-MS and screens for the presence of toxic metals. Turnaround is typically two to three weeks.
Your report
The lab returns your full report with its standard written narrative. If you’ve added a consultation, an HTMA-trained associate (human) or our lead practitioner (animal) then reviews your results and provides personalized guidance.
About the Practice
HTMA for Health
Our practice brings more than a quarter-century of clinical experience in trace-mineral medicine and integrative internal medicine. Over that time we have interpreted many thousands of HTMA reports and have written extensively on the clinical relevance of minerals, thyroid function, osteoporosis, and iodine.
Our approach draws on four books published on the biochemistry of health: The Calcium Lie (2008), The Calcium Lie II — What Your Doctor Still Doesn't Know (2013), Iodine — What Your Doctor Didn't Tell You About Iodine and Your Thyroid (2014), and Mineral Medicine — The Missing Elements That Change Everything.
HTMA for Health provides natural, healthy, balanced whole-food supplements — always grounded in the same principle: minerals are the cofactors of everything, and everything downstream depends on getting them right.
FAQ
Common questions.
How much hair do I need to send?
Cut close to the scalp — only the undyed and untreated, new-growth hair is used — preferably from the back of the head. The lab requires at least 150 mg: enough to tip the scale provided in the kit, without rocking. Only new-growth hair should be sent. For animals, new growth of mane or coat close to the skin works well.
Do I need to stop supplements before the test?
No — take your usual supplements. HTMA reflects mineral status accumulated over roughly the previous six to eight weeks, and short-term changes don't distort the picture. If anything, current supplementation is useful context for the interpretation.
How does HTMA compare to a blood mineral test?
Blood levels are tightly regulated — the body defends serum concentrations at the expense of tissue stores. HTMA reads what has been deposited into tissue, and the ratios between minerals often reveal patterns — thyroid function, adrenal reserve, neurotransmitter balance, and metabolic rate — that a blood panel cannot show.
Can hair dye or hair treatments affect results?
Certain permanent dyes, bleaches, and mineral-based shampoos can influence individual readings. The kit includes guidance on the interval to wait after treatment. Untreated hair is preferred whenever possible, but useful interpretations can be made regardless.
How long until I receive my report?
Two to three weeks after the lab receives your sample is typical. You'll receive your written interpretation by email.
Do you test horses and dogs?
Yes. Both equine and canine HTMA use species-specific reference ranges. Same laboratory (Trace Elements, Inc.), same $225 first-time / $210 repeat pricing, and the same care with interpretation.
What if I'm not satisfied?
HTMA for Health offers a satisfaction guarantee on our services — full refund less shipping if you are dissatisfied with your experience. The refund is available one time per customer, and requesting it permanently ends the ability to place future orders with HTMA for Health. We provide encouragement and anticipate significant satisfaction.
Order & Contact
Ready to order?
Send a message with the test you'd like and we'll email you back with a payment link and shipping details for the collection kit.