Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA)
A closer look at minerals within your whole-body nutrition plan
The importance of mineral testing
Minerals play essential roles in energy production, muscle and nerve function, bone health, and many other processes that keep you feeling well. Understanding your nutrition starts with looking at the whole picture: what you eat, how you feel, your health history, and the demands of daily life.
At At The Root Nutrition, I offer Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) as an optional addition to comprehensive nutrition care. Together, we explore your results in context and identify practical next steps for your food, lifestyle, and supplement routine.
What is HTMA?
HTMA is a laboratory test that measures minerals and trace elements in a small sample of hair. The lab analyzes hair collected close to the scalp and reports mineral concentrations, selected mineral ratios, and potentially toxic elements measured in the sample.
Collection is simple and painless, with no blood draw required. The sample can be collected at home with guidance and mailed to the laboratory.
Why consider it?
Convenient collection. A small hair sample makes testing accessible within a virtual nutrition practice.
An additional perspective. Hair testing provides information about elements present in the hair grown over time. It looks at the last 3 months of information which is different than one-point-in-time blood work. I consider your HTMA results alongside your existing labs and health history.
A thoughtful review of your routine. The testing process creates an opportunity to review your food intake, supplements, medications, and environmental exposures.
Minerals, stress, and women's health
When you are navigating fatigue, a demanding season of life, or concerns about your cycle or thyroid, nutrition deserves a place in the conversation. Minerals help support the everyday functions that your body relies on. Magnesium, for example, supports energy production and normal muscle and nerve function; iodine is needed to make thyroid hormones.
Support during demanding seasons
Feeling stretched thin can make consistent meals, recovery, and self-care harder to maintain. In our work together, we look at whether you are eating enough, getting variety, and making room for sleep and recovery. HTMA may be part of that broader assessment, but your symptoms and daily experiences remain central to the plan.
Nutrition within hormone and thyroid care
Supporting women's health means paying attention to the foundations: adequate nourishment, appropriate nutrient intake, and habits you can sustain. If you have fatigue, cycle changes, or thyroid concerns, we review these foundations alongside your medical history and relevant blood work.
Who might want to discuss HTMA?
HTMA may be worth discussing as part of a comprehensive nutrition assessment if you’re navigating:
Persistent fatigue or low energy
Chronic stress or feeling run down
Thyroid concerns, including hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s
PCOS, irregular periods, or other menstrual concerns
Digestive concerns or a restrictive diet that makes meeting nutrient needs challenging
Pregnancy preparation or postpartum nutrition needs
High exercise demands or difficulty recovering
Questions about your mineral supplements or possible environmental exposures
Together, we’ll determine whether it could add useful information alongside your symptoms, nutrition history, and other labs.
How I use HTMA in practice
My approach begins with your story. Before recommending testing, we discuss your symptoms, goals, eating patterns, digestion, sleep, stress, medications, and current supplements. We consider whether HTMA would add useful information to your care.
When reviewing your report, I look at the mineral levels and ratios alongside that broader picture. A result outside the laboratory's reference range is a starting point for discussion and, when appropriate, further evaluation.
Your nutrition plan may include:
Building consistent, nourishing meals with a variety of mineral-rich foods.
Reviewing whether your supplements are appropriate and whether products overlap.
Addressing eating habits, hydration, sleep, and lifestyle factors relevant to your goals.
Coordinating additional blood testing, functional medicine testing, or medical evaluation when a finding needs confirmation.
Recommendations are ALWAYS individualized.
What does the process look like?
1
Discuss whether testing is a fit. You can either submit the “request a test” form or we can discuss via a discovery call. If you’re already a 1:1 client, we can discuss your testing needs within our next session.
2
Receive your collection materials. I coordinate the lab paperwork and provide instructions for collecting and mailing your sample.
3
Collect and mail your hair sample. You’ll receive instructions for this. Hair treatments and products matter so let me know if your hair is colored, bleached, or chemically treated before collecting.
4
Receive your results and interpretation. With your results, you’ll receive a detailed interpretation of them in context with your health and symptoms. Depending on your preferences, you may also receive a protocol with exact next steps for your diet, lifestyle, and supplementation.