Hair Analysis
What To Think About
- Hair analysis is rarely used to make recommendations about the need for medical treatment. There is no research that supports this practise and this may lead to health care fraud.
- Some natural health and homeopathic companies offer hair analysis by mail order. The reports are mailed to you along with recommendations for taking various vitamin and mineral supplements. Sometimes these same companies sell vitamin and mineral supplements.
- The significance of most of the findings from hair analysis is unclear. It is difficult to interpret a hair analysis for the presence of heavy metals without other testing. For most trace minerals, what really constitutes normal or significant deviations from normal is not known.
- Although hair analysis is being done more frequently to test for illegal drug use (such as the use of cocaine ir marijuana), it is not widely available. Drug screening is more commonly done on blood or urine samples. For more information, see the medical test Toxicology Tests.
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| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: August 28, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology | |
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| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
| Why It Is Done | |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
| What Affects the Test | |
 | What To Think About |
| References | |
| Credits | |