Hair Toxic Element Exposure Profile

What is the Hair Elements Test?

Hair Elements analysis provides information regarding recent and ongoing exposure to potentially toxic metals, especially methylmercury and arsenic, and the time-averaged status of specific nutrient elements. This noninvasive screening test requires only .25 grams of hair.

Hair can be considered as an excretory tissue more than a functional tissue. Hair is a metabolic end product that incorporates trace elements into its structure during its growing process. This means that as proteins are synthesized in the hair follicles, elements are incorporated permanently into the hair without further exchange or equilibration.

Toxic elements may be 200 to 300 times more highly concentrated in hair than in blood or urine. Therefore, hair is the tissue of choice for Doctor's Data for detecting exposure to elements such as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, lead, and mercury.

The Hair Element Test by Doctor's Data has been validated as a supplier of trace element results for the certification of a hair reference material to the European Commission Joint Research Centre.

Which Patients is the Hair Elements Best Used For?

The Hair Element Test is helpful for patients who experience Alopecia,
Depression, Toxic Element Exposure, Excessive Fish Consumption, Fatigue, Hypertension, Malabsorption, Parkinson's-like Symptoms, Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Vision Problems, Sexual Impotence, or Decreased Testosterone Production.

The Hair Elements Test should not be considered a stand-alone diagnostic test and should be analyzed in conjunction with patient symptoms and other laboratory test results.

What Does Hair Elements Test Measure?

The Hair Element Test is a valuable and affordable screen for physiological excess, deficiency, or maldistribution of over 30 elements.

Nutrient elements tested include chromium, zinc, copper, magnesium, and selenium. These are co-factors for necessary enzymes involved in biological processes and are essential for the normal functions of vitamins. Notably, the levels of these elements in hair correlate with levels in tissues and organs.

What Type of Sample is Needed to Complete the Hair Elements test?

The Hair Element Test requires a hair sample. No special diet is required, and patients do not need to discontinue medications or dietary supplements unless instructed by their physician.

It is important to consider that hair that has been permed, dyed, bleached, or chemically treated is vulnerable to contamination and is not recommended for analysis.