Hair Mineral Analysis

CanAlt is the only ISO 15189 Plus™ accredited Canadian laboratory licensed for clinical hair mineral analysis. Our market-leading panel identifies mineral deficiencies, toxic metal exposures, and the ratios that reveal metabolic dysfunction — often before physical symptoms manifest.

Test highlights

ISO 15189 Plus™ accredited · ICP-MS with ppq detection · the only Canadian lab licensed for clinical HMA.

• 34 elements measured. Nutritional minerals (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Se, etc.) and toxic metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Al, U, Tl) in a single hair sample.
• 26 metabolic ratios. Mineral-synergy ratios that reveal metabolic dysfunction the absolute values alone can’t show — Ca:Mg, Na:K, Zn:Cu, Ca:P, Fe:Cu, and more.
• Approximately 3 months of metabolic history. Hair grows ~1 cm per month, capturing a longitudinal view that blood and urine cannot match.
• Foundational for nutritional-balancing programs. The test most CanAlt practitioners order first when establishing a patient’s mineral status and detoxification readiness.

Why HMA matters clinically

Toxic metals displace nutritional minerals — leading to metabolic dysfunction.

Minerals are the foundational catalysts for almost all enzymatic reactions, metabolic activities, and detoxification cycles. Mineral synergy is essential for the absorption and function of nutrients and vitamins. When toxic metals displace these vital minerals, the dysfunction often appears in clinical symptoms long before standard blood work shows changes.

Hair Mineral Analysis provides a comprehensive metabolic profile to assess these dysfunctions, often before physical symptoms manifest — supporting proactive clinical management and preventative care. Clinical research has linked documented mineral deficiencies and imbalances to chronic fatigue, metabolic dysregulation, neurological conditions, hormonal disruption, and impaired detoxification capacity. The ratios — not just the absolute values — are where much of the diagnostic information lives.

• Lead vs. Calcium — bone mineralization, neuromuscular function, cardiovascular regulation.
• Cadmium vs. Zinc — immune function, wound healing, hormone metabolism, taste/smell.
• Mercury vs. Selenium — antioxidant defense, thyroid hormone synthesis, glutathione recycling.
• Aluminum vs. Magnesium — ATP production, muscle relaxation, neurotransmitter synthesis.

Two clinical panels in one test

Most labs separate nutritional element panels from toxic-metal screening. CanAlt’s HMA reports both from a single hair sample, because in clinical practice the two interpretations are inseparable: a low magnesium reading next to elevated aluminum tells a different story than low magnesium alone.

Panel 1 — Nutritional Elements. Macrominerals, trace minerals and supportive elements required for enzymatic reactions, structural integrity, hormone synthesis and detoxification cofactor pathways. Reported as concentration in mg/g hair with reference ranges based on CanAlt’s validated population data.

Panel 2 — Toxic Metals. Toxic and potentially toxic metals that impair enzymatic function, displace nutritional minerals and accumulate in tissues over time. Detected at parts-per-quadrillion (ppq) sensitivity via Agilent ICP-MS 8800 QQQ tandem mass spectrometry.

Clinical applications

Hair tissue mineral analysis fills a clinical gap between symptomatic presentation and standard serum testing. Many conditions linked to mineral imbalance show normal serum values long after tissue dysfunction has begun — because the body tightly regulates blood mineral concentrations even as tissue stores deplete.

Chronic fatigue & metabolic dysregulation: documented Mg deficiencies in hair often correlate with fatigue presentations that have normal serum Mg — because serum Mg is maintained at the expense of intracellular and bone stores.

Detoxification-capacity assessment: glutathione synthesis and Phase II conjugation depend on adequate Se, Zn and S. The panel evaluates whether a patient’s mineral status will support an active detoxification protocol — particularly important before initiating chelation therapy.

Hormonal & endocrine function: iodine, selenium and zinc are required for thyroid hormone synthesis and conversion; magnesium and copper modulate adrenal output. The Zn:Cu ratio is one of the most clinically informative HMA findings for hormonal-balance investigations.

Preclinical detection: hair captures roughly three months of cumulative mineral deposition, a longitudinal view single-point serum testing cannot provide. Many practitioners use HMA to detect dysfunction trajectories before they become clinically symptomatic.

The Precision Suite

CanAlt’s HMA is performed on two complementary mass-spectrometry platforms — the Perkin Elmer NEXION 1000 and the Agilent ICP-MS 8800 QQQ. Together they deliver detection limits to parts-per-quadrillion (ppq) and the spectral specificity to resolve interference patterns single-quadrupole systems can’t handle.

• Perkin Elmer NEXION 1000 — ultra-trace sensitivity (ppt detection across the periodic table); Universal Cell Technology eliminates spectral interferences for difficult elements like arsenic and chromium; broad dynamic range measures high-level minerals and trace toxins in a single run.
• Agilent ICP-MS 8800 QQQ — tandem MS/MS precision resolves spectral interferences for selenium and arsenic; detection limits to ppq; triple-quadrupole design filters reaction byproducts for absolute specificity in complex biological samples.

Your patient’s report

Every report includes both panels (nutritional elements and toxic metals), 26 calculated ratios with clinical-relevance flagging, and CanAlt’s population-based reference ranges. Designed for direct clinical use — minerals outside reference range are highlighted; ratios that diverge from healthy norms are flagged. Reports are delivered to your practitioner portal as a PDF, ready for your interpretation and patient discussion.

Regulatory & scope

Clinical laboratory analysis performed at CanAlt’s ISO 15189 Plus™ accredited medical laboratory in Mississauga, Ontario, licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Health under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act. HMA is practitioner-ordered — the practitioner is the requisitioner of record and bears clinical-interpretation responsibility.

Reference ranges are based on CanAlt’s validated population data and should be interpreted in clinical context with patient history, presenting symptoms and other findings. Authorized requisitioners under Ontario Regulation 682 include medical practitioners, nurse practitioners (extended class), midwives, dentists and members of the College of Naturopaths of Ontario; out-of-province practitioners ordering on their home college’s authorization are accepted under Reg. 682’s interprovincial provisions.

• The foundational test most CanAlt practitioners order first when establishing a patient’s mineral status and detoxification readiness.
• Provided to healthcare practitioners across North America for clinical use; the practitioner is the requisitioner of record and bears interpretation responsibility.

How is HMA different from heavy-metals testing?

HMA is the broader test — it includes both nutritional elements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Se, etc.) and toxic metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, As, Al, etc.) along with 26 calculated ratios. Heavy Metals testing focuses specifically on the toxic-metal panel and is typically used for environmental-exposure assessment or post-detox confirmation. For most clinical workflows, HMA is the foundational test ordered first; Heavy Metals can be a focused follow-up when toxic exposure is the primary concern.

How much hair is required for analysis?

Approximately 1.5 inches of hair from the nape of the neck, cut close to the scalp — roughly 0.5 g. For patients with very short or very fine hair, multiple smaller samples can be combined. The collection envelope keeps samples dry and free of contamination during shipping.

What about hair treatments — dyes, perms, bleach?

Chemical treatments can alter mineral concentrations in hair. We recommend collecting hair not chemically treated within the previous 4–6 weeks, or noting recent treatments on the requisition so they can factor into interpretation. If only treated hair is available the analysis can still proceed, but the practitioner should adjust their interpretation accordingly.

How often should HMA be retested?

For most clinical workflows, re-test 3–6 months after the initial sample — especially after starting a mineral-supplementation protocol or detoxification program. The 3-month minimum reflects the time needed for the intervention to register in newly-grown hair. For ongoing monitoring once the patient is stable, annual re-testing is typical.

Can the report be shared with the patient?

Yes. The report is designed to be readable by the patient with practitioner guidance — colour-coded indicators, reference ranges and ratios in plain notation. The CanAlt patient brochure (available from your practitioner portal) provides patient-facing context to accompany result delivery.

Ordering and pricing are handled in your CanAlt portal — ND, practitioner and corporate pricing is shown once you sign in. Sign in to order or open an account.