About Hair Analysis

Hair analysis is used by practitioners of alternative medicines as a means to diagnose the presence of metals and other toxins in the body. Hair is an actively growing tissue in the body, and analyzing its vitamin, mineral and metal content gives a window into the presence of these items with the body.

Significance

• Microscopes are used to examine hair samples.

  Hair analysis tests are often used in cases where a lack of vitamins or minerals is suspected or when toxic levels of metals are of concern. It provides a simple means to test these levels without resorting to blood tests or more complex methods of testing.

Preparing Yourself for a Hair Analysis

• Hair is cut close to the head to obtain the best sample.

  The best hair samples are new hairs, that is, hairs that are growing within 2 inches of the scalp. A good practitioner will take samples from multiple locations on your head, reducing the likelihood of large bald spots and also increasing the variety within the sample.

Cautions

• Curling or straightening hair may affect the results of a hair analysis.

  Damaged or dyed hair can affect the sample result. If the roots are in a less damaged condition or the hair has not been died recently, cutting hair close to the scalp can reduce the possibility of conflicting results.

Using hair as a DNA sample

• Hair is one way to obtain a DNA sample.

  A hair analysis can also be conducted to obtain a DNA sample. This process is more complicated on the part of the lab, but the process is similar for the patient. The hair is usually dissolved and the extract examined microscopically.

Use in Criminal Justice

• Hair analysis may be conducted in criminal cases to exonerate or condemn a person. In some cases, hair may be left at the site of a crime. A hair analysis may be conducted to rule out a person as the perpetrator of the crime.

Problems

• While hair analysis is becoming more popular over urine and blood tests because it is seen as less invasive of privacy, hair tests may be less accurate. Numerous cases have been reported where hair analysis was used as evidence of crime and the ruling was later overturned based on other evidence. Furthermore, false positives for health conditions are common because of the complications of damaged hair and environmental exposure.