How to Collect a Hair Sample for HTMA

How to Collect a Hair Sample for HTMA: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide

Collecting your hair sample correctly is one of the most important steps in ensuring your Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) provides clear, accurate insights. Below is a simple guide to help you prepare and collect your sample with confidence.

👉 Download the Hair Sample Collection Printable Guide

✂️ What You’ll Need

Clean stainless steel scissors or thinning shears
A tablespoon (for measuring hair weight if no scale is available)
A clean white envelope for collecting and storing hair

🧼 Step 1: Wash and Dry Your Hair

Wash your hair within 24 hours before cutting the sample.
Use a plain, non-medicated, non-conditioning shampoo if possible.
Avoid conditioners, styling products, or leave-in treatments on the day you collect your sample.
Let your hair dry completely before cutting.

Important: If you use softened water at home, shampoo your hair twice with unsoftened tap water or reverse osmosis water before collecting your sample. This ensures accuracy.

✂️ Step 2: Cutting the Sample

Cut hair from anywhere on your head.
Cut a thin line or strip of hair, not a tuft, as this prevents noticeable thinning.
Use clean scissors and cut the hair as close to the scalp as possible.
Only use the first ¾ to 1 inch (about 2 cm) of hair (the part closest to the scalp). Discard the rest.
Collect from multiple small areas to avoid bald spots.
If needed, ask a friend or stylist to help!

💡 Tip: Shorter hair is better—it gives a more recent snapshot of your mineral status.

⚖️ Step 3: Measure the Hair

You can measure the hair by placing the hair on the paper scale (provided in the physical hair sampling kit) until the scale tips. Alternatively use a kitchen scale to weigh 125mg of hair. If you don’t have a scale:

👉 Use a standard tablespoon and fill it loosely with hair. This is approximately the right amount.

Please ensure that you send in enough hair, as insufficient samples may delay processing.

📦 Step 4: Package and Send

Place the hair in the white paper envelope.
Do not use plastic or foil.
Follow mailing instructions from your welcome packet to send it to the lab together with the completed lab form.

🧔 What If You Can’t Use Head Hair?

Head hair is the preferred source, but if it’s not available:

Second choice: Beard hair
Third: Underarm hair
Last resort: Body hair

🚫 Avoid pubic hair if possible, as it tends to be less accurate.
⚠️ Do not mix hair from different parts of the body in one sample.

✅ Quick Checklist

✅ Hair is freshly washed, clean, and dry

✅ Sample is taken from close to the scalp

✅ Only the first ¾–1 inch is used

✅ At least 125mg or 1 tablespoon of hair is collected

✅ Hair is stored in the white paper envelope

✅ Name is written on the white paper envelope

🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I do an HTMA test if I color or bleach my hair?
Yes! But wait at least 4 weeks after chemical treatments before collecting your sample for the most accurate results. Alternatively, you can collect a sample of newly grown hair near the scalp before any treatment is applied.
What if I don’t have enough scalp hair?
Beard or underarm hair is acceptable—just avoid pubic hair and don’t mix sources. If you shave your head, cut hair with a clean electric razor. Save the clippings in a paper envelope, and then razor cut it again in a week or so, and repeat perhaps a few times, until you fill a tablespoon with hair or tip the scale if you have a paper scale to weigh hair.
Why can’t I send long hair?
Long hair reflects older mineral activity. We want the most recent 1 inch of growth to see your current mineral picture.

📄 Want a Printable Version?

👉 Download the Hair Sample Collection Printable Guide