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.