Learning to use Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can completely transform the way you support clients, but only if you learn to use it properly. HTMA isn’t a plug-and-play test. It requires context, strategy, and practice.
If you’re just getting started, here are the five most common mistakes I see new practitioners make when incorporating HTMA into their work and what to do instead.
1. Treating HTMA Like a Deficiency Test
One of the biggest rookie mistakes is seeing a low mineral level and immediately recommending a supplement to “correct” it.
But HTMA isn’t about replacing what’s low and lowering what’s high. It’s about understanding the body’s adaptation patterns and why the mineral is showing up that way in the first place.
Low magnesium doesn’t always mean supplement magnesium. High calcium doesn’t mean stop all calcium-rich foods.
What to do instead: Learn how to interpret ratios and patterns first. These tell you far more than individual levels.
2. Overloading Clients with Supplements
It’s easy to feel like you need to fix everything all at once. But giving your client five or six supplements on day one often leads to:
– Compliance issues
– Detox reactions
– Financial overwhelm
What to do instead: Start with a custom foundational blend (like Vykon) and build slowly. Support the nervous system first. You can always add more later.
3. Skipping the Intake Interview and Symptom Correlation
Your client isn’t just a lab result.
If you skip the intake form or don’t connect symptoms with patterns, you’ll miss the nuance that makes HTMA so powerful.
What to do instead: Use a comprehensive intake or symptom questionnaire, and food and mood journal to correlate the lab data to their lived experience.
4. Using the Wrong Lab or Washed Hair Samples
Not all HTMA labs are created equal. If you’re using a lab that washes the hair before analysis, your results will be skewed and your protocols will be too.
What to do instead: Stick with trusted, unwashed hair labs like Trace Elements or ARL. They follow strict standards and give reliable data.
5. Expecting a Single Test to Give All the Answers
HTMA is an incredible tool, but it is just one piece of the puzzle.
If a client isn’t improving or symptoms aren’t making sense, you may need to consider additional layers like:
– Mold or mycotoxin exposure
– Gut infections or parasites
– Hidden viral or Lyme burdens
– Hormone or methylation issues
What to do instead: Start with HTMA, but be willing to layer in other testing once foundational mineral balance is underway.
The Bottom Line
HTMA is one of the most powerful tools we have as functional practitioners, but only when it’s used with strategy, context, and care.
Avoiding these common mistakes will help you:
– Build more effective protocols
– Improve client compliance
– Get better long-term outcomes
Want to learn how to use HTMA the right way—so you can get real results and grow your practice at the same time?
Click here to watch my free on-demand masterclass, where I walk you through:
– My proven 7-step system for interpreting and using HTMA
– How to use the most affordable, non-invasive lab as a foundational starting point
– And ultimately, how to use HTMA to attract and retain clients and grow your practice in LESS THAN ONE MONTH!
