Commercial hair analysis. Science or scam?
S. Barrett
Hair samples from two healthy teenagers were sent under assumed names to 13
commercial laboratories performing multimineral hair analysis. The reported
levels of most minerals varied considerably between identical samples sent
to the same laboratory and from laboratory to laboratory. The laboratories
also disagreed about what was "normal" or "usual" for many of the minerals.
Most reports contained computerized interpretations that were voluminous,
bizarre, and potentially frightening to patients. Six laboratories
recommended food supplements, but the types and amounts varied widely from
report to report and from laboratory to laboratory. Literature from most of
the laboratories suggested that their reports were useful in managing a
wide variety of diseases and supposed nutrient imbalances. However,
commercial use of hair analysis in this manner is unscientific,
economically wasteful, and probably illegal.
