HTMA Sample Instructions and Common Questions about the HTMA Process: Please read!
Hello and thank you for ordering your HTMA with Nikki Rottmayer Wellness! Please read this document so you have an idea of common questions about this process.
Sample Taking Information:
Scalp hair is the preferred sample source as it is the most accurate. The sample should be of hair that is untreated with any kind of dye (or other chemical treatment), nor should it have gel, hairspray or any kind of oil on it. Henna is ok though, according to TEI Labs. Just wash your hair like usual, let it dry, and take a sample within about 24 hours. 4-6 weeks of new growth is usually ideal if you do treat your hair. Some people choose to leave a hidden piece of hair undyed if they want to continue to dye it, and just use that for HTMA testing.
Use clean stainless-steel scissors to get the sample. Have someone help you if possible because it will make it easier to cut as close to the scalp as possible. The sample ideally should come from a few locations, but it is not essential- most take from the nape of the neck or from a spot where no one would notice the hair being gone. Most put their hair up in a half ponytail and take the sample right underneath the line that it creates.
**Note: If you use an anti-dandruff shampoo, try to discontinue use for at least a week before submitting sample. These shampoos tends to have either zinc or selenium which can throw these mineral levels off.**
The sample is about one heaping TEASPOON of hair (about 100 milligrams weight-wise). It is not a lot of hair.
Once you cut the sample, only send in only about 1 ½ inches from the ROOT of the sample (or less if you have short hair- this is the maximum length they want). The weight is more important than the length. Cut the rest and discard it. Do not put the hair sample in a plastic bag or tinfoil! Just an envelope with the attached form is fine. If possible, please put the hair in a smaller envelope, or make a little makeshift envelope with some paper to hold the hair in one spot. If you’ve ordered a kit, you will have a smaller envelope sent to you.
If you are using fingernails, cut about ¼ inch from each nail. Put in a tissue or folded up paper (not plastic or foil) and place in the envelope.
If you are using pubic hair for your sample, send a heaping teaspoon or use the paper scale from the kit.
- If you are waiting on a kit to be mailed to you: How to take the sample, where to send it, and any other information on the actual sample that is needed is in there. The kit includes the HTMA Lab Form, a paper scale to measure your hair sample, and a small envelope to keep your hair sample in. PLEASE keep the paper scale– these will only be sent out once and you can reuse it for retesting. The kits will be sent out within 1-2 business days of ordering and should take about a week to get to you (depending on your location). We do not mail these kits internationally or to NY State.
- If you are NOT waiting for a kit to be mailed to you: You can follow the instructions above for sample taking and print out the HTMA Lab Form that was sent to you. For this form, you only have to fill out the highlighted sections on the top part next to the word PATIENT. The portion that is already filled out at the very top needs to stay there, please! No extra payment details are needed either. You do not need to fill out the symptoms either as they lab doesn’t use this part.
- Send your sample and HTMA Lab form to:
Trace Elements INC
PO BOX 514
Addison, Texas 75001
The Intake Process:
- When you order, you will get an intake form to fill out as well. Please fill this out promptly. If you have ordered for someone else or if your current name is different than the name on your email/PayPal, please inform me so I can update this information in my files. I need to know this because if I get an HTMA back that has a different name on it, then I will not know who to send results to. This will cause delays in the whole process.
- Please note: we only do the analysis for HTMA and the supporting blood work if you have it. We do not read thyroid labs, genetic testing, or any other test unless it is specified by your HTMA consultant. Please ask before sending these tests over. Our specialty is with HTMA and the mineral specific blood test and that is what we base our suggestions on. If you have the mineral related blood work, please send it over before the day of your consult (ideally with your intake form) so we have time to go over it.
- It takes about 1-2 weeks to get your results in, depending on where you sent it from, what day you sent it (weekends tend to make things slower), and if there is a holiday going on in the US that would make the lab be closed. Please be patient! We try to send over the results within 2-3 business days of receiving them.
- When scheduling your consult, please read the instructions given. We will send over available times for you to choose from. We will call you at our designated time with the number you put down on your intake form. If you cannot make your consult, please give me as much notice as possible, or you can reschedule from your confirmation email you received when you scheduled. If I do not hear back from you within 15-20 minutes of our scheduled time, we will automatically need to reschedule.
- Important note- PLEASE be advised that we cannot do our consults when you are driving. Please let us know if you’re running late and need to reschedule.
- Emails are answered as soon as possible during normal business hours (9am-5pm CST, Monday-Friday), but typically within 1-2 business days. Weekends and holidays are typically a time where we take off and emails are not always answered.
- Please keep in mind that our email support is ideally used for quick questions, check-ins, and updates. Typically, this amounts to no more than 1-2 emails per week for most clients. In order to better serve you, if you feel your issue needs more attention than a quick email please book a follow up call with your consultant. Email support last for 2 months after your consult. If you would like to extend this support, let us know and we will set that up.
- Please use email as your primary way to contact your consultant. Facebook messages are not always seen so they are not reliable. We will not answer texts or phone calls outside of your scheduled call. Email is the best way to ensure that your message is received, and we can then open up our files easily if we need to check them.
- We reserve the right to refuse service at any time to anyone we feel is not a fit for our current services. We reserve the right to change or update policies as well.
Can I start on anything right now? (for now I have attached the Sassy Holistic blogs while I get mine set up)
Typically, I like to have people wait until we get results in before we get started on the mineral balancing side of things. The best places to start will be with gut healing and liver loving. Please read the following articles to find out my top tips for these things (note: you do not have to do ALL of these things. They are just suggestions for those that might not have started this aspect of healing yet).
The Beginner’s Guide to Natural Healing
The Healing Process
- What happens if I have a reaction to something? Stop what you think the culprit might be for a few days, and slowly introduce it back in. If you started several things at once and aren’t sure what is causing issues, stop everything and then introduce things back 1 at a time and see how you do.
- How long will it take to see results? That depends on many different factors: how long you’ve been sick, the levels of stress you currently deal with, and how well you can tolerate your protocol. Some people start to notice small changes within a few weeks. It typically takes a good 6+ months to really heal though. Patience, determination, and faith in the healing process are key.
- How often do we retest? Every 3-4 months is best to retest the HTMA (and supporting blood work if you have those) to see what is shifting. Things can change a lot when we start to add in the nutrients that are very deficient so it is very helpful to make tweaks every 3-4 months if needed.
Some reading that might help:
Healing Reactions: what they are, why they happen, and how to help get through them