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If this isn't the best place for this thread... please let me know where else to put it! I just know that a lot of you gals know a lot about alternative medicine and testing techniques... so...
I recently had hair testing done. I wanted to know what my mineral status is, as it's one of many factors in when/if I get pregnant again. I was really hoping/expecting to find out things were pretty good.
Turns out, they're pretty NOT.
Well, then again... I don't know that my chiropractor really knows how to interpret the results, nor do I know whether I really trust hair analysis. I've read a lot of condemnations, AFTER I decided to do it. *sigh*
One of my biggest frustrations is that the chiropractor didn't tell me to NOT use dandruff shampoo the day of. I'd had a bad run-in with dairy, which caused my dandruff to resurge, so... I'd been using Head and Shoulders again. Turns out, the zinc in dandruff shampoos skew the results pretty bad... and I really wanted to know about my zinc levels! Anyway... I am very disappointed to be low in several minerals, despite such a nutrient-dense diet. Yeah, I probably still have some level of leaky gut (how do I test THAT?), but... damn. I do so many things "right."
And, I have aluminum, mercury, and arsenic... but I don't know how high is really considered "bad" for those. Nor do I have any clue where they might be coming from.
I was really surprised to have my calcium levels test as really high. I'm allergic to dairy, and don't really feel like I make up for the calcium. It's not on top of my priorities. We do have really, really hard water here, and I'm sure the primary mineral is calcium... but... geez. Until a couple of months ago I used an Aquasana water filter (until it died, due to hard water buildup), and I assume it would filter out a lot of minerals.
So... what are my questions? Hmm... I guess... what are your experiences with hair mineral testing? Anyone know how high is considered a problem for aluminum and mercury? I know they aren't good at all, but... I can't seem to find specific info. My mercury was 0.084 (whats? ppm? I don't know) and my aluminum was 0.51. Arsenic barely registered at 0.014.
And, one thing that really shocked me is that my iron is low!?!?! I have never, ever been anemic. Even when pregnant. Even after hemorrhaging after my third birth. My iron level was 11 then! But on this hair test, it barely even registered on the chart. Waaaaaay low. I eat a LOT of red meat and a lot of leafy greens... how on earth is my iron low? Or, why is it low in my hair, but hasn't ever been in my blood? The other minerals I'm low in are manganese (barely registered at all), selenium, phosphorous, and chromium.
The chiro I'm working with on this doesn't think I need to address individual minerals right now, but instead work on my adrenals first. I've already been doing that, but I guess I'll work harder now.
I'm just... floored. And wondering if any of this is even accurate? And how long it takes to correct... and if I have any hope of TTC in January? And... is this maybe all from a still-leaky gut?
I recently had hair testing done. I wanted to know what my mineral status is, as it's one of many factors in when/if I get pregnant again. I was really hoping/expecting to find out things were pretty good.
Turns out, they're pretty NOT.

Well, then again... I don't know that my chiropractor really knows how to interpret the results, nor do I know whether I really trust hair analysis. I've read a lot of condemnations, AFTER I decided to do it. *sigh*
One of my biggest frustrations is that the chiropractor didn't tell me to NOT use dandruff shampoo the day of. I'd had a bad run-in with dairy, which caused my dandruff to resurge, so... I'd been using Head and Shoulders again. Turns out, the zinc in dandruff shampoos skew the results pretty bad... and I really wanted to know about my zinc levels! Anyway... I am very disappointed to be low in several minerals, despite such a nutrient-dense diet. Yeah, I probably still have some level of leaky gut (how do I test THAT?), but... damn. I do so many things "right."
And, I have aluminum, mercury, and arsenic... but I don't know how high is really considered "bad" for those. Nor do I have any clue where they might be coming from.
I was really surprised to have my calcium levels test as really high. I'm allergic to dairy, and don't really feel like I make up for the calcium. It's not on top of my priorities. We do have really, really hard water here, and I'm sure the primary mineral is calcium... but... geez. Until a couple of months ago I used an Aquasana water filter (until it died, due to hard water buildup), and I assume it would filter out a lot of minerals.
So... what are my questions? Hmm... I guess... what are your experiences with hair mineral testing? Anyone know how high is considered a problem for aluminum and mercury? I know they aren't good at all, but... I can't seem to find specific info. My mercury was 0.084 (whats? ppm? I don't know) and my aluminum was 0.51. Arsenic barely registered at 0.014.
And, one thing that really shocked me is that my iron is low!?!?! I have never, ever been anemic. Even when pregnant. Even after hemorrhaging after my third birth. My iron level was 11 then! But on this hair test, it barely even registered on the chart. Waaaaaay low. I eat a LOT of red meat and a lot of leafy greens... how on earth is my iron low? Or, why is it low in my hair, but hasn't ever been in my blood? The other minerals I'm low in are manganese (barely registered at all), selenium, phosphorous, and chromium.
The chiro I'm working with on this doesn't think I need to address individual minerals right now, but instead work on my adrenals first. I've already been doing that, but I guess I'll work harder now.
I'm just... floored. And wondering if any of this is even accurate? And how long it takes to correct... and if I have any hope of TTC in January? And... is this maybe all from a still-leaky gut?