In ADDITION to your lab report we provide the following options which are INCLUDED in the package prices:

A) Follow up personalised written report produced by our clinical team highlighting dietary and lifestyle advice plus links to supplement protocols, specific doses and any further testing requirements included. We use the patient information you provide us at checkout along with your results to compile personalised action points for you.

OR

B) Follow up 30-minute video call to discuss your results and answer any questions you have. Once the lab has completed your results you will be sent these via email with a link to book a time and day online. You will also then be given the option to upgrade your 30-minute call to a 45-minute call for an additional £30 if you wish. During the call your practitioner will explain the results in more detail and what they mean for you. After your call you are sent a personalised list of supplements & the dose your practitioner advises with links to purchase from our supplements store. This is for your convenience. You are of course welcome to purchase supplements elsewhere. You will also be provided with a list of follow up tests should this be required plus a copy of your recorded zoom call which you can download and keep.

OR

C) Both Zoom call and written report with personalised next steps (Zoom call is first and written report follows).

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath
• Tingling in your hands and feet
• Chills
• Weakness

Your kit is posted to you from the UK within 24–48 hours of ordering so you should receive your test kit within a few days via DHL. You can then arrange for DHL to collect your sample using the free returns. If you are ordering from outside the UK we will ship via DHL or FedEx with return labels. Results take approximately 2 weeks.

The test analyses 39 elements in a single hair sample. These include both toxic metals and essential nutritional minerals:

• Toxic metals — Aluminium, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Platinum, Silver, Thallium, Thorium, Tin, Titanium, Uranium, Zirconium
• Essential and nutritional elements — Boron, Calcium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Germanium, Iodine, Iron, Lithium, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Phosphorus, Potassium, Rubidium, Selenium, Sodium, Strontium, Sulphur, Vanadium, Zinc

This combined panel allows your practitioner to assess not only whether toxic metals are elevated but also whether key protective and functional minerals are adequate — since toxic metals and essential minerals often compete for absorption and utilisation in the body.

This test is suitable for anyone aged 2 years and over. It is particularly relevant if you:

• Experience persistent fatigue, depression, brain fog, or mood changes that have not been explained by routine blood tests
• Are concerned about chronic environmental or occupational exposure to heavy metals — for example, through older housing with lead paint or plumbing, industrial work, or dental amalgams
• Consume large amounts of fish or seafood and want to assess mercury accumulation over time
• Are experiencing unexplained hair loss or thinning (alopecia) that may be linked to toxic metal burden or mineral imbalance
• Have symptoms suggestive of mineral deficiency — such as poor wound healing, muscle cramps, thyroid sluggishness (iodine), or reduced immunity (zinc, selenium)
• Have hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance, vision changes, reduced testosterone, or Parkinson's-like tremor and want to investigate whether toxic metal exposure may be a contributing factor
• Want a non-invasive screening test that reflects long-term exposure patterns rather than a single-day snapshot

Hair and urine tests measure different aspects of heavy metal exposure and are complementary rather than interchangeable. A hair sample reflects chronic, cumulative exposure over the 2–3 month growth period of the hair, making it ideal for detecting ongoing low-level environmental or dietary exposure patterns. Toxic metals concentrate in hair at 200–300 times the levels found in blood or urine, making it a particularly sensitive screening tool. The clinic's Toxic Metal Urine Screen, by contrast, is designed to be used after a practitioner-guided chelation (provocation) agent to mobilise metals stored in deep body tissues — it captures what the body is actively excreting and reflects the retained tissue burden rather than ongoing environmental exposure. Hair testing does not require fasting, provocation agents, or timed collections, making it simpler to perform. A detailed comparison of the two approaches is available in the Hair vs Urine comparison PDF linked on this page.

The collection process is simple and non-invasive. You cut a small sample of hair from the scalp — typically from the nape of the neck where it is less visible — close to the root. The most recent 2–3 centimetres of growth closest to the scalp are the most relevant, as they represent the most recent exposure period. Full step-by-step instructions are included with your kit, and the instruction PDF is also available on this page. No fasting, timed collections, or special preparation is required. If your hair is dyed or chemically treated, note this on your patient form so it can be taken into account during interpretation.

Toxic metals and essential minerals are not independent of each other — they interact at a biochemical level. Many toxic metals exert their harmful effects by displacing essential minerals from enzyme binding sites. For example, lead competes with calcium and iron for absorption, cadmium displaces zinc, mercury interferes with selenium, and aluminium can disrupt magnesium utilisation. If a patient has elevated toxic metals but also depleted protective minerals, the clinical impact is likely to be greater than either finding alone. By reporting both in a single panel, this test allows your practitioner to design an intervention that addresses toxic metal burden and mineral replenishment simultaneously — rather than treating them as separate issues.

Yes — this test ships worldwide. Kits are dispatched from the UK within 24–48 hours of ordering via DHL or FedEx, and DHL collection of your return sample can be arranged at no additional cost from within the UK. For most countries you can simply select your location at checkout. If you are based in Australia, Bahrain, Bermuda, Canada, Hong Kong, India, New Zealand, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, or the USA, you will need to contact the clinic for a shipping quote before ordering. Hair samples are stable and do not require cold-chain transport, making international shipping straightforward.

Yes — the test is suitable from age 2 years and over. Children can be exposed to toxic metals through lead-based paint in older homes, contaminated soil, certain toys and imported goods, and dietary sources. Because the test requires only a small hair sample and no blood draw, fasting, or timed collection, it is one of the most practical screening options for young children. If a child is showing unexplained developmental delays, behavioural changes, fatigue, or poor growth, assessing toxic metal exposure and mineral status through hair analysis can provide clinically useful information that a standard blood test may not capture.

Depending on your results and symptoms, your practitioner may recommend further investigation:

• If deep tissue metal burden needs to be assessed — the Toxic Metal Urine Screen (with provocation agent) captures metals mobilised from bone, brain, and organs that may not appear in hair
• If liver detoxification capacity is a concern — the Hepatic Detox Profile assesses whether phase I and phase II detoxification pathways are clearing toxins efficiently
• If you want to understand your genetic ability to detoxify metals — the Detoxification DNA Report from Lifecode GX identifies gene variants affecting glutathione conjugation and other clearance pathways
• If genetic mineral absorption and utilisation is a concern — the Minerals & Metals DNA Test reveals how your genes influence your requirements for key nutritional elements
• If broader environmental toxin exposure is suspected — the OAT (Organic Acid Test) can highlight mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress markers often seen alongside toxic metal burden, and the Glyphosate Urine Test screens for this widely used herbicide

External contamination from hair dyes, bleaches, perming solutions, or medicated shampoos can potentially affect the levels of certain elements detected in the sample — particularly metals like lead, tin, and silver that may be present in some hair products. If your hair is chemically treated, you should note this on your patient form at checkout so your practitioner and the laboratory can take it into account when interpreting your results. Collecting hair from an untreated area or waiting for fresh growth after treatment can help reduce the impact. Despite this consideration, hair analysis remains one of the most practical and effective screening tools for chronic toxic metal exposure and mineral status, and experienced practitioners are well-versed in distinguishing external contamination from genuine internal exposure patterns.