Hair Analysis

Test Overview

Hair analysis uses samples of your hair to check for problems, such as metal poisons with lead or mercury. Hair analysis can also be used to check if people are blood relatives. Forensic hair analysis can be done to help identify a criminal by evaluating hair structure and DNA. Hair samples are tested with specific chemicals and looked at under a microscope.

Hair is a protein that grows out of hair follicles in the skin. Normally, a hair grows in the hair follicle for many months, stops growing, and falls out. A new hair then grows in the follicle. It takes weeks for a hair sample to show changes in the body, because hair grows slowly. Hair samples do not show recent changes in the body, such as drug use within the past few days.

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Author:	Jeannette Curtis	Last Updated: May 9, 2008
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine R. Steven Tharratt, MD, MPVM, FACP, FCCP - Pulmonology, Critical Care, Medical Toxicology
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