Article: Hair analysis

Hair analysis is the chemical analysis of a hair sample. Its' main uses are in the fields of alternative medicine and in toxicology

Hair analysis can also refer to the forensic technique of assessing a number of different charectoristics of hairs in order to determine wether they have a common source; for example, compairing hairs found at the scence of crime with hair samples taken from a suspect.

Use in alternative medicine

Hair analysis is used in some branches of alternative medicine as a method of diagnosis. The hair is analyzed, and from the results advocates claim that they can diagnose mineral deficiencies and heavy metal poisoning by looking at the levels of chemicals in the hair sample. Test have shown that levels of heavy metal in the body may not be reflected by the levels in the hair[1]. When the same sample are sent to different laboratories offering the service results differ from laboratory to laboratory [2]. Finally there is the problem that hair will be up to two weeks old meaning that the data obtained may not reflect the current state of the person the hair was taken from.

Uses in Toxicology

Hair analysis can be used for the detection of many therapeutic drugs and recreational drugs, including cocaine, heroin, benzodiazepines (Valium-type drugs) and amphetamines. In this context, it has been reliably used to determine compliance with therapeutic drug regimes or to check the accuracy of a witness statement that an illicit drug has not been taken. Hair testing is an increasingly common method of assessment in substance misuse, particularly in legal proceedings, or in any situation where a subject may have decided not to tell the entire truth about his or her substance-using history.