Lab Tests

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

From Interclinical laboratories, HTMA measures the levels and comparative ratios of a variety of minerals found in hair from your scalp.

In Australia, we use Interclinical laboratories as our primary source of HTMA’s. The samples they receive are sent to TEI (Trace Elements Inc) in the United States. You can order adult kits or kids kits from us directly.

We prefer results from either of these sources (or other companies who use TEI), but can use other HTMA results too in most circumstances. 

If you have results from another laboratory, please contact us so that we can determine whether or not we can use these tests.

For more information on the best way to get hair samples, please check this video. Interclinical themselves have a great guide too, which you can review here or TEI have a great resource on their website here.

(Australian and New Zealand clients only)

International Clients
If you are in a country other than Australia or New Zealand, sorry to say, we can’t help you directly with the HTMA kit! The good news is that you will be able to find a local supplier.

Ideally, we suggest finding a HTMA lab who uses the TEI laboratories, such as

• Mineral Checks in the UK. 
• Many clients order via Even Better Now because they use TEI but offer services around the world. Please check the information Even Better Now provide, as they too are unable to service some locations.
• Trace Elements Inc (TEI) can be contacted directly here to ask them for the best company for your location or to order directly with them.

Results from ‘ARL‘ (Analytical Research Labs Inc) are another alternative to TEI with similar quality, though we do prefer TEI linked lab results.

We can typically use results from other laboratories outside of these, but the results may require some additional adjustment by us before your consult, and/or we may mention to you that the laboratory “washes their samples” so we may see impacts on the results we see. It will still be something we can overall use to help you on your way forward (and maybe next time you could use a different lab).

If you aren’t sure, you are welcome to get in touch to check before you order your hair analysis kit.

Blood Tests

Blood tests are important in determining mineral balance – Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) gives only part of the picture.

Whether you are living in Australia or overseas, below is a list of the bloods we use:

• Iron studies (including Iron, Total Iron-binding Capacity (TIBC), Transferrin, Ferritin, Saturation)
  • Iron may be listed as ‘serum iron’
  • These are often grouped together and you may not know exactly what is provided – it can be worth asking to make sure it’s all together
  • Sometimes all except ferritin may be grouped together
• Haemoglobin (or ‘hemoglobin’)
• Plasma Zinc
• Red Blood Cell (RBC) Magnesium – sometimes also known as Red Cell Magnesium***
• Serum Copper (sometimes just noted as ‘copper’)
• Serum Ceruloplasmin
• Vitamin A (or Retinol)
• Vitamin D (25[OH])  – sometimes known as ‘storage’ vitamin d
• Highly recommended: Uric acid or urate

*** –  RBC or red cell magnesium can be difficult to access within Australia. If you can order this via your GP, please do. DIY options do exist (see details below). 

Optional: Vitamin D (1-25(OH) D3) – also known as ‘active’ vitamin d

This test can be expensive so it’s not an ‘absolutely need’, but worth considering if you are deeply worried about your vitamin d levels being too low or have high pressure on you from others that you need to address your “low” vitamin d.

Australian Clients
You may be able to get the blood results done through one of your existing physicians and they may bulk bill them. Many don’t want to do tests just because you ask for them, but generally if they can give adequate reasoning to Medicare as to why you need the tests done, they MAY consider it.

RBC magnesium has been hard to access at times, but it does seem as though it’s an option again. Please see details below for DIY options.

Clinical Laboratories DO NOT give the correct option for RBC magnesium,

Queenslanders: please use Sullivan Nicolaides if doing your blood tests with your GP.

Historically, QML tested RBC magnesium in a unit we could not use and while private arrangements for iScreen and iMedical now have them using the right laboratories for results in mmol/L (the one we DO want), we have not been able to confirm yet if ALL magnesium testing is now being done via the same route.

All other states: Douglas Handley Mohr, WDP, Laverty, Abbott and Dorevitch may be options that provides the correct result.

As at 21 July 2026, we understand that some GPs have been able to offer RBC magnesium in mmol/L via these laboratories, but we cannot be sure if all GP’s will do it, or if all collection centres will be offering non-RPAH test results.

If they send their results to ‘RPAH’, it will not be in the right units and it will take at least a week typically to get the RBC magnesium back.

 

DIY blood tests

Australians also can order their own blood tests.  You may need to get some extras beyond what your GP will order, or you may prefer to bypass them altogether. You can access either ‘iScreen’ or ‘iMedical’.

Only adults can use this service. All child blood tests will need to be done via a GP or other practitioner.

RBC magnesium is available again via both options!

iScreen

You may access a discount if you order direct with Kristan, though it does take extra time for her to create the order via her portal. Please allow 2-5 business days for Kristan to create your request.

iMedical (below) is similar in pricing and you order it direct with them and send us the results when you receive them back.

Prices correct as at 21st July 2026.

Root Cause Protocol 1 – $215 AUD (~$195 with consultant discount)

• Haemoglobin
• Iron studies (iron/serum iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation, ferritin)
• Serum copper
• Plasma zinc
• Serum ceruloplasmin
• Urate (aka uric acid)
• Red Blood Cell magnesium (RBC magnesium)

Root Cause Protocol 2 – $335 AUD (~$302 with consultant discount)

• Haemoglobin
• Iron studies (iron/serum iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation, ferritin)
• Copper
• Zinc
• Ceruloplasmin
• Urate (aka uric acid)
• Vitamin A (retinol)
• Vitamin D (storage)
• Red Blood Cell magnesium (RBC magnesium)

iMedical

Blood tests can calso be ordered via iMedical.

Please be careful to choose the correct items and use the recommended collection centres per their forms and information.

BEFORE you buy, check anything you aren’t sure about. 

RBC magnesium is available again after a couple of years+ of not being an option. You do need to use their listed collection centres with iMedical which they list on their website. They do provide RBC magnesium in the correct unit we want (mmol/L) if you use those providers.

Pricing/details checked as 21 July 2026.

MAG 2 – $185

Many of the suggested blood tests are in this option. 

• Haemoglobin
• Iron studies (iron/serum iron, transferrin, transferrin saturation, ferritin)
• Copper
• Zinc
• Ceruloplasmin
• RBC Magnesium (make sure to use the correct collection centre)

When retinol, vitamin D and uric acid are added manually to make it the ‘complete list’, this panel is $306.

See video below on how to add them, if you need guidance.

Metals RBC Mag – $149

If you already have iron related blood tests done, this is a good option. You can still manually add other tests to this one too.

• Copper
• Zinc
• Ceruloplasmin
• RBC Magnesium (make sure to use the correct collection centre)

 

If ordering via iMedical – VERY IMPORTANT:

iMedical do not include retinol (vitamin a), vitamin d or urate/uric acid in their default panels listed above. The good news is you can opt to add these extra items to this if you choose, manually. Please view the video below to learn more about how.

If in doubt, before you order your bloods through iMedical, reach out to them and confirm details. 

International Clients

We have listed details for options in countries we have the resources for. These do change from time to time, and often we aren’t aware, so you may need to do your own local research.

Other countries may have other requirements so please contact us to discuss the tests if you cannot get them via ways you would normally do so in your country.

NZ:

PathLab may be able to offer the ‘Full Monty’ tests via patient requested labs. Please contact them directly to discuss. 

You can also self request some of the tests via Southern Community Laboratories, Wellington SCL, Medlab South, Taranaki Pathology Services via a single portal here. 

At this time, we are unaware of more extensive self-requested laboratory options outside of these, located on the South Island. Please let us know if you do find any options!

CANADA:

Canadian’s have some more challenges with requesting tests – many physicians will not do them, and depending on where you live, you are more restricted with what you can request yourself. Options to investigate via your GP/health care provider (or possibly DIY) could include:

• Lifelabs
• Gamma Dynacare 
• bloodtestscanada.com (not all tests will be available – but get in touch with them to ask – demand may encourage them to diversify) 
• Blood tests Canada – iron measures 
• Or you may find it best to work with a Naturopath through the Mountain Health team

UK:

You can order blood tests directly via Medichecks.

USA:

Request A Test – This option is a bit more expensive than Ulta Labs, but it is available in a wider range of States, and also includes Vitamin A & D.

Ulta Labs – This option is less expensive than Request A Test, but it is not available in all States. This is the company to use if you wish to run blood tests on kids (Request-a-Test won’t do them at all for kids under 17 or 18!).