Hair Analysis
Our hair has a memory!
One interesting thing about our hair is that it has a “memory.” In fact, it grows an average of 1 centimeter per month.And as it grows, it gradually accumulates substances introduced into the body and/or their metabolites.
A 3-centimeter hair sample allows Kudzu Science to trace a history spanning 3 months. For analyses using blood, stool, or urine, the assessment is limited to a few days at most.
How is a hair analysis conducted?
Once it arrives at our laboratory, the hair sample is cut into small pieces. These pieces are placed in contact with a liquid (solvent) to extract the target molecules.After this process, the liquid contains the target molecules. A portion of the liquid is injected into the LC-MS (Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry) system and/or the GC-MS (Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry) system.
These systems make it possible to reliably identify the presence of one or more compounds and to determine their quantity with high precision: identification of pesticides, assessment of alcohol consumption and tobacco exposure levels, etc.
Hair analysis using this analytical equipment is particularly effective for identifying the presence in the body of medications, plant protection products (herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, etc.), narcotics, and biological markers related to alcohol or tobacco use.
Medications, heavy metals, drugs, and pesticides—once introduced into the body—are partially converted by the body into metabolites.
These substances and their metabolites are found in the blood and are primarily excreted in feces and urine. However, some of these compounds become incorporated into the structure of our hair.
Hair analysis thus allows for the identification of pesticides, alcohol consumption, or even the level of exposure to tobacco.
These substances and their metabolites are found in the blood and are primarily excreted in feces and urine. However, some of these compounds become incorporated into the structure of our hair.
Hair analysis thus allows for the identification of pesticides, alcohol consumption, or even the level of exposure to tobacco.