PERSONALITY AND HAIR ANALYSIS

Reprinted from the Eck Institute Bulletin – July 2003

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

Revised © LD Wilson Consultants, Inc. Oct. 2007

              A hair mineral analysis can provide a great deal of information about emotions and personality tendencies.  Note that these tendencies may be due, however, to biochemical imbalances and are not fixed, by any means.  They may change within months of beginning a nutritional balancing program. 

These patterns can constitute very valuable diagnostic criteria for the practitioner and for the client to help explain symptoms and to move beyond them to improved, radiant health.  To reiterate this concept, eliminating toxic metals, replenishing nutrient minerals and balancing body chemistry can cause significant emotional changes, no matter how severe the personality tendency or emotional/mental difficulty appears.  This is a most important area of nutritional balancing that deserves its own text some day.

              Mineral patterns relate to emotional tendencies because the brain is a chemical organ.  Also, the glands and organs of our bodies can significantly influence our thinking and emotions by very subtle means.  These involve neurotransmitter levels, hormone levels such as the secondary sex characteristics, and other mechanisms that science has yet to explore.  We are opening up a new field of body-mind-spirit medicine by exploring this vital area of our health and healing.  Thus, scholars are beginning to understand that nutritional imbalances deeply affect brain chemistry.

The converse is also true.  That is, emotional tendencies powerfully affect glandular activity and other aspects of body chemistry.  Here are the major associations between hair mineral levels, ratios and patterns, and emotions and personality.  Others may be discovered in the future and I will attempt to keep this article updated quickly when we find them.

Oxidation Types

To explain oxidation types in terms of personality tendencies, or psychological patterns, it helps to understand masculine and feminine approaches to life.  This topic appears in some Eastern texts, such as the TaoTe Ching and others.  The masculine is referred to as yang, while the feminine is referred to as yin.

Men or women can be yang or masculine, or more yin or feminine in their approaches and attitudes, although more men are fast oxidizers (yang) and more women are slow oxidizers (yin).  However, it is not so much about gender as it is about biochemistry. These characteristics, in both fast and slow, are directly associated with the effects of the hormones of the thyroid and adrenal glands.

General Considerations.  The fast oxidation attitude is more forward-moving, more physically-oriented, aggressive, outgoing or extroverted.  The feminine approach is more receptive to the truth, more intuitive in their approach to life and more gentle, as a general rule. The feminine is a more receptive attitude.  Neither is superior and we would like to see everyone have access to both methods of moving ahead.  Problems occur when a person is “stuck” in one or the other.  This phenomenon, often due to toxic metals, in convergence with a personality developed over years, is what often gives rise to a persistent fast or slow oxidation pattern, depending on the particular personality and biochemical imbalances that are present.

              True fast oxidizers (those who are not ill and only in a temporary fast oxidation pattern) tend to be extroverted, emotionally more expressive, somewhat impatient and even irritable or anxious.  When the pattern becomes extreme, they become aggressive, belligerent, paranoid and even psychotically so. 

When this occurs, they tend to control others overtly.  This occurs through intimidation, nagging, emotional outburst, to which they are more prone, and other method of control.  They are often “vampires” who take others’ energy, consciously or unconsciously, when the pattern is pronounced.  An extreme set of fast oxidizer ratios is a sodium/magnesium ratio greater than 25 and a calcium/potassium ratio less than about 0.5:1.  The tendency is greater if the oxidation rate is faster.

Slow oxidizers tend to be more introverted, less energetic, often fatigued and often emotionally repressed or suppressed.  Emotionally and spiritually, they are more likely to be yin or more feminine in their attitudes and behavior, and likely to be more advanced in their spiritual development process. 

As the oxidation rate declines further, they can easily become weepy, depressed and despairing. 

Exceptions in the slow oxidizer are the copper personality type (see article on Copper Toxicity) and the sympathetic dominant pattern described in this article.  These tend to be more outgoing and aggressive than the others.

Slow oxidizers may attempt to control situations or others covertly.  They may do this by escaping into their intellect or through over-analyzing things.  They can become ‘spacy’ or detached as copper builds up.  They are often less grounded than fast oxidizers, who are often too grounded, meaning they are not very open-minded and not too open to spiritual approaches to life.

              Both very fast and especially very slow oxidizers have low levels of adaptive energy.  That is, they are stuck or rigid in their pattern of response, which affects their personality and preferences.

Other Primary Nutritionally-related Electrolyte Patterns

              Four high electrolytes is associated with a secondary alarm reaction. This is associated with anxiety, unsteady energy and perhaps bipolar tendencies. When the oxidation rate increases one can feel manic. When the rate slows, one can become depressed.

              Four low electrolytes is associated with "spinning one‚s wheels". It is a chronic stress pattern in which an individual uses up a lot of energy, often in activity or worry, without satisfactory outcomes. These individuals often must continually prove themselves and are compulsive and hard on themselves.  Articles on this website cover both these patterns in more detail.

Ratios

              A calcium/magnesium ratio greater than about 15:1 often indicates defensiveness. The opposite occurs when the ratio is less than 4:1. This can indicate an individual who is open to change.

              A sodium/potassium ratio greater than about 5:1 is associated with a tendency to move ahead, a starter rather than a finisher and a tendency for anger.

A sodium/potassium ratio less than 2:1 is associated with an opposite psychological tendency than the above high Na/K ratio, namely frustration, resentment and hostility. These are chronic negative emotions that powerfully affect the glandular system.

              A high calcium/magnesium ratio and a high sodium/potassium ratio is associated with determination and some rigidity in this.  When seen in a fast oxidizer, it is a healthy pattern of following one‚s path with determination.

Descending Steps Pattern.  When the pattern above is seen in a slow oxidizer, it appears as a descending steps pattern.  It is associated with stubbornness.

              A low calcium/magnesium ratio and low sodium/potassium ratio is called a double inversion. This pattern accentuates the frustration, resentment and hostility associated with the low sodium/potassium ratio.

Ascending Steps Pattern.  The pattern described just above is often considerably more extreme in a fast oxidizer, where the pattern looks like ascending steps.  Here it is often associated with important illness and important psychological rigidity, which is the cause of the serious illness, if that is occurring.

              The Bowl Pattern.  This consists of a high calcium/magnesium ratio combined with a low sodium/potassium ratio.  This pattern is associated with being emotionally stuck or unable to move forward. 

We can understand this pattern by considering the combination of two ratios discussed above.  An elevated calcium/magnesium ratio is associated with defensiveness, while a low sodium/potassium ratio is associated with frustration, resentment and hostility.  Combining these two, if a person defends his or her frustration or resentment, he is less able to move ahead in life. 

The cause of the pattern, as with all the patterns in this article, may be psychological, or it may be physical or biochemical in nature.  That is, it may have more or an emotional, social, familial basis, or it may be due to nutritional imbalances that prevent or inhibit a person from thinking clearly and taking action that is helpful for oneself.

We call it the bowl or parabola pattern because visually, the first four electrolyte numbers (calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium) may appear to look like a bowl or parabola opening upward.  This requires a calibrated chart such as that used by Analytical Research Laboratories.  Am illustration of the pattern is contained in the Addendum of the 2005 edition of Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis by Dr. Wilson.  At times, however, one cannot see the pattern visually due to the levels of the first four electrolytes.

              The Hill Pattern.  This interesting pattern consists of a low calcium/magnesium ratio combined with an elevated sodium/potassium ratio.  It indicates a person who is taking positive action to improve his or her life.

              One can understand this pattern by noting the combination of the ratios discussed above.  A low calcium/magnesium ratio is associated with a lack of defensiveness.  This makes moving ahead positively easier.  It is combined with an elevated sodium/potassium ratio.  This is associated with a forward-looking, more positive attitude.  (see the article on the Biological Basis of Positive Thinking).  Combining the two ratios gives us this interesting pattern.

              This is called the hill pattern because the first four electrolytes, (Ca, Mg, Na, K) will often appear to form a picture of a hill when viewed on a calibrated chart of the type used by Analytical Research Laboratories of Phoenix, Arizona.

Individual Minerals

              Calcium and magnesium are psychological buffer elements. They are also called sedative minerals due to their effects on the nervous system. Those with excess tissue levels are often tired and emotionally suppressed. Those with too little are often hypersensitive, irritable and anxious.

              Sodium is called the volatility element, associated with levels of the adrenal hormone aldosterone which causes sodium retention. Those with high levels are often very active, angry or aggressive. Low levels are associated with fatigue, apathy and depression.

              Excess copper is associated with enhanced emotions, emotional instability, mood swings, panic attacks and spaciness. Copper stimulates the diencephalon or emotional brain. When very high, it can be associated with a form of schizophrenia. Copper rises before the menstrual period, contributing to emotional symptoms in some women at this time of the month.  See the article on this site about copper toxicity.

              Zinc is a copper antagonist and another sedative mineral. It has a calming effect and is associated with emotional stability. Zinc is required for the cortex or new brain that modifies the emotions. Low zinc and high copper have the same effects. Very high zinc is associated with martyrdom - no emotional reactions at all.

              Iron settles in the amygdala, an area of the brain associated with anger and rage.  Aquired iron overload or toxicity is extremely  common, but one must look to aluminum to detect it on a properly performed hair analysis.  See the new article on this website about Iron Overload for more information.

Silicon is associated with ease and smoothness. It is commonly deficient, along with zinc.

              Manganese is at times called the maternal element.  In some animal studies, animals that were deprived of sufficient manganese did not properly care for their young.  Hint: many people in our world have biologically unavailable manganese.

Toxic Metals

              Lead is associated with sluggishness and dullness.

Mercury, the affliction of the mad hatters‚ of Alice in Wonderland, is associated with emotional disturbance, irritability and timidity.

Cadmium is the pseudo-male or macho element. It replaces zinc and can provide the appearance of stability, energy and strength though it is brittle and superficial.

              Today everyone has some of all these toxic metals, as well as others. In some people, however, one or another mineral or ratio predominates or is persistent. Patterns are often masked or hidden and will be revealed only when superficial patterns are resolved and deeper layers of body chemistry are revealed.

              One can exaggerate the importance of psychological factors and the role of biochemistry in emotional health. However, at times an emotional or personality indicator revealed on a mineral analysis can be a key to helping pinpoint the source of a health condition. More extensive information about minerals and personality is found in Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis.