When to Run Labs for Hormone Testing

Hormone Health Made Clear

I get so many questions about hormone testing and running labs, so let’s talk about it! Some common questions are:

  • WHEN should I run labs?

  • WHY should I run labs?

  • WHAT kind of labs are helpful?

  • WHERE do I get them done?

If you’re wondering whether hormone testing is a good next step for you, here’s a simple way to think about it.

Does Everyone Need Hormone Testing?

Not necessarily.

I love labs and I think many women benefit from them—especially HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis), which gives insight into mineral balance. But do you need labs to begin healing? No.

Here’s why:

  • If your foundations are off—like sleep, stress, digestion, and blood sugar—your hormone labs will reflect that imbalance.

  • Running a hormone panel before addressing foundations is like checking your tire pressure when the whole engine needs tuning.

✨ The truth: You can make powerful changes with lifestyle and mineral balance alone. Labs are supportive, not the starting point.

Common Problems with Hormone Testing

  • “Normal” ranges don’t always mean optimal. You can feel crummy even if your labs look “fine” on paper.

  • The wrong labs. A standard thyroid panel may miss issues at the cellular level (like potassium imbalance causing “cellular hypothyroidism”).

  • Over-reliance on numbers. Labs are tools, not the whole story. They need to be interpreted in context with your symptoms, history, and foundations.

So, When Is Hormone Testing Helpful?

🌸 Premenopause (regular cycles)

  • Best done in the luteal phase (around days 19–21 of a 28-day cycle).

  • Helpful for women with PMS, heavy bleeding, fertility challenges, or migraines.

  • Labs here show how well your body is producing and balancing estrogen and progesterone.

🌗 Perimenopause (cycles changing, symptoms shifting)

  • Cycles may be irregular, so results vary.

  • DUTCH testing is helpful to look at estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol rhythms.

  • Most beneficial when:

    • Symptoms are intense or disruptive (anxiety, mood swings, heavy bleeding, insomnia).

    • You’re considering hormone therapy (HRT) and want to see your baseline.

🌙 Postmenopause (no cycle for 12+ months)

  • Hormone levels are naturally low and steady.

  • Testing is most valuable for:

    • Adrenal function and cortisol (your stress response).

    • Estrogen metabolites (how your body processes estrogen—important if you’re on HRT).

    • Guidance for sleep, energy, and bone health.

The Bottom Line

  • Start with foundations first. Without good sleep, nutrition, digestion, and stress management, labs won’t give you meaningful answers.

  • Use labs when they can give clarity in context:

    • To guide safe and effective HRT.

    • To explore unresolved or disruptive symptoms.

    • To understand how your body processes and metabolizes hormones.

Labs can be incredibly empowering—but they’re not the whole story. Think of them as a flashlight: they help us see what’s happening, but the healing comes from what you do with that insight.