Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use. It offers a long-term history of alcohol and drug consumption by embedding biomarkers within the hair fibers as they grow. Collected near the scalp, hair samples can exhibit a detection window of up to 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to gather, relatively difficult to tamper with, and convenient for mailing.
Collecting a 1.5-inch sample, approximately 200 strands of hair (comparable to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional analysis, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is suggested. It’s advisable to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, a comparable quantity of body hair can be collected. References to head hair pertain exclusively to scalp hair. Body hair denotes all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result is composed of four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory’s system, ensuring the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening conducts an initial rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. While it is a cost-effective strategy to eliminate drug use in most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation to be legally valid. Samples presumptively positive in Screening necessitate further confirmation.
Should a sample show a presumptively positive result in the Screening phase, more hair is extracted from the initial sample to prepare for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations than other methodologies (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening a challenging methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples testing presumptive positive are washed prior to confirmation as necessary. The comprehensive laboratory process, spanning Accessioning to Confirmation, is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair categorization and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly termed as "hair follicle tests”, the test actually examines the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Claremont, CA
When comparing hair follicle tests to traditional urine tests, several advantages stand out:
Extended Detection Window in Claremont, CA
The ability of hair follicle tests to capture drug use over a much longer period—up to 90 days—is a key advantage. Keys include:
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Claremont, CA
Hair follicle tests dramatically reduce the risk of sample tampering. Benefits include:
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Claremont, CA
With facilities nationwide, accessing testing services is hassle-free. Convenience includes:
Simple, Confidential Process in Claremont, CA
The process for hair follicle testing is straightforward and maintains confidentiality. Features include:
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Claremont, CA
Hair follicle tests are competitively priced, offering advantages such as:
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Claremont, CA
Hair follicle drug tests offer precision in detecting substances swiftly, making them highly reliable. Advantages include:
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Claremont, CA
Hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies, offering employers benefits such as:
