Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Urbandale, IA

Employment, DOT, Court Ordered, Personal
Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG

35 Hair Drug Testing Centers in Urbandale

Minutes Away, Test Today

11319 Aurora Ave,0.48 miles

11319 Aurora Ave,
Urbandale, IA 50322

11208 Aurora Ave Bldg 120.55 miles

11208 Aurora Ave Bldg 12
Urbandale, IA 50322

11144 Aurora Ave0.58 miles

11144 Aurora Ave
Urbandale, IA 50322

12871 University Ave Ste 1302.35 miles

12871 University Ave Ste 130
Clive, IA 50325

6000 University Ave Ste 1242.44 miles

6000 University Ave Ste 124
West Des Moines, IA 50266

2700 Westown Pkwy Ste 2703.27 miles

2700 Westown Pkwy Ste 270
West Des Moines, IA 50266

5911 Meredith Dr Ste D4.29 miles

5911 Meredith Dr Ste D
Des Moines, IA 50322

5731 Greendale Rd Ste 1004.66 miles

5731 Greendale Rd Ste 100
Johnston, IA 50131

1233 8th St4.66 miles

1233 8th St
West Des Moines, IA 50265

640 S 50th St Unit 11005.01 miles

640 S 50th St Unit 1100
West Des Moines, IA 50265

2340 Euclid Ave6.89 miles

2340 Euclid Ave
Des Moines, IA 50310

2417 University Ave7.12 miles

2417 University Ave
Des Moines, IA 50311

1200 Pleasant St8.03 miles

1200 Pleasant St
Des Moines, IA 50309

1301 Pennsylvania Ave Ste 4169.17 miles

1301 Pennsylvania Ave Ste 416
Des Moines, IA 50316

1810 Sw White Birch Circle Ste 1119.40 miles

1810 Sw White Birch Circle Ste 111
Ankeny, IA 50023

1824 Sw White Birch Cir9.40 miles

1824 Sw White Birch Cir
Ankeny, IA 50023

1650 E Madison Ave9.60 miles

1650 E Madison Ave
Des Moines, IA 50313

507 14th St9.97 miles

507 14th St
Dallas Center, IA 50063

2100 Dixon St Ste E10.04 miles

2100 Dixon St Ste E
Des Moines, IA 50316

3770 8th St Sw15.01 miles

3770 8th St Sw
Altoona, IA 50009

610 10th St21.27 miles

610 10th St
Perry, IA 50220

108 N Jefferson Way22.01 miles

108 N Jefferson Way
Indianola, IA 50125

300 W Hutchings St24.31 miles

300 W Hutchings St
Winterset, IA 50273

207 Stanton Ave27.69 miles

207 Stanton Ave
Ames, IA 50014

1115 S Marshall St28.70 miles

1115 S Marshall St
Boone, IA 50036

1015 Duff Ave28.89 miles

1015 Duff Ave
Ames, IA 50010

1111 Duff Ave28.94 miles

1111 Duff Ave
Ames, IA 50010

1215 Duff Ave29.02 miles

1215 Duff Ave
Ames, IA 50010

1015 Union St29.65 miles

1015 Union St
Boone, IA 50036

809 Wheeler St Ste 10430.21 miles

809 Wheeler St Ste 104
Ames, IA 50010

319 E Main St30.23 miles

319 E Main St
Panora, IA 50216

640 S 19th St31.25 miles

640 S 19th St
Nevada, IA 50201

630 6th St31.46 miles

630 6th St
Nevada, IA 50201

710 N 12th St37.00 miles

710 N 12th St
Guthrie Center, IA 50115

300 N 4th Ave E Ste 20037.97 miles

300 N 4th Ave E Ste 200
Newton, IA 50208

Employment, Court Ordered, Probation, Family

In Urbandale, Iowa, Accredited Drug Testing offers comprehensive hair follicle drug tests. For those needing a hair drug or alcohol test, we specialize in hair analysis, and our centers span all cities nationwide. Typically, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair, whether from the head or body, is needed. Hair testing can be customized for drugs, alcohol/ETG, or other options based on requirements.

The use of hair follicle drug tests has increased recently as an alternative to standard urine tests. Many workplaces, legal systems, and addiction experts prefer hair tests. They are favored by organizations with strict drug policies, legal courts, and by individuals under legal supervision. The key advantage is their longer detection period for drug use, often up to 90 days, combined with a supervised collection method, making them hard to tamper with. However, urine tests remain more accurate for recent usage within five days.

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as an effective method for detecting drug and alcohol usage. It captures a long-term history of substances through the entrapment of biomarkers within the growing hair fibers. Hair samples, taken near the scalp, can offer a detection period of up to around three months for alcohol and drugs. Collection is straightforward; it's challenging to tamper with and easy to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp will yield 100mg, the perfect quantity for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. If scalp hair isn't accessible, a similar quantity of body hair can be used. "Head hair" specifically refers to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses all other hair types (like facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processes a drug test result in four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning refers to the initial processing 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 not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves an initial swift assessment to check for drugs of abuse. Though cost-efficient for eliminating drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to be valid in legal proceedings. Samples that preliminarily indicate positive in Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.

If Screening indicates a potential positive, additional hair from the original sample is used for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), rendering hair drug tests one of the most challenging methodologies.

Confirmation of any positive screen result is performed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples preliminarily positive undergo necessary washing before confirmation. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

  • Long detection timeframe: Hair drug tests detect drug use for up to 90 days, while urine tests have a more limited detection period.
  • Hard to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is very difficult, ensuring more accurate results.
  • Gives historical data: Provides a pattern of drug use over time, rather than just recent use.

Limitations:

  • Inability to spot recent use: It takes 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
  • Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be pricier than other drug testing methods.
  • Result variability: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Though often called "hair follicle tests", the test actually analyzes the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Urbandale, IA, hair follicle testing outmatches urine testing due to its superior detection accuracy and reliability. Effective and comprehensive, it offers the advantage of tracking drug use over a more extended period, providing a detailed overview of an individual's substance history. Hair tests surpass urine tests in identifying drugs used weeks or even months prior.

Employers and legal authorities favor hair follicle tests for their enhanced dependability, reducing the chance of erroneous results. Unlike urine tests, they cover a more extensive timeframe, ensuring a clearer picture of an individual's exposure to substances, making it an optimal choice in ensuring drug-free environments.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of hair follicle testing in Urbandale, IA, captures a substance history spanning up to 90 days. This comprehensive timeline is crucial for employers and organizations to review an individual's drug use, offering insights beyond the capture of more recent testing methods.

With this prolonged window, hair testing provides detailed information on long-term drug habits. This ensures that employers gain a thorough understanding of an applicant or employee's substance history, promoting a healthier and drug-free workplace environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Urbandale, IA, significantly lowers the risk of sample tampering, offering reliable and unquestionable testing methods. Due to the difficult tamper-proof nature of hair samples, this method provides confidence in the accuracy and integrity of drug test results.

The robust tamper-resistance of hair tests eliminates the vulnerabilities seen in other testing methods, ensuring that the results obtained reflect true drug use. This reliability is essential for maintaining trust and enforcing drug-free policies efficiently and effectively.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenience is at the core of our nationwide and local Urbandale, IA testing locations. Our network of centers ensures quick and hassle-free access to hair follicle testing services for individuals and organizations alike, supporting their requirements efficiently, with an emphasis on accessibility.

With strategically located centers, we provide easy access to testing services that are essential for maintaining safety and addressing substance concerns promptly. This nationwide convenience fosters a supportive and readily available testing infrastructure.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process of ordering, taking, and receiving hair follicle test results in Urbandale, IA is simple and confidential. Designed to be user-friendly, this method protects the privacy of all parties involved, ensuring ease of use and the confidentiality of personal information.

From initiation to completion, our services are structured to prioritize discretion and simplicity, offering a streamlined experience that addresses privacy concerns and ensures a straightforward pathway to obtaining accurate test results.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Our hair follicle testing services in Urbandale, IA offer affordable pricing with rapid turnaround times, providing great value for companies of all sizes. Competitive pricing structures make it accessible for businesses looking to enforce drug-free policies effectively without a significant financial burden.

The cost-effectiveness combined with quick processing ensures that organizations can achieve regulatory compliance and maintain safety. With fast results and competitive prices, our services offer excellent value and assure peace of mind for employers.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Urbandale, IA, hair follicle drug testing provides fast and accurate insights into drug usage. Speedy and precise, it helps identify substances effectively, ensuring accurate results that meet the needs of employers and individuals. This method enhances the efficiency of substance detection, offering a reliable alternative to traditional tests.

The precision of hair follicle testing lies in its ability to detect a wide range of substances, thereby ensuring comprehensive drug use analysis. This high level of accuracy makes it an ideal choice for various situations, from workplace testing to legal requirements, offering peace of mind with its reliable detection capabilities.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Peace of mind comes from compliance with drug-free workplace policies in Urbandale, IA, through hair follicle testing. Employers appreciate its effectiveness in ensuring safety and maintaining legal standards, potentially reducing legal risks associated with substance misuse.

By opting for hair follicle testing, organizations ensure safer workplaces and demonstrate their commitment to upholding a drug-free environment. The compliance and peace it brings are crucial for cultivating a trustworthy and secure working atmosphere.

What's New In Hair Follicle Drug Testing according to the Hair Drug Testing Experts

With its multidisciplinary nature, hair testing brings together researchers, scientists, and experts from various domains to develop innovative techniques, explore new methodologies, and address emerging concerns, responding to the ever-evolving challenges of drug abuse, therapeutic drug monitoring, and environmental exposures to pollutants.

The joint meeting of the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) and the Italian Group of Forensic Toxicologists (GTFI) was organized in Verona, June 8–10, 2022, and hosted by the Legal Medicine team of the Verona University Hospital, directed by Franco Tagliaro together with Federica Bortolotti and Rossella Gottardo.

It served as a prominent platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, facilitating groundbreaking advancements in hair testing and analysis. In this special issue of Drug Testing and Analysis, we aim to showcase the remarkable manuscripts presented at this significant event, shedding light on the latest research and highlighting the future directions in this field.

Novel Analytical Techniques: The Verona meeting witnessed the unveiling of cutting-edge analytical techniques, offering enhanced sensitivity, selectivity, and accuracy for drug testing. Remarkable advancements in sample preparation, detection, and identification of drug compounds have been presented. The manuscripts in this section presented novel approaches, such as multianalyte methods and on-line preparation which can enable rapid analysis and improve thorough forensic investigations.

Biomarkers and Pharmacokinetics: The identification and validation of reliable biomarkers and pharmacokinetic studies are fundamental aspects of drug testing and analysis. The impact of hair treatments on the oxidation/decomposition of drugs in hair was also explored, as the long-term fate of drugs incorporated in the keratin matrix. Furthermore, the SoHT meeting in Verona featured research on the identification and quantification of alcohol abuse biomarkers, their stability, and their correlation with exposure and other biomarkers.

Forensic Applications and Interpretation: One of the vital objectives of hair testing is its application in forensic investigations and legal proceedings. The SoHT meeting in Verona emphasized the significance of rigorous interpretation of analytical results and the need for standardized protocols. Manuscripts in this section present advancements in forensic toxicology, and have explored the challenges posed by emerging designer drugs and strategies to combat their proliferation. The pitfalls encountered when the exogenous/endogenous nature of a substance is questioned were presented and discussed. The special issue presents also manuscripts that delve into the ethical implications of drug testing in drug facilitated sexual assaults.

Clinical Applications of hair testing are witnessed by the insight on environmental tobacco smoke exposure, assessed by hair analysis in a population of students and the study of in utero-exposure to drugs of abuse through neonatal hair analysis. Exposure to drugs was also important in cases of child abuse/neglect, when the clinical purpose of hair testing merge with its forensic applications.

The legal framework surrounding hair testing and the achievement of guidelines to ensure fairness, accuracy, and confidentiality in drug testing practices have also been discussed,and the SoHT consensus on general hair testing and testing for drugs of abuse was presented at the meeting and published as a Letter to the Editor.

In conclusion, the special issue of Drug Testing and Analysis, featuring manuscripts from the SoHT–GTFI meeting in Verona 2022, reflects the remarkable advancements achieved in this field. The manuscripts provide valuable insights into novel analytical techniques, biomarkers, pharmacokinetics, forensic applications, and ethical considerations. As we embrace these advancements, we pave the way for a safer, healthier society, where drug testing and analysis serve as powerful tools in protecting public health and maintaining integrity in various sectors. The research presented in this special issue will undoubtedly shape the future of drug testing and analysis, fostering collaboration and inspiring further innovation in this crucial area of scientific inquiry.


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Frequently Asked Questions

A hair follicle drug test analyzes a small sample of hair to detect a history of drug use over time. Because drug metabolites are incorporated into hair as it grows, this method can show patterns of use instead of just recent exposure. It is frequently used for legal and court requirements, long-term monitoring, and high-trust workforce screening.
Standard hair drug testing typically reflects drug use over approximately a 90-day period, based on the length of hair collected at the time of testing. Longer hair can sometimes reflect a longer time frame, and extremely short hair can reduce that window.
Hair drug testing commonly screens for marijuana/THC, cocaine, opiates/opioids, amphetamines/methamphetamines, and PCP. In many cases, additional expanded panels may be requested to include other substances.
Yes. If the donor's head hair is too short or unavailable, body hair may be collected as an alternative. The collector will document the source of the sample. This allows testing even for individuals with recently cut or shaved head hair.
Yes. Hair drug testing is commonly used in court, probation, custody, and compliance matters because the collection process follows a documented chain of custody and the analysis is performed by a certified laboratory. Results are provided in a form that can be reviewed by legal and administrative authorities.
Yes. Individuals, parents, attorneys, employers, and probation programs can all request hair drug testing. A doctor's order is not required. Results are confidential and released only to the authorized requesting party.
Hair testing provides a longer look-back period than urine testing, making it useful when you need to demonstrate ongoing abstinence or identify repeated/recent substance use patterns over time rather than just recent exposure. It is frequently selected for legal, compliance, and custody-related documentation.
A small section of hair is cut by a trained collector in a discreet, controlled manner. The sample is sealed, documented, and sent to the laboratory under established chain-of-custody procedures so that the results can be defended if they are ever challenged.

Customer Reviews

Thank You!!

I needed a quick drug test for visitation with my children. I called at 6am they answered and set me up with a place a couple miles from my house to go get the test done, that was on Wednesday, I had the results on Friday afternoon and was able to see my kids on Saturday. Thank you for the help!

Mark Broadhead - 2/12/2025

Very Fun and Easy

Trish last week and Tatiana this week, very fun and easy folks to deal with. Well be using them more and more in the future.

Tom O - 12/19/2024

Very professional and very quick

Very professional and very quick service to schedule appointments! I am pleased with the services and would definitely recommend using them for any drug testing needs!

Carrie Feerick - 4/19/2025


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