Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has become recognized as a significant method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a prolonged history of these substances by embedding biomarkers within the growing hair strand. When secured near the scalp, hair can offer up to nearly a 3-month window of detection for alcohol and additional drugs. Hair is straightforward to collect, relatively challenging to tamper with, and simple to ship.
A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the ideal sample for evaluation and validation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or assessments beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is recommended. We suggest assessing the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, a similar quantity of body hair may be gathered. When addressing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four primary phases in the lab assessment of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes the preliminary processing of a sample into a lab’s system. This process ensures the sample was properly sealed and dispatched, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional data entry not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening consists of an initial rapid evaluation for drug substances. Although Screening is an economical method to eliminate drug usage on most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be legally valid. Samples that are presumptively positive in Screening necessitate a subsequent confirmation.
If a sample is presumptively positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the primary specimen and prepared for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are separated from hair at a significantly lower concentration than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug screening is the most complex methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is carried out through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples that are presumptively positive are cleansed prior to confirmation as necessary. The complete laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is verified under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand itself and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
Hair follicle testing is gaining traction in Smiley, TX, for surpassing urine tests in reliability and accuracy. With a much longer detection window and resistance to tampering, hair tests provide a superior solution for identifying prolonged substance use histories.
The extended detection period of hair follicle drug tests offers a significant advantage in Smiley, TX. Spanning up to 90 days, it allows employers to gather comprehensive insights into an individual's substance use over time.
Hair follicle testing in Smiley, TX, is recognized for its tamper-resistant nature. Unlike urine tests, hair tests minimize the risk of sample adulteration, providing employers with dependable and unquestionable results.
With convenient nationwide and local testing centers, including Smiley, TX, access to drug testing services is straightforward and hassle-free. Our expansive network ensures that individuals can easily reach a testing location near them.
The process of hair follicle testing in Smiley, TX, is simple and confidential. From ordering to receiving results, the entire workflow is designed to prioritize ease of use and privacy, addressing any concerns about confidentiality.
Offering competitive pricing and fast turnaround times, hair follicle testing in Smiley, TX, provides affordable services for businesses of all sizes. Our competitive rates ensure excellent value, delivering timely results to meet client needs.
In Smiley, TX, the speed and accuracy of hair follicle testing ensure fast, reliable results for detecting substance use. This method is favored for its unmatched precision in distinguishing drug presence, proving a superior alternative to traditional tests.
For employers in Smiley, TX, hair follicle testing delivers compliance assurance with workplace drug-free policies. This method reduces legal risks and enhances workplace safety, offering peace of mind and ensuring a secure work environment.
