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In recent years the method to conduct drug testing has more frequently included a hair follicle drug test. Many employers, courts, and Substance Abuse professionals are requiring a hair drug test instead of a standard urine test. Hair follicle drug tests are used by employers who have zero tolerance drug use policies, courts, and individuals on probation. The primary benefit of a hair follicle drug test includes a much longer detection period for drug use which typically is up to 90 days, collected in an observed collection process, and is nearly impossible to cheat. However, when screening drug use within the last 5 days the urine test continues to be the most accurate test.
Hair Testing Process
Scheduling and getting a hair drug test is fast and easy. Once you have your authorization form, simply walk into the collection site with a photo ID and the drug testing specialist will cut approximately 120 strands of hair at approximately 1.5 inches in length. Once the hair follicle collection process is complete, the hair is sealed, packaged, and sent to a certified laboratory for analysis. Drug testing centers require at least 1.5 inches of hair to perform this test and the hair generally needs to come from the crown area of the head. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the average hair growth is approximately 1/2 inch per month and collecting 1.5 inches long hair sample from the crown of the head, would detect drug use for an approximate 90-day lookback period for the drug test. however, if the donor does not have head hair certain testing centers can use hair from the chest, leg or armpit to conduct a body hair collection. A common misconception is that a hair follicle drug test is plucked from the roots of someone's head. In actuality the hair is cut from the head closest to the scalp and the laboratory will test for the actual drug metabolites transferred from the body's bloodstream and are embedded in the hair strand.
If a donor has no hair on their body then a hair test cannot be performed!
Analyzing Your Hair Follicle Test Results
Once the hair sample has been analyzed by a certified laboratory it will then be reviewed and verified by a Medical Review Officer (licensed Physician) who will then release the results. Generally results for a hair test will be available in approximately 5-7 business days from when the specimen reaches the laboratory for testing. If a hair specimen requires further confirmation testing, this may delay the result reporting.
Urine cut-off levels are expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) or as a weight of drug per unit volume of urine. Hair cut-off levels are expressed in picograms per milligram (pg/mg) or as a weight of drug per unit weight of the hair.
Hair Follicle Drug Testing Research Information
Hair testing is a promising alternative to urine testing, and has found use in a range of clinical, workplace drug testing, and forensic toxicology applications . Although not without limitations (e.g., variable hair availability/length; participant concerns about cosmetic visibility of sample collection; and higher relative cost), hair follicle testing has several properties that make it potentially well-suited for moderate-risk populations. It has an extended detection window of approximately 1 month per half inch of hair. Thus, a 1.5 inch section of hair captures a 90-day window of drug use. This detection window makes hair testing particularly attractive for studies with individuals whose intermittent and lower frequency drug use patterns resist detection by urine testing. Specimen collection is straightforward, does not pose a biohazard risk or require special storage to avoid spoilage, and is less intrusive than observed urine specimen collection. Given these advantages, it is no surprise that some clinical trials of brief intervention for drug use have begun to use hair testing as an outcome measure.
