Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is recognized as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol activity. The hair captures a long-term chronicle of alcohol and other substances by embedding biomarkers in its fiber as it grows. When cut near the scalp, hair can offer a detection range of nearly three months for alcohol and other substances. Hair is easy to gather, hard to adulterate, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch segment of approximately 200 hairs (similar to the thickness of a #2 pencil) near the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or assessments beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advisable. It's recommended to measure the specimen with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be collected. When referencing head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. Body hair signifies other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning refers to the preliminary processing of a specimen into a lab’s system. This process includes ensuring the sample was correctly sealed and sent, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and doing any extra data entry not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening consists of an initial rapid test for drugs of abuse. While Screening is a cost-effective approach to negate drug usage for the majority of samples, a positive screen needs confirmation for courtroom viability. Samples that test presumptively positive during Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.
When a sample shows a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen and readied for Extraction. During this step, drugs are extracted from the hair at significantly lower concentrations than in other techniques (like urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening one of the most complex methodologies to undertake.
Confirmation for any positive screening outcome is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumed positive undergo a wash before confirmation as required. The entire lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair certification and the adherence to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Benefits of hair drug testing:
Drawbacks:
Note: Although often labeled as "hair follicle tests", the assessment actually examines the hair strand, not the scalp's hair follicle.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing
Sumiton, AL sees obvious advantages in opting for hair follicle testing over urine tests.
Extended Detection Window
In Sumiton, AL, hair follicle tests stand out by offering detection over a significantly longer period, up to 90 days.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method
Hair follicle testing in Sumiton, AL is recognized for its resilience against sample tampering.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations
Residents and businesses in Sumiton, AL have the advantage of our convenient testing centers nationwide.
Simple, Confidential Process
The hair follicle testing offered in Sumiton, AL ensures confidentiality and simplicity.
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround
Sumiton, AL businesses will find our pricing structure for hair follicle testing affordable.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results
In Sumiton, AL, hair follicle drug testing is known for its precision and rapidity in yielding results.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers
Sumiton, AL workplaces benefit from the compliance assurance provided by hair follicle testing.