Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. It offers an extended timeline of substance usage by capturing biomarkers within the hair strand as it grows. When collected near the scalp, hair provides insights into approximately a three-month history of alcohol and drug use. It is easy to gather, somewhat resistant to tampering, and convenient to transport.
A 1.5-inch section comprising roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the width of a #2 pencil) from nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the perfect amount for both screening and confirmation tests. For EtG, add-ons, or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. We suggest weighing the sample using a jeweler's scale. Should scalp hair be inaccessible, a similar quantity of body hair may be utilized. When mentioning head hair, we imply scalp hair exclusively. Body hair encompasses all other forms (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the first step where a sample is processed into the lab's system. This step verifies the sample's sealed and proper shipment, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional data entry omitted by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening carries out an initial rapid assessment for drug abuse signs. Screening is a cost-efficient approach to dismiss presence of drugs in most samples; however, a positive result necessitates verification for legal acceptance. Samples that test positive in Screening demand follow-up confirmation.
If Screening yields a presumptive positive, additional hair is extracted from the existing sample for the Extraction process. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly reduced concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening a challenging methodology.
Confirmation of any positive screening outcome happens via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. As needed, all presumptive positives are cleansed ahead of confirmation. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the laboratory process is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and aligned with the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite being commonly called "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair shaft, not the follicle itself under the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Healy Lake, AK Compared to traditional urine tests, hair follicle testing offers distinct advantages.
Extended Detection Window in Healy Lake, AK One of the major benefits of hair follicle testing is its extended detection window.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Healy Lake, AK Hair follicle tests are significantly more secure than other methods.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations in Healy Lake, AK Our widespread network simplifies the testing process.
Simple, Confidential Process in Healy Lake, AK Our testing procedure is straightforward and maintains confidentiality.
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Healy Lake, AK High-quality service doesn't mean high costs.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Healy Lake, AK Hair follicle drug tests are known for their precision and speed.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Healy Lake, AK Hair follicle testing ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies.