Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Tees Toh, AZ

What it is, How it works

The use of hair testing has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a long-term record of alcohol and drugs by trapping biomarkers within the strands. When collected close to the scalp, hair provides a detection window of up to 3 months for alcohol and drugs. It is easy to collect, harder to tamper with, and simple to send.

Taking a 1.5-inch sample of around 200 strands (the size of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp gives 100mg of hair, ideal for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional panels, or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale, the specimen should be weighed. If scalp hair cannot be used, the same amount of body hair may be collected. "Head hair" means only scalp hair, while "body hair" includes all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four main steps in processing a drug test result in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the first step of processing a sample in the lab’s system. This step ensures the sample was sealed and shipped properly, a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number) is assigned, and any extra data entry not handled by an electronic chain of custody is completed.

Screening is a preliminary and cost-effective check for drugs. While it effectively rules out drug usage in most samples, any positive screen must be confirmed for court purposes. Presumptive positives in Screening require secondary confirmation.

If a sample tests positive in Screening, more hair is extracted from the sample for Extraction, where drugs are extracted at lower concentrations than urine or oral fluid methodologies. This is why hair drug testing is more challenging.

Confirmation for a positive screening result is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo necessary washing before confirmation. The entire process from Accessioning to Confirmation is reviewed following both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests detect drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter period.
• Hard to manipulate: Cheating on a hair drug test is very challenging, leading to more accurate results.
• Shows usage patterns: It reveals a timeline of drug use, not just recent activities.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: Drugs take 5-7 days to appear in hair samples.
• Expense: Hair drug tests usually cost more than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and personal hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: The term "hair follicle tests" is often used, but in reality, the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, not the follicle under the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Tees Toh, AZ holds notable advantages over traditional urine tests. Whereas urine tests can detect recent drug use, hair tests reveal a comprehensive history, boasting superior accuracy. This advantage stems from their ability to detect substances over a more extended period, ensuring clearer insights for employers and legal entities.

Why choose hair over urine? Hair tests minimize the risk of tampering and offer a less invasive collection process, maintaining confidentiality and reliability.

Extended Detection Window

Tees Toh, AZ benefits from hair follicle testing, offering an extended detection window up to 90 days. This comprehensive view into an individual's substance use history is invaluable for employers seeking substance-free workplaces. The longer window provides clarity beyond recent use, aiding in more informed decision-making.

Unlike shorter detection periods of other methods, hair tests extend to 3-months, revealing consistent or one-time use patterns, thus empowering employers with more than just a snapshot of substance presence.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Tees Toh, AZ are comparably tamper-resistant. Their robust method of collection and testing makes adulteration or substitution challenging, delivering unquestionable results. This minimizes the risks of sample tampering, a challenge often encountered with urine tests.

Employers and legal entities prefer hair testing for its reliability, ensuring the results are both authentic and reliable, standing up to scrutiny in professional and legal environments.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our convenient nationwide testing locations, including those in Tees Toh, AZ, ensure accessible drug testing solutions. Numerous centers facilitate ease of access for individuals and employers, simplifying the testing process.

No matter where you are, you can count on a hassle-free experience, receiving reliable results promptly and professionally, boosting convenience and accessibility.

Simple, Confidential Process

Ordering and undertaking hair follicle testing in Tees Toh, AZ is a simple, confidential process. From scheduling to results, individuals' privacy is maintained, and each step is streamlined for ease. Discretion is prioritized, ensuring peace of mind regarding information confidentiality and data protection.

Our process also guarantees simplicity—from sample collection to result delivery, ensuring no question is left unanswered.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering affordable pricing alongside fast turnaround times constitutes a core strategy in Tees Toh, AZ. Our pricing structures cater to companies of varying sizes, providing excellent value without compromising quality.

Quick responses ensure information is timely, and competitive rates ensure services are accessible, promoting peace of mind with every test conducted and result received.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Tees Toh, AZ, hair follicle drug tests offer fast, accurate, and reliable results. Their precision ensures even minute traces of substance use are detected, making them superior to other testing methods. The swiftness of obtaining results adds to the efficiency, reflecting quick turnarounds for individuals and employers alike.

The accuracy of hair follicle tests lies in their method: each inch of hair can represent a month's worth of historical data, creating a clear and expansive portrait of an individual's substance use history.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair follicle testing guarantees compliance and peace of mind for employers in Tees Toh, AZ. By adopting this method, companies adhere to drug-free policy requirements, reducing legal risks and supporting safe work environments. Reliable testing supports employers in maintaining policy integrity, enhancing safety.

With a practically unbeatable accuracy and long detection window, hair tests assure employers they're abiding by regulations, helping to avoid potential legal challenges.

Drug Testing Near Tees Toh, AZ

Oraibi, AZ

Kykotsmovi Village, AZ

Tolani Lake, AZ

Keams Canyon, AZ

Jeddito, AZ

Polacca, AZ

Shongopovi, AZ

First Mesa, AZ

Second Mesa, AZ

Tusayan, AZ

Whitecone, AZ

White Cone, AZ

Indian Wells, AZ

Dilkon, AZ

Seba Dalkai, AZ

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Reviews