Based in Applewood, Colorado, Accredited Drug Testing offers comprehensive hair follicle drug testing services. If a hair-based drug or alcohol test is necessary, our specialty is in hair testing, with testing centers available across the nation. Typically, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair from your head or body suffices for testing. Hair tests can identify drugs, alcohol/ETG, or be tailored for specific requirements.
Hair follicle drug tests have gained prominence for drug testing over recent times. Numerous employers, judicial systems, and substance abuse experts prefer hair tests instead of regular urine tests. Employers enforcing zero-tolerance drug policies utilize these tests, as do courts and probationers. The main advantage of hair tests lies in its extended drug detection timeframe, up to 90 days, with secure collection processes, minimizing tampering. However, for drug use within the past 5 days, urine tests are still deemed the most reliable.
* You must register by phone or online to receive your donor pass/registration prior to proceeding to the testing center. You must bring a valid government issued ID along with the registration/barcode number which was sent to you by email.
When you're searching for hair drug testing near me or hair drug testing locations, we provide a simple and convenient process to find a drug and alcohol testing location near you that is certified to provide all of your drug and alcohol testing needs.
Hair testing is now considered an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use. Hair offers an extensive timeline of substance consumption by embedding biomarkers within the strands of the hair as it grows. When gathered from near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol consumption for up to roughly ninety days. Hair collection is straightforward, making it challenging to change and easy to transport.
A 1.5-inch hair sample containing around 200 hair strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides the ideal 100mg sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and tests exceeding 10 panels, a recommended 150mg of the sample is advised. It's suggested to measure the sample with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. Head hair refers specifically to scalp hair only, while body hair pertains to all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
There are four main steps in laboratory processing of a drug test: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory's system. This step includes ensuring the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any further data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening represents an initial rapid assessment for drug abuse. Although Screening efficiently excludes drug usage in most cases, positive findings must be confirmed for court acceptability. Any samples deemed presumptively positive in Screening must undergo secondary confirmation.
If a sample tests as presumptively positive at the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for Extraction. During this phase, drug concentrations are extracted from hair, which is more challenging than with other methods (like urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening one of the most difficult methodologies to conduct.
Confirmation of any positive screening findings is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. Any samples with presumptive positives undergo washing prior to confirmation as required. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is conducted under the review of both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and compliance with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite being referred to as "hair follicle tests," the analysis focuses on the hair strand itself rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.
In the comparison between hair follicle and traditional urine testing in Applewood, CO, the advantages of hair testing are clear. Hair tests outperform urine tests by detecting drugs over a much longer duration. Whereas urine tests only capture recent usage, hair tests provide a comprehensive history, helping employers make informed decisions about candidate suitability.
Employers seeking both accuracy and reliability will find hair follicle testing the superior choice. Detection capabilities reach back up to 90 days, offering a broader picture of an individual’s drug history. This depth of information is unmatched by urine tests, which typically only reveal drug usage in the short term.
Hair follicle testing's extended detection window gives employers in Applewood, CO, a significant advantage in understanding an employee's or applicant's drug use history. Hair tests can trace drug use up to 90 days back, far exceeding the few days' detection span of urine tests. This provides a comprehensive view, ensuring a better assessment of potential risks associated with drug use.
The ability to detect substance use over such a lengthy period proves crucial for organizations focusing on maintaining a drug-free environment. Employees or applicants can't easily hide intermittent drug use, giving employers confidence in their hiring decisions. This broad detection window offers unparalleled insights into an individual's reliability and trustworthiness.
In Applewood, CO, hair follicle testing presents a tamper-resistant drug screening method, significantly reducing the danger of sample adulteration. The stringent process of collecting hair samples and the test's method of analysis ensure results that are both reliable and clear-cut, leaving little room for manipulation.
Hair tests are designed with security in mind. The observed collection method effectively eliminates any possibility of sample swapping, which is more common with urine tests. The rigorous protocols followed throughout testing ensure the integrity of the samples, ultimately providing verifiable and dependable results.
With numerous convenient testing locations across Applewood, CO, and nationwide, employee drug testing has never been more accessible. Our extensive network of testing centers allows organizations to facilitate quick and straightforward drug screenings, ensuring that processes are efficient and seamless.
Whether locally in Applewood, CO or across the nation, our testing centers prioritize convenience in the drug testing experience. This widespread availability guarantees that organizations can quickly access required services, enabling them to maintain rigorous drug-free policies without unnecessary delays.
Conducting drug tests in Applewood, CO is made straightforward and confidential. The hair follicle testing process is simple: just order a test, provide a hair sample, and receive your results. The method safeguards privacy, ensuring concerns over confidentiality are effectively managed at every stage.
With privacy and simplicity as priorities, our hair testing process offers individuals and companies peace of mind. From collection to result delivery, procedures are designed to respect individual privacy while maintaining ease of access and clarity in understanding test results.
Operating in Applewood, CO, we offer affordable pricing and rapid result turnaround times, ensuring excellent value for companies regardless of size. Our competitive pricing structures make hair follicle tests a cost-effective option for maintaining workplace compliance and safety.
Hair follicle testing provides not just reliable results, but also financial efficiency. The fast processing of test results means businesses experience minimal interruptions, reinforcing the initiative as both economically sound and integral to ongoing operations.
In Applewood, CO, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their fast, accurate, and reliable results. By analyzing hair samples, laboratories achieve high precision in substance detection. The speed at which results are processed ensures timely responses, vital for employers needing quick evaluations on potential hires or current staff.
Accuracy is paramount in drug testing, and hair follicle testing offers a marked advantage over other methods. By examining about 1.5 to 2 inches of hair, technicians can detect a wide array of substances effectively. The process used ensures that errors are minimized, providing reliable assessments essential to maintaining safe work environments.
For employers in Applewood, CO, using hair follicle tests enhances both compliance and workplace safety. These tests align with drug-free workplace policies, helping organizations avoid legal issues and mitigate risks. By ensuring adherence to workplace policies, employers foster a safer and more productive environment.
Peace of mind comes from knowing that your workplace is compliant with policies against drug usage. By implementing hair follicle testing, employers can demonstrate their commitment to maintaining a safe workspace, thus reducing the likelihood of costly incidents or legal challenges.
