Accredited Drug Testing provides comprehensive hair follicle drug screening services in Littleton, Colorado. Specializing in both hair drug and alcohol testing, we operate nationwide testing centers capable of conducting hair tests. Typically, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair from the scalp or body is needed. These tests can identify drugs, alcohol/ETG, and other tailored hair testing solutions.
In recent years, drug testing methods have increasingly turned to hair follicle drug testing. It's becoming a preferred choice for employers, courts, and substance abuse professionals over the classic urine test. Hair tests offer a longer detection timeline, up to 90 days, conducted under observation, making them near impossible to tamper with. However, urine tests remain the gold standard for identifying drug use within the past five days.
* 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 recognized as a robust instrument for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a long-term profile of alcohol and other substances by embedding biomarkers within the strands' fibers as they grow. When sampled near the scalp, hair offers an approximate 3-month window for detecting alcohol and other drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, not easily tampered with, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch sample, containing roughly 200 hair strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal quantity for both screening and confirmation. For EtG extensions and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advisable. We suggest utilizing a jeweler’s scale to measure the sample. If scalp hair is not obtainable, a comparable amount of body hair can be gathered. When discussing head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. Body hair encompasses all other forms (e.g., facial, axillary).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test includes four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
During Accessioning, a sample undergoes initial processing into a lab’s system. This phase ensures that the sample is properly sealed and transported, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizes any extra data entry not handled by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening performs a swift preliminary check for substance abuse. Though Screening effectively rules out drug usage for most samples at a reduced cost, any positive results in Screening require validation to be court-admissible. Samples that are tentatively positive in Screening necessitate a secondary confirmation.
Should a sample show a presumptive positive at the Screening stage, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen for the Extraction phase. In this segment, substances are isolated from hair at considerably lower concentrations compared to alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), underscoring the complexity of conducting hair drug screening.
Confirmation of any positive screen is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples indicating a presumptive positive are cleansed before confirmation, as needed. The full lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly labeled as "hair follicle tests", the analysis itself examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.
In Littleton, CO, hair follicle testing offers significant advantages over traditional urine tests. Superior detection accuracy is one of its critical benefits, capturing drug usage over a longer window.
Compared to urine tests, hair testing provides a more comprehensive picture of an individual's substance use history, making it a preferred choice for many organizations and professionals.
Hair follicle testing in Littleton, CO, provides an extended detection window for drug usage, covering up to 90 days. This feature gives employers a comprehensive view of substance use history.
The longer detection period ensures that employers can maintain high standards by thoroughly evaluating potential and current employees' drug use over time.
Hair follicle tests in Littleton, CO, offer a virtually tamper-proof method, significantly reducing the chance of sample adulteration.
By choosing hair testing, organizations gain confidence in the authenticity of the results, thus maintaining higher integrity levels in their drug testing processes.
In Littleton, CO, the convenience of numerous nationwide testing centers ensures easy access to hair follicle testing services.
The spread of these locations facilitates testing wherever needed, making the process simple and reducing waiting times, aiding individuals and companies alike.
The hair follicle testing process in Littleton, CO, is described as simple and confidential.
With a straightforward procedure for testing and result retrieval, individuals can rely on the confidentiality of the process, addressing privacy concerns effectively.
Offering affordable pricing in Littleton, CO, hair follicle testing provides excellent value.
The combination of reasonable costs and speedy results makes hair follicle testing an attractive choice for companies seeking reliable testing solutions without sacrificing quality.
Hair follicle testing in Littleton, CO, is known for its exceptional accuracy and rapid results. Precision is a leading factor, ensuring that each test reliably detects substance use.
When time is of the essence, hair follicle tests deliver results swiftly without compromising on quality. This method stands out for its high level of accuracy in identifying substances.
Employers in Littleton, CO, benefit from hair follicle testing's ability to ensure compliance with workplace drug-free policies.
Implementing hair testing not only aligns with company regulations but also facilitates peace of mind, knowing that the workplace upholds a stringent drug-free policy, safeguarding reputation and operations.
