Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective method for identifying alcohol and drug consumption. Hair offers an extended history of drug and alcohol use by capturing biomarkers within the strands of growing hair. When cut near the scalp, hair can offer a detection timeline of up to roughly three months for drugs and alcohol. Hair is easy to collect, relatively hard to tamper with, and straightforward to send.
Taking a 1.5-inch portion consisting of about 200 hairs (approximately the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, ideal for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, extended tests, and/or panels beyond ten, 150mg of hair is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to measure the specimen. If scalp hair is missing, a comparable quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioned, head hair specifically refers to scalp hair, while body hair includes all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The main steps in the lab processing of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the initial task of entering a sample into the laboratory’s system. This entails ensuring the sample was properly sealed and sent, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishing any supplementary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening involves an initial rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug use on most samples, any positive result must be verified to be court-admissible. Any samples that show a presumptive positive in Screening require a second confirmation.
If a sample shows a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, more hair is taken from the original specimen and prepped for Extraction. In Extraction, drugs are released from hair at a significantly lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug analysis is the most challenging approach to carry out.
Positive screening outcomes are verified through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are washed before confirmation if required. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp
Why choose hair follicle testing in Manitou Springs, CO? Its superior detection capabilities set it apart from traditional urine tests, offering unmatched reliability.
Hair testing can look further back in time, portraying a comprehensive substance use history that urine tests might miss.
Unlike urine tests, hair drug tests boast enhanced accuracy and are difficult to falsify, providing strong evidence of consistent results.
Their extensive time-window coverage gives employers a detailed view of an individual's substance use.
In Manitou Springs, CO, hair follicle testing offers an extended detection window of up to 90 days, presenting a broader view of substance use history.
This prolonged timeframe is valuable for employers aiming to understand applicants' long-term habits, surpassing the capability of short-term testing methods.
This extended detection period ensures that no recent or past substance activity goes unnoticed, allowing for more informed human resources decisions and a safer workplace environment.
For residents of Manitou Springs, CO, hair follicle testing stands as a tamper-resistant option against sample manipulation.
This method significantly reduces the risk of adulteration, thanks to its rigorous sample collection protocol and difficulty to alter the results.
Hair testing's reliability and integrity offer an unsurpassed truthfulness in results, ensuring that the analysis reflects genuine substance use without inaccuracies caused by attempts to cheat the test.
In Manitou Springs, CO, the convenience of readily accessible testing locations nationwide makes hair follicle testing straightforward and hassle-free.
Our centers are positioned across cities, ensuring that you can have quick access to testing services wherever you are.
This wide network of centers enables easy scheduling and access, offering clients the benefits of both local and national test availability for their needs.
In Manitou Springs, CO, the hair follicle testing process is both simple and confidential.
From ordering to test administration and result reception, the process is designed to protect privacy while being user-friendly.
Our streamlined offering ensures that clients can manage their testing needs without unnecessary stress or risk of confidentiality breaches.
Our commitment to privacy makes it an appealing option for concerned individuals.
Hair follicle testing in Manitou Springs, CO, offers affordable pricing coupled with fast turnaround times.
Our competitive pricing structure makes it possible for companies of all sizes to include this testing, ensuring good value alongside speedy results.
With rapid processing and return of results, it’s a cost-effective yet robust solution for those seeking reliable drug testing without breaking the budget.
In Manitou Springs, CO, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their speed and accuracy. These tests provide precise results, quickly identifying substance use with high reliability.
Hair testing is ideal for those needing dependable detection due to its ability to reveal a larger spectrum of substance history and provide rapid feedback.
The expediency of hair drug tests ensures that results are delivered quickly and effectively. Employers and individuals benefit from trustworthy outcomes that can be relied upon for crucial decision-making.
Implementing hair follicle testing in Manitou Springs, CO, brings compliance and peace of mind for employers.
By adhering to drug-free policies, companies minimize legal risks and foster a safer working environment, benefitting from the comprehensive detection capabilities of hair testing.
Employers who utilize hair testing promote a clear message of zero-tolerance, effectively contributing to a secure and productive workplace, fully in line with regulations.
