Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Rico, CO

Employment, DOT, Court Ordered, Personal
Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG

12 Hair Drug Testing Centers in Rico

Minutes Away, Test Today

500 W Pacific Ave20.71 miles

500 W Pacific Ave
Telluride, CO 81435

2577 Main Ave28.04 miles

2577 Main Ave
Durango, CO 81301

2929 N Main Ave Ste B1129.59 miles

2929 N Main Ave Ste B11
Durango, CO 81301

Po Box 280 1350 S Aspen29.65 miles

Po Box 280 1350 S Aspen
Norwood, CO 81423

810 E 3rd St Ste 20230.62 miles

810 E 3rd St Ste 202
Durango, CO 81301

570 Turner Dr Unit A31.90 miles

570 Turner Dr Unit A
Durango, CO 81303

1021 N Mildred Rd37.52 miles

1021 N Mildred Rd
Cortez, CO 81321

1011 N Mildred Rd37.52 miles

1011 N Mildred Rd
Cortez, CO 81321

641 E Main St Ste B38.11 miles

641 E Main St Ste B
Cortez, CO 81321

641 E Main St Unit B38.11 miles

641 E Main St Unit B
Cortez, CO 81321

35 N Ash St38.37 miles

35 N Ash St
Cortez, CO 81321

421 Adams St47.06 miles

421 Adams St
Naturita, CO 81422

Employment, Court Ordered, Probation, Family

In Rico, Colorado, Accredited Drug Testing offers comprehensive hair follicle drug tests. If a hair drug or alcohol test is required, we specialize in hair testing and have centers across the country to conduct trials. Usually, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair from the crown of the head or body is needed. Hair evaluations can reveal drugs, alcohol/ETG, or can be tailored for other needs.

Recently, hair follicle drug tests have become more prevalent in drug testing procedures. Employers, courts, and substance abuse professionals often prefer hair drug tests over conventional urine tests. Hair follicle tests are valuable for zero-tolerance employers, courts, and probationary individuals. They offer an extended detection period, typically up to 90 days, and are collected under supervision, making them difficult to tamper with. However, for detecting recent drug use in the past five days, urine tests remain the most accurate.

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is seen as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use. Hair strands offer an extended record of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers in their developing fibers. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer up to a three-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, moderately hard to tamper with, and easy to send.

A 1.5-inch hair sample of around 200 strands (similar to a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp will yield 100mg, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or analyses exceeding 10 panels, 150mg is suggested. It is advisable to measure the sample with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not obtainable, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. "Head hair" refers solely to scalp hair, while "body hair" includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The drug test laboratory process involves four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning handles the initial entry of a sample into a lab's system. This process ensures the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigns an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fills in any missing details not supplied by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails a preliminary rapid inspection for drugs of abuse. Screening serves as a cost-efficient means to exclude drug usage in most samples, but any positive findings must be confirmed for legal admissibility. Samples that show initial positive results in Screening demand secondary confirmation.

For any sample showing presumed positivity during Screening, more hair is extracted from the original sample for the Extraction stage. In this procedure, drugs are isolated from hair at significantly lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening finding is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation if necessary. The comprehensive laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation according to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

  • Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can detect drug usage up to 90 days, as opposed to urine tests with a shorter detection period.
  • Minimal potential for tampering: It is tough to cheat a hair drug test, thus enhancing result accuracy.
  • Historical insight: It can reveal a drug usage trend over time, beyond just recent use.

Limitations:

  • Inability to identify recent use: It requires roughly 5-7 days before drugs are detectable in hair.
  • Expense: Hair drug tests are usually more costly than other drug testing methods.
  • Result variability: Influences like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can impact drug metabolite concentration in the hair.

Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests," the test evaluates the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Rico, CO

The superiority of hair testing over traditional urine tests lies in its enhanced detection accuracy and reliability. Hair tests, unlike urine tests, go beyond short-term substance intake, offering a longer insight into an individual's history. This comprehensive overview is valuable for employers, especially those with strict drug policies.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Rico, CO

Hair follicle testing offers an expansive detection window, identifying drug use up to 90 days back. This capability provides a well-rounded view of an individual's substance history, beneficial for employers assessing potential hires or monitoring current employees.

Compared to other testing methods, this extended window grants employers confidence in maintaining a drug-free environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Rico, CO

Hair follicle testing significantly lessens the potential for sample manipulation, producing reliable and unquestioned results. This method circumvents common issues encountered with urine tests, such as dilution or substitution, thereby upholding the integrity of the testing process.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Rico, CO

With our extensive network of testing centers, accessing drug testing services is straightforward and hassle-free. Whether locally in Rico, CO, or elsewhere across the nation, our facilities are conveniently located to provide timely and efficient service.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Rico, CO

Our hair testing process promises simplicity and confidentiality. From ordering the test to receiving results, the streamlined and private approach caters to individual privacy concerns, ensuring an easy-to-navigate experience for all involved in the process.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Rico, CO

Our competitive pricing strategies paired with fast turnaround times make hair follicle testing accessible and valuable for businesses of all sizes. Without sacrificing quality, clients enjoy economic beneficence with expedited result delivery, facilitating a swift response to their needs.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle testing in Rico, CO, is highly praised for precision and speed, offering fast, accurate results. The test's high-degree accuracy in detecting substances ensures that results are reliable and can be trusted for making critical decisions.

With swift processing times, individuals and employers can receive results quickly, minimizing downtime and enabling timely intervention. This efficiency supports workforce productivity, reducing the time spent waiting for drug test outcomes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Rico, CO

Implementing hair follicle testing aids employers in Rico, CO, to meet workplace drug-free standards, bolstering overall safety and cutting down legal exposure. By ensuring adherence to company policies, employers can create a healthier, more secure work atmosphere, ensuring peace of mind.

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.


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Frequently Asked Questions

A hair follicle drug test analyzes a small sample of hair to detect a history of drug use over time. Because drug metabolites are incorporated into hair as it grows, this method can show patterns of use instead of just recent exposure. It is frequently used for legal and court requirements, long-term monitoring, and high-trust workforce screening.
Standard hair drug testing typically reflects drug use over approximately a 90-day period, based on the length of hair collected at the time of testing. Longer hair can sometimes reflect a longer time frame, and extremely short hair can reduce that window.
Hair drug testing commonly screens for marijuana/THC, cocaine, opiates/opioids, amphetamines/methamphetamines, and PCP. In many cases, additional expanded panels may be requested to include other substances.
Yes. If the donor's head hair is too short or unavailable, body hair may be collected as an alternative. The collector will document the source of the sample. This allows testing even for individuals with recently cut or shaved head hair.
Yes. Hair drug testing is commonly used in court, probation, custody, and compliance matters because the collection process follows a documented chain of custody and the analysis is performed by a certified laboratory. Results are provided in a form that can be reviewed by legal and administrative authorities.
Yes. Individuals, parents, attorneys, employers, and probation programs can all request hair drug testing. A doctor's order is not required. Results are confidential and released only to the authorized requesting party.
Hair testing provides a longer look-back period than urine testing, making it useful when you need to demonstrate ongoing abstinence or identify repeated/recent substance use patterns over time rather than just recent exposure. It is frequently selected for legal, compliance, and custody-related documentation.
A small section of hair is cut by a trained collector in a discreet, controlled manner. The sample is sealed, documented, and sent to the laboratory under established chain-of-custody procedures so that the results can be defended if they are ever challenged.

Customer Reviews

Sweet and helpful

Trish was amazing and got me through the sytem very fast and swift. I had a hard time hearing her a couple of times, but she was super sweet and helpful throughout the process. Highly recommend her!

Sophia Schutze - 6/19/2024

Quick, knowledgeable and courteous

Quick, knowledgeable and courteous Janelle worked diligently to support me. I am recommending their services to anyone looking.

Greensboro Joseph - 11/19/2024

Very Fun and Easy

Trish last week and Tatiana this week, very fun and easy folks to deal with. Well be using them more and more in the future.

Tom O - 12/19/2024


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