Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Sherrelwood, CO

What it is, How it works

The perception of hair testing has grown as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair accumulates long-term evidence of alcohol and drug use by embedding biomarkers within the strands of hair as it grows. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer a detection period of up to about 90 days for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is easy, hard to tamper with, and conveniently shipped.

A 1.5-inch section consisting of around 200 hair strands (approximately the width of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the optimal amount for testing and validation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels exceeding 10, a specimen of 150mg is advised. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. If head hair is not available, a comparable quantity of body hair might be used. The term head hair specifically refers to scalp hair. All other hair types (including facial and axillary) are considered body hair.

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result consists of four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning includes the preliminary integration of a sample into the lab’s workflow. This step ensures the sample was sealed and transported correctly, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional record-keeping not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary and cost-efficient analysis for drug detection. Although Screening can effectively dismiss drug use in most samples, a confirmed test is necessary for legal proceedings. Samples that show preliminary positive results in Screening require an additional confirmation step.

If during Screening a sample is preliminarily positive, more hair is taken from the primary sample for the Extraction phase. During Extraction, drugs are isolated from the hair at a much lower concentration than other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), which makes hair drug screening one of the most complex methods to employ.

Confirmation for any positive results in Screening is achieved using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All samples marked positive in Screening are cleaned before Confirmation if needed. The complete laboratory workflow, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is reviewed following both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Benefits of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can reveal drug use history up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Resistance to manipulation: Hair drug tests are difficult to cheat on, leading to more reliable outcomes.
• Historical usage data: It can illustrate a user’s drug patterns over time, rather than just recent consumption.

Drawbacks:

• Inability to detect immediate usage: A span of roughly 5-7 days is required for drugs to be traceable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing is typically more costly compared to alternative testing methods.
• Result variations: Aspects like hair color and individual hair growth differences can impact the level of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Although often termed as "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand and not the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Sherrelwood, CO, hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing by offering superior detection capabilities. The precision and reliability of hair tests make them more favorable compared to traditional urine analyses.

Benefits of Hair Testing over Urine:

• Extended detection windows
• Lower susceptibility to tampering
• Consistently reliable results

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Sherrelwood, CO reveals substance use over a considerably prolonged timeframe, up to 90 days. This extended detection capacity provides employers with a detailed understanding of an individual's substance history.

Employers gain a more comprehensive assessment of an applicant’s behaviors, thereby aiding informed decision-making processes.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Sherrelwood, CO, hair follicle testing is a robust approach that considerably reduces the risk of adulteration. The integrity of the results is preserved, offering reliability and certainty in substance monitoring.

Ensuring untainted samples, these tests provide an unquestionable assessment of an individual's substance use history, making them a preferred option.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Offering nationwide and local testing venues, Sherrelwood, CO stands out for its convenient access. Our expansive network guarantees swift and stress-free testing, meeting the needs of individuals and organizations.

Whether seeking a proximal test center or availing nationwide facilities, our locations ensure seamless testing experiences for everyone involved.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Sherrelwood, CO, the process of ordering a hair test is straightforward and confidential. Emphasizing simple steps and retaining privacy, individuals can effortlessly engage with testing services without concern.

The assurance of an uncomplicated procedure helps alleviate privacy worries, resulting in a user-friendly experience for all participants.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

With competitive pricing and rapid delivery in Sherrelwood, CO, our hair follicle testing offers remarkable value. Companies of varied sizes benefit from our affordable rates and swift turnaround times.

The balance between cost-effectiveness and prompt results ensures that businesses receive excellent service, boosting satisfaction among employers.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Sherrelwood, CO, hair follicle drug tests offer fast, precise, and reliable outcomes. These tests are renowned for their unparalleled accuracy in identifying substance use, ensuring that employers receive trustworthy results.

The speed at which results are processed makes hair follicle testing an appealing option for those in need of timely feedback. The efficiency of these tests alleviates common concerns about the duration it takes to obtain results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For Sherrelwood, CO employers, hair follicle testing assures compliance with drug-free regulations, augmenting safety and mitigating legal risks. These tests fortify workplace guidelines by ensuring adherence to zero-tolerance drug policies.

With such testing procedures, companies experience peace of mind knowing that their compliance obligations are met efficiently.

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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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