Accredited Drug Testing provides comprehensive hair follicle drug testing services in Superior, Colorado. For those needing a hair drug or alcohol test, Accredited Drug Testing excels in this field with nationwide testing centers to conduct such exams. Generally, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair is required, either from the head or body. Hair tests can be used to detect drugs, alcohol/ETG, or other tailored testing options.
In recent times, hair follicle drug tests have been increasingly utilized for drug testing purposes. This method is being favored by employers, courts, and Substance Abuse experts over traditional urine tests. Hair follicle tests are endorsed by organizations with strict no-drug-use policies as they offer a longer drug detection window of up to 90 days. This method involves supervised sample collection and is nearly impossible to manipulate. However, to screen recent drug use (within the last 5 days), a urine test still remains the most precise.
* 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 analysis is recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a comprehensive record of alcohol and substance use by encapsulating biomarkers within the strands during growth. Collected near the scalp, hair can offer up to a 3-month duration for detecting alcohol and drug use. Hair is straightforward to gather, not easily tampered with, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch length involving approximately 200 hair strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the best sample for primary tests and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is suggested. Using a jeweler’s scale to measure the specimen is advised. In the absence of scalp hair, a comparable quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, we specifically refer to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair varieties (facial, axillary, etc.).
Procedure Outline
The procedure for processing a drug test result in a lab involves four key phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
In Accessioning, a sample is initially processed into the lab’s system. This step includes checking that the sample was correctly sealed and sent, generating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any extra data input not included by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening provides a rapid test for drugs of abuse. Though Screening is an economical method to eliminate drug use in many samples, a positive screen must be verified to be valid in court. Samples with presumptive positives in Screening need a further confirmation step.
For samples listed as presumptive positives during Screening, additional hair is sourced from the primary sample for Extraction. At this stage, drugs are separated from hair at much lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing the most challenging approach to conduct.
Positive screening results are confirmed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methodologies. All presumptive positive samples are washed if necessary before confirmation. The full lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is examined under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair certification and compliance with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Benefits of hair drug testing:
Challenges:
Note: Although often labeled as "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Superior, CO
Extended Detection Window in Superior, CO
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Superior, CO
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Superior, CO
Simple, Confidential Process in Superior, CO
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