Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Lemont, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is recognized as a potent method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By capturing biomarkers within the fibers of hair as it grows, it offers a comprehensive record of alcohol and drug use. If cut close to the scalp, hair can reveal a detection window for up to around 3 months for drugs and alcohol. Collecting hair is easy, hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.

Collecting a 1.5-inch section of approximately 200 strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, which is the prime sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG testing, additional assays, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is suggested. Utilizing a jeweler’s scale to measure the specimen is advisable. In cases where scalp hair is absent, an equivalent volume of body hair may be gathered. When mentioning head hair, we strictly mean scalp hair. Body hair includes other types such as facial, axillary, etc.

Process Overview

There are four key steps in processing drug test outcomes in a laboratory: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning encompasses the initial integration of a sample into a lab’s system. This comprises confirming the sample’s proper sealing and transportation, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any additional data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is an initial rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. Although Screening presents a budget-friendly strategy to exclude drug usage in most samples, a positive screen requires confirmation for legal acceptance. Any samples with presumptive positives in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

Should a sample screen positive presumptively, more hair is extracted from the original specimen for the Extraction phase. In this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at considerably lower concentrations than via other methodologies (like urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening particularly challenging to conduct.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is executed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing prior to the required confirmation. The entire laboratory procedure, from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes evaluation for both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and compliance with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection duration: Hair tests can uncover drug use for as long as 90 days, unlike urine tests that have a shorter span.
• Hard to manipulate: It's very tough to falsify a hair drug test result, enhancing accuracy.
• Offers historical insights: It shows a track record of drug use over time, not just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Unable to detect recent use: Drugs appear in hair only after about 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are generally pricier than other testing approaches.
• Result variability: Hair color differences and individual hair growth variations might impact drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Though commonly termed as "hair follicle tests," the focus is on analyzing the hair strand, not the sub-scalp follicle

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Lemont, IL, offers notable advantages over traditional urine testing. Hair tests excel in detection accuracy and provide clarity in substance use with a longer detection window. This method ensures precise results, proving invaluable for employers and authorities seeking reliable data.

Unlike urine tests, which detect recent use, hair follicle tests provide comprehensive insight into chronic use. By examining hair strands, it ensures effective monitoring over time, reducing the risk of false negatives typically associated with urine tests.

Extended Detection Window

One of the major benefits of hair follicle testing in Lemont, IL, is its extended detection window, spanning up to 90 days. This allows employers to gather significant insight into an individual's past substance use, rather than the limited timeframe of urine testing.

Understanding long-term drug use patterns is critical for maintaining a safe workplace. With hair testing, employers receive a comprehensive evaluation of an employee's substance habits, allowing for more informed decisions regarding hiring and retention.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Lemont, IL, effectively eliminates the possibility of tampering, providing reliable results that are hard to manipulate. Unlike urine samples, which can be diluted or adulterated, hair samples maintain integrity, offering indisputable test outcomes.

This method ensures that results are trustworthy, reducing concerns of fraudulent testing attempts. With less room for sample contamination, organizations can confidently rely on hair testing for accurate drug use assessment.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accessibility to drug testing services is easy with numerous locations available nationwide and locally in Lemont, IL. Our centers provide quick and hassle-free access, ensuring convenience for all individuals seeking testing services.

Clients benefit from the proximity and availability of our testing facilities, helping streamline the process. This broad network assists in meeting testing needs promptly without any geographical limitations, enhancing service efficiency.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Lemont, IL, the hair follicle testing process is straightforward and private. From ordering to completion, clients experience a simple and confidential procedure, addressing privacy concerns essential in drug testing.

With easy-to-follow steps, individuals can rest assured of their confidentiality being respected while receiving accurate and prompt results, promoting trust in our services for both individual and organizational purposes.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable pricing and quick turnaround times make hair follicle testing in Lemont, IL, a valuable choice for businesses of all sizes. Competitive rates coupled with fast results provide significant benefits and peace of mind.

By offering excellent value, companies can remain within budget while still obtaining reliable and timely assessments. This cost-effectiveness ensures that maintaining a drug-free workplace is achievable for all organizations.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The efficiency of hair follicle testing in Lemont, IL, is unmatched. This method delivers fast, precise, and reliable results, significantly boosting confidence in test outcomes. Employers and other stakeholders can trust that the results reflect comprehensive substance use history.

Hair testing speeds up the detection process, providing results that are not only rapid but highly accurate, pinpointing substance presence with minimal error. This precision facilitates informed decisions swiftly, especially important in professional environments.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Lemont, IL, gain peace of mind with hair follicle testing, ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. Such testing minimizes legal risks and enhances safety by effectively monitoring substance use among employees.

Adopting this method signifies a commitment to maintaining a safe and productive work environment. Employers can feel secure knowing their policies are supported by a reliable testing process, leading to a more harmonious workplace.

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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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