Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Long Grove, IL

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as a potent method for detecting drug and alcohol usage. By capturing biomarkers within the fibers of a growing hair shaft, hair provides an extended record of alcohol and drug use. When sampled near the scalp, it offers a detection window of up to 90 days for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, not easily tampered with, and convenient to send.

A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (roughly the width of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg, which is the optimal amount for screening and validation. For tests involving EtG, additional specifics, or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg is suggested. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen is recommended. If scalp hair isn’t available, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. When mentioning head hair, it signifies scalp hair exclusively. Body hair denotes all other varieties (facial, underarm, etc.).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning is the initial stage of introducing a sample into a lab’s system. This step ensures the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishes any additional data entry not managed by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides a preliminary inspection for drugs of abuse. While Screening is an economical method to exclude drug use for most samples, a positive result must be confirmed before being viable in legal proceedings. Any samples initially positive in Screening require secondary confirmation.

If a sample tests presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair in lower concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), which is why hair drug screening is the most challenging to perform.

Confirming any positive Screening result is done using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples undergo necessary washing before confirmation. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is conducted under CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and meets ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation requirements.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests detect drugs for up to 90 days, surpassing the shorter window of urine tests.
• Hard to circumvent: Cheating a hair drug test is challenging, thus enhancing accuracy.
• Historical insight: It charts a pattern of drug use over time, unlike tests that only detect recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent consumption: Drugs become traceable in hair approximately 5-7 days after use.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors including hair color and individual hair growth rates can influence the drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests", these tests analyze the hair shaft and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle drug testing offers several advantages over traditional urine testing. In Long Grove, IL, one key benefit is the superior detection accuracy. The ability to reliably identify substance use over an extended period makes it a preferred method among employers looking for a dependable solution to enforce strict drug policies.

Compared to urine tests, hair testing is less invasive and provides a more comprehensive overview of an individual’s drug use history. This thorough detection capability benefits employers in maintaining a drug-free workplace.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing presents an extended detection window, covering drug use over approximately 90 days in Long Grove, IL. This characteristic provides employers a comprehensive view of a potential or current employee's substance use history.

Employers benefit from this long detection period as it affords them a thorough understanding of an individual's habits, enabling more informed hiring and employment decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The hair follicle testing method in Long Grove, IL significantly reduces the risk of sample adulteration. With such tests, the opportunity for tampering is minimized, delivering reliable and trustworthy outcomes.

Employers can have confidence in the accuracy and integrity of the results, knowing the samples have been collected in a manner that prohibits manipulation or deceit.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient nationwide and local testing sites in Long Grove, IL simplify access to drug testing services. These testing centers offer hassle-free and prompt service, ensuring individuals can quickly complete necessary tests.

Whether local or across the nation, our extensive network of testing locations ensures that everyone finds a compatible site, reflecting accessibility and efficiency in service delivery.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Long Grove, IL, the process of hair follicle drug testing is both simple and confidential. The ordering, testing, and result-receiving stages prioritize user privacy and ease of use.

This thorough yet straightforward approach ensures individuals’ concerns about privacy are addressed, making the testing experience smooth and stress-free.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing and rapid turnaround in Long Grove, IL, hair follicle testing ensures excellent value for businesses of varying sizes. Employers appreciate the cost-effective nature of this service.

Fast results enable timely decision-making, and the reasonable pricing structure allows more organizations to implement thorough substance use assessments without financial strain.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Long Grove, IL boasts fast, accurate, and reliable hair follicle drug testing. The precision offered by these tests ensures high accuracy levels, making them a trusted solution in the detection of substance use.

This method is characterized by its swift turnaround times, allowing for quick decision-making processes in workplaces and other professional settings. Its efficiency and reliability make hair follicle testing a preferred choice for many organizations.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Long Grove, IL find peace of mind with hair follicle drug testing solutions. This method supports compliance with workplace drug-free regulations, minimizing legal risks.

Implementing this stringent testing ensures that organizations operate within legal standards, offering a safer workplace environment and reducing the possibility of incidents related to substance use.

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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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