Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Westfield, IA

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is widely recognized as an effective tool for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By embedding biomarkers in the strands of growing hair, it offers a long-term history of substance use. Hair collected near the scalp can reveal up to a three-month period of alcohol and drug detection. It's easy to collect, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch section of about 200 hair strands (roughly the size of a #2 pencil) taken close to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the perfect amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of a specimen is advised. Using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the specimen is suggested. If scalp hair isn't accessible, a similar quantity of body hair can be gathered. By head hair, we mean scalp hair only. Body hair includes all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four essential steps in processing a drug test result in the lab: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial handling of a sample within a lab’s system. This step ensures the sample was properly sealed and shipped, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional data entry if not provided electronically by a chain of custody system.

Screening serves as an initial quick examination for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is a cost-saving method to rule out drug presence in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed for it to be valid in a legal setting. Samples that test presumptively positive during Screening must have a follow-up confirmation.

If a sample tests presumptively positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample for Extraction. In this stage, drugs are drawn out from the hair at a significantly lower concentration than other testing methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging to conduct.

Positive screening results are confirmed via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples that test presumptive positive are washed before confirmation as necessary. The complete lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair specification and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can reveal drug use up to 90 days, whereas urine tests have a shorter detection period.
• Challenging to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug test is very difficult, ensuring more reliable results.
• Provides usage history: It captures a pattern of drug use over time, beyond just recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent consumption: Drugs become detectable in hair only after about 5-7 days.
• Cost factor: Hair drug tests generally cost more than other methods.
• Results variability: Variables like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: The test is often misnamed as a "hair follicle test," though it actually analyzes the hair strand, not the root under the skin.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Westfield, IA, surpasses traditional urine tests in several ways, notably in detection accuracy and reliability. A hair test reveals substance use over a longer period, offering more insight than the short-term window of urine tests.

Employers and organizations benefit from the superior detection rate of hair tests, which uncover substance history more comprehensively than urine-based alternatives.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle tests in Westfield, IA, provide an extended detection window of up to 90 days, allowing employers a comprehensive look at an individual's drug use history.

This extended period is crucial for employers to ensure their workforce complies with drug-free policies, helping them make informed decisions about potential and current employees.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle testing in Westfield, IA, significantly reduces the chances of sample tampering, delivering reliable and credible results.

Employers benefit from the certainty that test results are genuine, knowing the observed collection process prevents attempts to interfere with the outcomes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our extensive network of nationwide testing centers, including those in Westfield, IA, ensures that accessing hair follicle testing services is quick and hassle-free.

The convenience of these locations means that employers and employees alike can experience a seamless and efficient testing process, avoiding unnecessary delays.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Westfield, IA, is straightforward and confidential, allaying privacy concerns for those undergoing testing.

From ordering to receiving results, the process is designed to be user-friendly and discreet, ensuring a stress-free experience for all participants involved.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Westfield, IA, we offer competitive pricing and fast turnaround on hair follicle testing, making it accessible and cost-effective for businesses of all sizes.

This blend of affordability and quick results ensures companies receive high-quality testing services without breaking the bank, retaining value and efficiency.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Westfield, IA, provide fast and accurate results, making them a preferred choice for detecting drug use. The precision of these tests ensures any substance use is identified with high accuracy.

Compared to other testing methods, hair follicle testing stands out with its ability to quickly deliver reliable results, offering peace of mind and dependable evidence of substance use.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Westfield, IA, using hair follicle testing can ensure compliance with workplace drug policies, minimizing legal risks and fostering safer work environments.

This testing method provides peace of mind as it aligns with zero-tolerance policies and supports a substance-free workplace, enhancing both safety and compliance.

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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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