Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is now recognized as an effective means for uncovering drug and alcohol consumption. The reason for this is that hair encapsulates long-term evidence of alcohol and drug use by capturing markers within the fibers of the hair strand as it grows. When hair is taken from near the scalp, it can reveal alcohol and drug usage over a period of up to three months. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.
A sample measuring 1.5 inches, consisting of around 200 hair strands (comparable in size to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the preferred amount for screening and verification. For EtG or additional tests exceeding 10 panels, a specimen weight of 150mg is suggested. We advise using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. If scalp hair cannot be acquired, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be gathered. In the context of head hair, we specifically refer to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The major procedures in the laboratory assessment of a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning pertains to the initial integration of a sample into the laboratory system. This step verifies correct sealing and shipment of the sample, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any additional entries not covered by the electronic chain of custody system.
Screening offers a preliminary check for substances of potential abuse. While Screening is an economical approach for excluding drug use in the vast majority of cases, screens yielding positive results require further confirmation to be valid in legal settings. Samples testing likely positive during Screening need additional verification.
For samples presumed positive at Screening, extra hair is taken from the initial collection for the Extraction process. During this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at a much lower concentration than in alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing the most complex method to perform.
Confirmation of any positive findings is performed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumptively positive are cleansed before confirmation as necessary. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the entire lab procedure is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite the common term "hair follicle tests," this test examines the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Dodge City, KS
Extended Detection Window in Dodge City, KS
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Dodge City, KS
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