Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Timken, KS

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now considered an effective resource for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By embedding biomarkers in the strands of growing hair, it offers a significant retrospective view of alcohol and other substances. When clipped near the scalp, hair can reveal substance usage for up to around three months. Collecting hair is straightforward, relatively hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches with approximately 200 hair strands (roughly equivalent to a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp provides about 100mg of hair, which is the perfect amount for screening and validation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or panels above 10, 150mg of the sample is advisable. We suggest weighing the sample with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be utilized. When mentioning head hair, we mean only scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The primary stages in processing a drug test in the lab include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial handling of a sample into the lab’s systems. This part features ensuring the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and accomplishing any extra data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is an initial rapid assessment for drug abuse. Although Screening is an inexpensive method to exclude drug usage from most samples, a positive outcome requires confirmation for legal acceptability. Any samples preliminarily positive in Screening must undergo secondary confirmation.

If a sample shows preliminary positivity during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and processed for Extraction. In this step, drugs are sourced from hair at considerably lower concentrations than in other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), thus making hair drug testing the most challenging technique to execute.

Any positive Screening result undergoes Confirmation through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, all presumptively positive samples are cleansed as needed. The complete lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is conducted under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 criteria.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection window: Hair drug tests can reveal drug usage up to 90 days, unlike urine tests that offer a shorter detection span.
• Difficulty to cheat: Deceiving a hair drug test is highly challenging, hence its results are more reliable.
• Provides historical data: It offers a drug use pattern over time, rather than just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Drugs become noticeable in hair approximately 5-7 days after use.
• Cost: Hair drug tests generally incur higher costs compared to alternative drug testing methods.
• Variations in results: Variables like hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence the drug metabolites concentration in hair.

Note: Despite often being called "hair follicle tests", the test examines the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle tests surpass traditional urine tests in Timken, KS by offering an extended detection timeframe and heightened reliability. Urine tests can only detect recent usage, whereas hair tests provide insights into an individual's drug use over months, thus ensuring thorough and precise evaluations.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle drug tests in Timken, KS, provide a comprehensive view of drug history by detecting substance use for up to 90 days. This extended window is invaluable for employers investigating potential hires, ensuring they have a clear history of the applicant's substance use.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

The integrity of hair follicle drug tests in Timken, KS, is exemplary due to their tamper-resistant nature. The method nearly eliminates the possibility of adulteration, thus ensuring that results remain trustworthy and objections are effectively minimized.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our nationwide testing centers in Timken, KS, including local options, ensure convenience and ease of access. Our broad network simplifies the process, enabling quick and seamless testing for everyone, from individuals to large corporations.

Simple, Confidential Process

Ordering and undergoing a hair follicle test in Timken, KS, is a simple and confidential process. We prioritize privacy and facilitate a hassle-free experience for our clients, ensuring quick delivery of results while maintaining discretion.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Timken, KS, we provide affordable pricing and swift turnaround for our hair follicle tests. Our competitive rates and efficient service delivery offer excellent value, catering to companies of various sizes and requirements.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The effectiveness and dependability of hair follicle drug testing in Timken, KS is unparalleled. High speed and accuracy are the hallmarks of these tests. They identify substance use with unmatched precision, substantially improving the reliability of test results and promptness in reporting, making them invaluable for urgent needs.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For companies in Timken, KS, hair follicle testing guarantees compliance with drug-free policies. This approach minimizes legal liabilities and boosts workplace safety, offering employers peace of mind and alignment with regulatory requirements.

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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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