Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as a robust method for identifying alcohol and drug use. By capturing biomarkers within the fibers of growing hair strands, hair offers a long-term historical record. Hair collected near the scalp can provide a detection window of up to roughly three months for alcohol and other drugs. It is straightforward to collect hair samples, challenging to tamper with, and simple to ship.
A 1.5-inch segment comprising around 200 hair strands (similar to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, making it an optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a sample size of 150mg is advisable. It is recommended to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not available, an equivalent amount of body hair may be used. When mentioning head hair, it specifically refers to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types of hair such as facial and axillary hair.
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of drug test results involves four essential steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
During Accessioning, the initial sample is processed into the laboratory’s system. This includes ensuring the sample was sealed and transported correctly, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry absent from the electronic chain of custody system.
Screening serves as an initial rapid check for illicit drugs. Although Screening is an economical method for eliminating drug usage in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be legally acceptable. Any samples testing presumptively positive in Screening necessitate a follow-up confirmation.
Should a sample appear presumptively positive during Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for the Extraction process. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at notably lower concentrations than in alternative methods (e.g., urine or saliva), which is why hair drug testing poses significant methodological challenges.
Confirmation of a positive screening outcome is achieved using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positive results are washed before confirmation when required. The entire process from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes evaluation per both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While often referred to as "hair follicle tests", the test indeed analyzes the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
In Oak Grove, LA, hair follicle testing outperforms traditional urine tests due to its superior detection accuracy and reliability. Hair tests detect drug use over a more extended period, enabling a comprehensive assessment of an individual's substance history.
By choosing hair testing, employers and other authorities gain a more reliable understanding of drug use patterns, making it a highly effective alternative to urine testing.
Hair follicle testing in Oak Grove, LA, provides an extended detection window, revealing drug use up to 90 days prior. This comprehensive view into an individual's substance history enables employers to make well-informed decisions.
For those assessing applicants or current employees, this expansive detection period offers a more thorough evaluation than traditional methods, ensuring a clearer picture of one's drug use.
The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests in Oak Grove, LA, significantly curtails the risk of sample adulteration, delivering results that are trustworthy and unquestionable.
This robustness makes hair testing a preferred option for ensuring accuracy, thereby preventing any potential deceit in drug testing processes, and strengthening the validity of each test result obtained.
Our convenient nationwide and local testing centers in Oak Grove, LA, offer quick and hassle-free access to drug testing services.
Having such accessibility ensures that individuals and companies can efficiently meet their testing needs without the inconvenience of long travel, making the process straightforward and easy to navigate.
In Oak Grove, LA, the process for ordering, taking, and receiving hair follicle test results is simple and confidential, addressing privacy and ease of use concerns.
This streamlined process prioritizes confidentiality and user-friendliness, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish, fostering trust and discretion in every step.
With competitive pricing and fast turnaround times, our hair follicle testing in Oak Grove, LA, offers exceptional value for businesses of all sizes.
These cost-effective solutions not only deliver peace of mind but also fit a wide range of budgets, ensuring that quality testing is accessible to every company in need of reliable drug screening.
The precision and speed of hair follicle drug testing in Oak Grove, LA, make it a preferred choice for many. These tests are known for their high accuracy in identifying substance use, offering results that are both fast and reliable.
The integrity of these tests ensures that results are obtained swiftly, allowing employers and individuals to make informed decisions efficiently, reinforcing the trust in hair testing's effectiveness.
For employers in Oak Grove, LA, hair follicle testing ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies, minimizing legal obligations and enhancing workplace safety.
By aligning with such testing, companies can maintain compliance, thus securing peace of mind through reliable results, and fostering a safer working environment for all employees involved.
