Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Union, LA

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has been embraced as an effective approach for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a long-term record of alcohol and drug use by embedding biomarkers within the strands. If collected near the scalp, hair can reveal a detection timeline of up to about 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is straightforward to collect, relatively challenging to tamper with, and convenient to mail.

A 1.5-inch segment containing roughly 200 hair strands (approximately the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp offers 100mg of hair, which is the perfect amount for initial screening and further confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and tests beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advised. It is suggested to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not an option, a similar amount of body hair can be gathered. Head hair refers solely to scalp hair, while body hair encompasses all other types (like facial or axillary hair).

Process Overview

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

Accessioning includes the initial incorporation of a specimen into the laboratory’s system. This encompasses verifying that the sample was appropriately sealed and transported, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and filling in any additional data that an electronic chain of custody system might lack.

Screening entails an initial rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is an economical method to exclude drug usage in most cases, a positive Screen necessitates confirmation to be considered valid in court. Any samples tested positive in Screening require further confirmation.

If a sample yields a presumptive positive during Screening, more hair is extracted from the original sample for the Extraction stage. During Extraction, drugs are isolated from hair at a considerably lower concentration than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening one of the most challenging methods to undertake.

Any positive screening outcomes require Confirmation via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS techniques. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation, as needed. The complete laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is scrutinized under CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter detection span.
• Hard to manipulate: It is exceedingly hard to falsify a hair drug test, ensuring more precise outcomes.
• Historical insight: It can illustrate a pattern of drug usage over time, not just recent use.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting immediate use: Drugs become detectable in hair after about 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically pricier than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Aspects like hair color and personal differences in hair growth can influence the drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Although commonly termed as "hair follicle tests", this evaluation examines the hair strand, not the follicle situated beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Union, LA, hair follicle testing offers clear advantages over traditional urine tests. Its superior detection accuracy and reliability make it the preferable choice. Hair testing presents a longer detection period and is less vulnerable to tampering, providing a more thorough and credible assessment of drug use.
It identifies drug presence with impressive precision, giving employers and professionals confidence in test results.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Union, LA, is renowned for its extended detection window, capturing drug use over a significant period of up to 90 days. It thus affords employers a comprehensive insight into an individual’s substance use history. This long-term view is invaluable for appropriately evaluating applicants or employees, offering a thorough perspective on drug use.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Union, LA’s hair follicle tests are designed to be tamper-resistant, significantly minimizing the risk of sample adulteration. These tests deliver reliable and unquestionable outcomes due to their robust sample integrity measures.
Such characteristics make hair testing a trusted resource for authenticating drug use, ensuring a high degree of reliability and validity of results.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

In Union, LA, our network of testing centers provides convenient access to hair follicle testing services nationwide. This network ensures that testing is quick, easy, and hassle-free, allowing individuals and companies to access services without delay.
This accessibility underscores our commitment to client convenience and satisfaction.

Simple, Confidential Process

Union, LA residents benefit from a simple and confidential process for hair follicle testing. Ordering, testing, and receiving results are streamlined to address privacy concerns effectively.
The confidentiality and ease of our service provide assurance that client information is handled responsibly, supporting user confidence in our procedures.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Hair follicle testing services in Union, LA, offer competitive pricing and quick turnaround times, ensuring excellent value for companies of all sizes. Our affordable pricing structure is matched by prompt result delivery, providing both financial savings and timely information. This combination gives businesses peace of mind and boosts operational efficiency.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Union, LA, deliver fast, accurate, and reliable results. These tests stand out for their precision and speed in detecting substance use.
High accuracy is a hallmark of hair testing, ensuring that results reflect true drug consumption patterns. This precision provides crucial information for informed decision-making regarding substance use.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

In Union, LA, hair follicle testing ensures employer compliance with drug-free workplace policies. By adopting this method, companies minimize legal risks and promote workplace safety.
Testing with hair samples offers peace of mind, reinforcing the company’s commitment to a healthy, productive workforce, free from the complications associated with substance abuse.

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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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