Accredited Drug Testing provides comprehensive hair follicle drug testing services in Readfield, Maine. For those in need of hair drug or alcohol testing, our specialization in hair testing and a vast network of centers across the nation make it convenient to schedule a hair test. Typically, you need 1.5 to 2 inches of hair from your head or other body parts. Hair samples can be tested for drugs, alcohol/ETG, or tailored testing options.
Over the past years, drug testing methods have increasingly incorporated hair follicle drug testing. This shift is driven by employers, legal institutions, and substance abuse experts who now prefer hair tests over traditional urine tests. Hair follicle tests are favored by zero-tolerance employers, judicial systems, and probationary services due to their extensive detection window of up to 90 days and monitored collection, making cheating nearly impossible. However, for detecting recent drug use, urine tests remain the most precise option.
* You must register by phone or online to receive your donor pass/registration prior to proceeding to the testing center. You must bring a valid government issued ID along with the registration/barcode number which was sent to you by email.
When you're searching for hair drug testing near me or hair drug testing locations, we provide a simple and convenient process to find a drug and alcohol testing location near you that is certified to provide all of your drug and alcohol testing needs.
Hair testing has become recognized as an effective means for detecting drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a historical record of substance use by encapsulating biomarkers within the growing hair strand fibers. When extracted near the scalp, hair offers a detection window for alcohol and other drugs extending up to roughly three months. Hair is easy to collect, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.
A 1.5-inch segment consisting of approximately 200 hair strands (roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp produces 100mg of hair, which is the optimal quantity for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional testing, or analyses above 10 panels, a sample size of 150mg is suggested. We recommend using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen. If scalp hair is not available, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be used. References to head hair specifically pertain to scalp hair. Body hair includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four essential stages in laboratory drug test processing are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning consists of the initial handling of a sample in a laboratory’s system, which involves confirming proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data entry not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a preliminary assessment for substances of abuse. While Screening is an economical method for ruling out drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be validated to be legally valid. Samples that show a presumptive positive in Screening require a subsequent confirmation.
If Screening indicates a presumptive positive, more hair is extracted from the initial sample for Extraction. During this phase, hair undergoes drug extraction at a notably lower concentration than in other testing methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), thereby making hair drug screening the most challenging methodology to execute.
Validation of any positive screening outcome is carried out using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives are cleansed prior to confirmation as necessary. The complete lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes scrutiny under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation aligns with ISO / IEC 17025 criteria.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite often being labeled as "hair follicle tests," the analysis is conducted on the hair strand, excluding the follicle beneath the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Readfield, ME
Extended Detection Window in Readfield, ME
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Readfield, ME
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Readfield, ME
Simple, Confidential Process in Readfield, ME
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Readfield, ME
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Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Readfield, ME
