Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Kingsford, MI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has become recognized as an effective means for uncovering drug and alcohol consumption. Hair retains a long-term record of alcohol and drugs by capturing biomarkers within the strands of growing hair. When sampled close to the scalp, hair offers an approximate 3-month detection period for alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to gather, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches, comprising around 200 hair strands (similar to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, yields 100mg of hair, which is the optimal quantity for screening and validation. For EtG, enhancements, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is preferable. It's advisable to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, an equivalent amount of body hair might be used. By head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair indicates all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing steps for a drug test outcome include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the initial intake of a sample into a lab's system. This includes ensuring the sample's proper sealing and shipping, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening serves as an initial examination for substances of abuse. While Screening helps economically rule out drug use in most samples, a positive screen needs confirmation to be court-admissible. Samples with presumptive positivity in Screening require additional confirmation.

If Screening detects a presumptive positive, more hair is extracted from the original sample for further Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at concentrations lower than in other methods (such as urine or oral fluids), contributing to the complexity of hair drug testing.

Positive screening results are confirmed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive specimens are cleansed before final confirmation if necessary. Reviewing the complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation aligns with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair tests for drugs provide a detection window of up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter time frame.
• Resistance to tampering: A hair drug test is notably hard to outwit, enhancing result accuracy.
• Historical usage data: It outlines a history of drug use across time, rather than immediate use alone.

Limitations:

• Unable to detect recent usage: Detection of drugs in hair takes about 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically cost more than alternative testing methodologies.
• Result variability: Attributes such as hair color and personal differences in growth can influence drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Referred to as "hair follicle tests", this test actually assesses the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Kingsford, MI
Hair follicle tests offer several advantages over urine tests. They boast superior detection accuracy and reliability, with a more extended detection window. This advanced method minimizes false negatives and undetected cases, ensuring a comprehensive review of an individual's substance history, providing peace of mind to employers and stakeholders in substance management.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Kingsford, MI
Hair follicle testing evaluates drug use over an expanded span of up to 90 days, offering a panoramic perspective on an individual's substance history. This comprehensive view enables employers to gain a deeper understanding of potential hires or current employees, supporting informed decision-making and promoting a drug-free workplace environment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Kingsford, MI
Unlike some other testing methods, hair follicle tests drastically lessen the possibilities of sample tampering. This robust process maintains the utmost integrity of results, ensuring employers and authorities receive dependable, indisputable data when evaluating substance use.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Kingsford, MI
With testing sites dispersed across the nation and locally in Kingsford, MI, accessing high-quality drug testing facilities has never been more straightforward. Our strategically located centers ensure a hassle-free experience, granting individuals and businesses quick entry to essential testing services.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Kingsford, MI
Our drug testing process prioritizes simplicity and confidentiality. From scheduling tests to obtaining results, each step is streamlined and protected, respecting individual privacy and making the entire procedure user-friendly, ensuring client satisfaction and trust in the system.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Kingsford, MI
Our competitive pricing combined with fast turnaround times offers outstanding value. Whether for small companies or large enterprises, our services strive to provide peace of mind without straining budgets, ensuring efficient substance management at cost-effective rates.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Kingsford, MI
Hair follicle drug testing in Kingsford offers unmatched precision and speed. This method ensures high accuracy in detecting substances, outperforming traditional methods. Results are quickly processed, delivering trustworthy insights into substance use, making them invaluable for decision-makers who prioritize reliability and swift action.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Kingsford, MI
Hair follicle testing plays a crucial role in ensuring adherence to workplace drug-free policies, thereby reducing legal exposure and enhancing overall safety. This method offers employers peace of mind by substantiating their efforts to maintain a compliant and secure work environment free of illicit substance influences.

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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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