Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Mineral Hills, MI

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as a key method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a comprehensive timeline of alcohol and drug usage by securing biomarkers within the strands of hair as it grows. When taken near the scalp, hair provides a detection timeline of up to roughly 90 days for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, resistant to tampering, and convenient to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches consisting of approximately 200 strands (roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp yields 100mg, which is the optimal sample size for screening and analysis. For EtG, additional tests, and/or those exceeding 10 panels, a specimen weight of 150mg is advised. We recommend using a jeweler’s scale to ensure the correct weight of the specimen. Should scalp hair be lacking, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. When discussing head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The drug test result processing in a lab comprises four essential steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning refers to the preliminary stage of incorporating a sample into the lab's system. This step includes confirming that the sample is sealed and dispatched accurately, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any supplementary data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody setup.

Screening entails an initial swift drug usage check. Although Screening serves as a resource-efficient approach to dismissing drug usage for most samples, a positive result requires verification for legal proceedings. Samples indicating a presumptive positive outcome during Screening necessitate further confirmation.

If a sample tests presumptive positive at the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen and set up for Extraction. During Extraction, drugs are isolated from hair at a substantially lower level compared to other techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid). Thus, hair drug screening is recognized as the most complex method to execute.

Any positive result from screening is confirmed through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as necessary. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is audited under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair heading and accreditation with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug usage for as long as 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection range.
• Hard to manipulate: It’s challenging to manipulate hair drug test outcomes, providing more precise results.
• Offers historical insight: It delivers a pattern of drug consumption over a duration, beyond just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Can't detect immediate use: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days after use.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically carry a higher cost than other drug testing methods.
• Variability in results: Factors such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Despite commonly being called "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Mineral Hills, MI
Hair follicle tests surpass urine examinations with their extended detection period, identifying drug use over several months. This significantly aids employers in assessing employee sobriety histories.

Unlike urine tests, hair examinations provide a holistic view of past substance consumption. Their nearly tamper-proof nature offers reliability, aligning with stringent workplace policies.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Mineral Hills, MI
Hair follicle testing uniquely offers detection periods of up to 90 days, giving employers a thorough understanding of substance use over time. This extensive timeline ensures a clear record of consumption patterns.

Such comprehensive insight into an individual's drug history is beneficial for hiring decisions, maintaining workplace safety standards, and ongoing employee evaluations.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Mineral Hills, MI
Hair follicle tests drastically reduce sample interference risks, ensuring trustworthiness in results. The test's intrinsic nature prevents alterations or adulteration, securing employers' confidence.

This impenetrable characteristic assures professionals and legal authorities of the genuine outcomes, vital in maintaining integrity within testing protocols and regulations.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Mineral Hills, MI
Accredited Drug Testing delivers seamless access through its vast network of testing centers. The widespread presence guarantees local and national service availability.

Simplifying the testing process, these centers provide easy access to required services, facilitating swift assessments with professional support covering diverse geographic areas.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple, Confidential Process in Mineral Hills, MI
Our hair follicle testing ensures privacy and ease from start to finish. The streamlined procedure accommodates scheduling, sample collection, and result retrieval with confidentiality prioritized throughout.

Transparency in process execution alleviates user concerns, promoting confidentiality and trust. This thoughtful approach enhances user experience, safeguarding privacy at every step.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Mineral Hills, MI
Competitive pricing options suit companies of varied sizes while ensuring swift analysis for timely outcomes. By balancing cost-effectiveness with efficiency, considerable value is provided.

Quick result delivery paired with attractive cost structures enhances trust, encouraging utilization by employers seeking reliable yet economical drug testing solutions for their workforce.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Mineral Hills, MI
The precision of hair follicle drug tests offers accurate detection of substance use. By analyzing hair strands, these tests provide reliable results swiftly, making them a preferred method for expedited diagnosis.

Employers benefit from quick detection capabilities, ensuring timely identification of potential substance misuse. Trusted for their analytical accuracy, these tests are invaluable for employer and safety assurance.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Mineral Hills, MI
Hair follicle testing aligns businesses with drug-free mandates, mitigating legal risks associated with non-compliance. By maintaining safety, it bestows peace of mind upon employers.

Ensuring regulatory adherence through reliable screening enhances workplace environments, fostering a culture of safety and compliance within organizations of any scale.

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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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