Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair examination is now recognized as a robust method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By encapsulating biomarkers within the filament of the maturing hair strand, hair offers an extended timeline of alcohol and drug usage. When taken near the scalp, hair can show a detection period of around 3 months for alcohol and other substances. Hair is effortless to gather, relatively tough to tamper with, and straightforward to send.
A 1.5-inch collection of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil in thickness) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the ideal amount for assessment and verification. For EtG, additions, and/or evaluations exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg supply is suggested. It's advisable to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s balance. If scalp hair isn't viable, a similar quantity of body hair may be gathered. When discussing head hair, we mean scalp hair exclusively. Body hair consists of all other hair varieties (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The key steps in laboratory processing for a drug test result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning pertains to the initial intake of a sample into a lab’s framework. This stage verifies that the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigns an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishes any extra data input not captured by an electronic custody chain system.
Screening pertains to an initial quick evaluation for drugs of abuse. Though Screening offers a cost-efficient way to dismiss drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to hold in court. Samples with presumed positives during Screening necessitate follow-up confirmation.
If a sample shows a presumed positive at the Screening stage, additional hair is taken from the initial sample for Extraction. This step involves extracting drugs from hair at concentrations lower than alternative methods (e.g., urine or saliva), making hair drug screening a highly challenging procedure.
Confirmation of any positive screening result is conducted via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples presumed positive are cleansed before confirmation as required. The full laboratory method from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests", this test analyzes the hair shaft and not the scalp's hair follicle.
In Scottville, MI, hair follicle testing surpasses traditional urine testing. Benefits include
Hair follicle tests conducted in Scottville, MI, provide visibility into drug use over a much longer period, up to 90 days. Key benefits include:
In Scottville, MI, hair follicle tests are robust against sample adulteration, drastically reducing the risk of tampering. Key highlights include:
The convenience of our testing centers in Scottville, MI, and nationwide, offers quick and accessible testing services. Highlights include:
The testing process in Scottville, MI, is both simple and confidential, ensuring privacy and ease for all involved. Key aspects include:
Offering competitive pricing and quick turnaround, hair follicle testing in Scottville, MI, provides excellent value. Main benefits include:
In Scottville, MI, hair follicle drug tests are recognized for being fast, precise, and reliable. They offer significant precision in detecting substance use, ensuring quick and accurate results. Advantages include:
Employers in Scottville, MI, gain peace of mind with hair follicle testing, ensuring adherence to drug-free workplace policies. Benefits include: