Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Thompsonville, MI

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has gained recognition as a robust method for identifying drug and alcohol use. Hair retains a prolonged record of alcohol and drug presence by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair shaft. When harvested near the scalp, hair can offer up to about a 3-month detection timeframe for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment consisting of roughly 200 hairs (comparable to the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the optimal sample for screening and verification. For EtG, supplementary tests, and tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. We suggest measuring the sample with a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is absent, a corresponding amount of body hair can be collected. When mentioning head hair, we refer solely to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The process of laboratory analysis in a drug test consists of four main stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the preliminary handling of a sample within a laboratory’s framework. This involves confirming that the sample was correctly sealed and dispatched, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any supplementary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails a preliminary examination for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is an efficient method to exclude drug use in the majority of samples, a positive screen requires confirmation to be accepted in legal proceedings. Any samples that yield a presumptive positive in Screening necessitate further confirmation.

If a sample is deemed presumptively positive during the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the original sample and prepped for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are drawn from hair at a significantly reduced concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), which is why hair drug screening is the most challenging methodology to execute.

Verification of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positives undergo a wash before verification as needed. The entire laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the certification to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Prolonged detection span: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, in comparison to urine tests with shorter detection spans.
• Hard to falsify: It is exceedingly challenging to manipulate a hair drug test, ensuring results are more precise.
• Supplies historical information: It offers a track record of drug use over a duration, not merely recent usage.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent use: It requires approximately 5-7 days for drugs to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests tend to be pricier than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Elements such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair shaft rather than the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing Triumphs Over Urine Testing
In Thompsonville, MI, hair testing showcases its superiority compared to traditional urine tests. Hair tests exhibit enhanced detection accuracy and rely on an extended identification period. This method surpasses urine testing by offering a broader scope for detecting prior drug use, delivering dependable and consistent outcomes for employers and authorities.

Extended Detection Window

Extended Detection Window in Thompsonville, MI
The capability of hair follicle testing to track substance use over approximately 90 days offers profound insights into an individual's drug history. Employers can use this widened detection period to gain a holistic view of an individual’s substance use, facilitating informed hiring and monitoring decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Thompsonville, MI
Hair follicle tests are crafted to significantly lessen the risk of tampering. Unlike other testing processes, they provide foolproof results by making sample adulteration and falsification nearly impossible, which ensures that the results are trustworthy and undeniable.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Testing Locations Nationwide Including Thompsonville, MI
With a widespread network of testing centers, including local availability in Thompsonville, access to testing services is seamless and stress-free, wherever you are. This convenience ensures that testing is hassle-free, supporting timely and efficient procedures for all stakeholders.

Simple, Confidential Process

Simple and Confidential Process in Thompsonville, MI
Our process guarantees simplicity and confidentiality from ordering to receiving results. Addressing privacy concerns, the streamlined procedure is designed to uphold user privacy while ensuring ease of use, thus providing a discreet and straightforward experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Affordable Pricing and Quick Turnaround in Thompsonville, MI
Competitive pricing structures, coupled with swift result delivery, offer exceptional value for companies of all sizes. Providing cost-effective solutions while assuring expedited service yields peace of mind and economic benefits to organizations.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Fast & Accurate Results in Thompsonville, MI
Hair follicle testing offers fast and precise substance detection, making it a preferred choice for accurate drug testing. With its high level of accuracy, hair testing provides instant and reliable insights into an individual's substance use, ensuring that employers and entities receive dependable results swiftly and effectively.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers
Adopting hair follicle testing allows Thompsonville employers to stay compliant with drug-free workplace policies. This method reduces legal liabilities while fostering a secure work environment, offering peace of mind through rigorous and compliant drug testing procedures.

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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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