Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Garden City, MS

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has gained recognition as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a comprehensive timeline of alcohol and drug usage by capturing biomarkers in the growing strands. When gathered near the scalp, hair provides a detection window of up to 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is easy to collect, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch hair sample consisting of roughly 200 strands (comparable to a #2 pencil in thickness) near the scalp yields about 100mg of hair, which is the optimal sample size for screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, or panels exceeding 10, around 150mg of the sample is suggested. We advise using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. If no scalp hair is available, an equivalent volume of body hair may be used. "Head hair" refers solely to scalp hair, whereas "body hair" signifies all other types (e.g., facial, axillary).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial step where a sample is entered into a lab’s system. It includes verifying the proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any data entry not included in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary swift assessment for drug presence. Although Screening is an economical method to eliminate drug use in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to be valid in judicial proceedings. Any samples that test positive in the Screening phase require additional confirmation.

If Screening suggests a positive result, further hair is extracted from the original sample and processed for Extraction. In this step, drugs are extracted from the hair at a lower concentration compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making it the most complex screening method.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with presumptive positive results are cleaned pre-confirmation if necessary. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standards and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation requirements.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Prolonged detection period: Hair drug tests can trace drug usage for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Difficult to manipulate: Cheating on a hair drug test is quite challenging, ensuring more accurate outcomes.
• Historical data provision: It offers a timeline of drug usage over a duration, unlike recent usage capture alone.

Limitations:

• Cannot pinpoint recent usage: Drugs become detectable in hair approximately 5-7 days post-consumption.
• Expense: Hair drug tests are typically pricier than alternative testing methods.
• Individual result variations: Hair color and personal differences in hair growth can alter drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair follicle testing to traditional urine tests in Garden City, MS, the advantages are clear. Hair tests offer enhanced accuracy and reliability, identifying substance use weeks to months after intake.
Employers and professionals prefer hair tests for their unmatched detection period and difficult-to-cheat methodology.

Urine tests may show recent usage, but hair tests highlight consistent trends. This makes hair follicle testing a superior choice for comprehensive substance history evaluation in Garden City, MS.
The choice for a more impactful and reliable drug test is evident: hair testing.

Extended Detection Window

In Garden City, MS, hair follicle testing provides an extensive detection window of up to 90 days. This comprehensive monitoring helps employers gain clear insights into an individual’s substance history.
Unlike shorter-lived tests, hair analysis reveals prolonged substance use patterns.

This detection span is unparalleled, assessing drug habits over a quarter-year period.
Employers rely on this level of scrutiny to make informed hiring and retention decisions in Garden City, MS.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Garden City, MS benefits significantly from the tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests. The collection of hair samples reduces the chance of adulteration or manipulation, ensuring trustworthy outcomes.
This testing method is naturally secure,
as altering hair test results is exceptionally difficult.

Such robustness protects the integrity of the drug testing process, proving indispensable to employers seeking reliable assessments.
This method forms the cornerstone of unimpeachable drug testing practices.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Our testing locations stretch nationwide including local sites in Garden City, MS for convenient access. This widespread availability allows our clients to easily order, complete, and receive test results without geographical limitations.

• Quick access to testing centers
• Simple scheduling process
• High accessibility for individuals and companies alike

Simple, Confidential Process

Experience a seamless and private hair follicle testing process in Garden City, MS. We prioritize simplicity and confidentiality, providing easy-to-follow procedures from ordering to receiving results.
Concerns about privacy are addressed with our streamlined approach.

Effortless and discreet, our method handles all stages efficiently, ensuring you feel comfortable throughout.
Trust us to manage your drug testing needs with professionalism.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Garden City, MS, Accredited Drug Testing offers competitively priced hair follicle testing with rapid turnaround times.
This cost-effective solution delivers exceptional value,
making it accessible for businesses of all sizes.

Timely results paired with affordable pricing are our promise,
ensuring satisfaction without breaking the budget.Hair testing services deliver reliable insights swiftly, adding value to our clients' operations.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The precision of hair follicle testing in Garden City, MS ensures accurate results swiftly. This testing method excels in identifying substance use with remarkable accuracy.
Unlike other testing forms, hair analysis minimizes false positives, offering trustworthy results within days.

With hair follicle drug tests, expect fast processing without compromising on accuracy. Efficiency and dependability make this testing method a reliable choice for detecting substance use.
In Garden City, MS, hair follicle testing is the go-to solution for fast and accurate results, ensuring realistic insights into one's drug use history.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Garden City, MS, hair follicle testing ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies, reducing legal and safety risks.
Peace of mind comes from using this reliable testing method,
which helps maintain compliant and secure work environments.

Implementing this testing strategy supports fair workplace practices.
Employers gain confidence knowing they are fostering a safe and lawful work setting in Garden City, MS.

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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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