In St. Louis, Missouri, Accredited Drug Testing offers comprehensive hair follicle drug testing services. If you require testing for drugs or alcohol, our expertise is in hair analysis, and we have testing centers available nationwide. Generally, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair from your head or body is needed for testing. Our hair tests can detect drugs, alcohol/ETG, or can be tailored for specific needs.
Over recent years, drug testing methods have increasingly incorporated hair follicle drug tests. Many companies, courts, and substance abuse specialists now prefer these to the traditional urine test. They are favored by employers with strict no-drug policies, court systems, and those on probation due to their extended drug detection window, usually up to 90 days, and ease of collection, making cheating nearly impossible. However, urine tests remain more precise for detecting very recent substance use within the last 5 days.
* You must register by phone or online to receive your donor pass/registration prior to proceeding to the testing center. You must bring a valid government issued ID along with the registration/barcode number which was sent to you by email.
When you're searching for hair drug testing near me or hair drug testing locations, we provide a simple and convenient process to find a drug and alcohol testing location near you that is certified to provide all of your drug and alcohol testing needs.
Hair analysis is now recognized as an effective method to identify drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged history by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the hair as it grows. When cut close to the scalp, it can reveal drug and alcohol usage up to about three months. Hair is straightforward to collect, less prone to tampering, and easy to transport.
A 1.5-inch section of approximately 200 hair strands (similar to the thickness of a #2 pencil) near the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the preferred amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or screenings over 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advisable. It's suggested to weigh this on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent portion of body hair may be used. By head hair, we mean scalp hair specifically. Body hair denotes all other hair types (such as facial or axillary hair).
Process Summary
The lab processing of a drug test has four primary stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes introducing a sample into the lab’s system. It verifies the proper sealing and shipment of the sample, assigns a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fills in any missing information not captured by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is a preliminary assessment for drugs. Although it's a cost-efficient method to dismiss drug usage for most samples, a positive screen requires validation for court acceptance. Samples that appear positive in Screening need a further confirmation.
For samples showing positive signs in Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial batch for the Extraction process. In Extraction, drugs are isolated from hair at notably lower levels than other methods (like urine or saliva), making hair drug testing the most challenging process to execute.
Positive results are validated through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples testing positive are cleaned before confirmation. This entire lab sequence from Accessioning to Confirmation is inspected under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair category and complies with ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Benefits of hair drug testing:
Drawbacks:
Note: Frequently termed as "hair follicle exams", this assessment evaluates the hair shaft, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp
Why does hair follicle testing surpass urine testing in St. Louis, MO? Hair tests carry the advantage of longer detection windows, capturing substance use for up to 90 days. This vastly exceeds the short detection period of urine tests, typically limited to a few days. The enhanced accuracy and reliability of hair tests offer a more detailed view of an individual's drug use history, making them superior for comprehensive screening.
Employers in St. Louis, MO recognize the value of hair follicle testing for its extended detection window. Unlike other methods, this test can track drug use for up to 90 days. This long detection timeline offers a detailed perspective of candidate or employee drug use, providing greater insight and informing sound employment-related decisions. Such comprehensive analysis is unparalleled, setting hair testing apart.
One of the standout features of hair follicle testing in St. Louis, MO is its inherent tamper-resistant nature. This method minimizes the risk of sample tampering or adulteration, a concern with more traditional testing methods. The reliable results delivered by hair testing ensure that the integrity of the process is maintained, yielding unquestionable and trustworthy outcomes.
With nationwide testing centers, including those in St. Louis, MO, Accredited Drug Testing ensures straightforward access to reliable hair follicle testing services. This extensive network facilitates quick and hassle-free testing, making the process convenient and efficient, regardless of your location within the city or country. Accessibility to quality testing has never been easier.
In St. Louis, MO, the process of ordering, conducting, and receiving results from hair follicle testing is remarkably simple and confidential. Accreditation ensures that every step respects privacy and is user-friendly. Individuals can feel confident in the ease of the experience, from beginning to end, knowing that their personal information and results are handled with utmost care.
Offering competitive pricing and swift turnaround in St. Louis, MO, our hair follicle testing services deliver exceptional value for businesses of any size. The combination of affordability and fast results ensures companies receive excellent service without compromising quality, contributing to better peace of mind and economic efficiency in handling drug testing procedures.
In St. Louis, MO, hair follicle drug testing offers unrivaled precision and speed. Unlike other methods, these tests provide highly accurate results, detecting minute traces of substances with excellence. Employers can rely on these tests for swift and definitive results, ensuring that decisions regarding hiring or monitoring are made confidently and promptly.
High accuracy makes hair follicle testing stand out in drug detection.
Hair follicle testing plays a crucial role in maintaining workplace safety and compliance in St. Louis, MO. By adhering to drug-free policies more effectively, employers can mitigate legal risks. Using this advanced testing method enhances peace of mind, demonstrating commitment to a safe and compliant workplace environment, which benefits both business owners and employees.
