Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Seen as a smart tool, hair testing unveils drug and alcohol consumption through its capability to preserve biomarkers within the fibers of a developing hair strand. Collected near the scalp, this method offers insight into drug and alcohol use over a period of up to three months. With its straightforward collection, resistance to tampering, and ease of shipping, hair testing is advantageous.
A 1.5-inch hair sample, comprising around 200 strands (approximating the size of a #2 pencil) near the scalp, weighs 100mg, which is optimal for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional services, and/or testing beyond 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advisable. It’s best to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent portion of body hair may be taken. Reference to head hair pertains exclusively to scalp hair, whereas body hair encompasses all other varieties (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory procedures entail four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning marks the inception of a sample’s processing in a lab system, ensuring proper sealing and shipping, allocating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any supplementary data not provided by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening serves as a preliminary evaluation for drugs of misuse. Though cost-effective, a positive screen needs affirmation for court admissibility. Presumptive positives from Screening need secondary confirmation.
For presumptive positives detected in Screening, additional hair is sourced from the original sample for Extraction. This step extracts drugs from hair at concentrations significantly lower than other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), presenting a more challenging methodology for hair drug screening.
Positive screenings undergo Confirmation through methods like GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples receive a washing before confirmation as required. CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 standards ensure a review of the laboratory process, from Accessioning through to Confirmation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Often dubbed "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand rather than the follicle itself under the scalp.
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Royal, NE: In a comparison of efficacy, hair follicle tests provide superior detection accuracy and reliability over traditional urine tests. While urine tests serve their purpose, hair tests expand the temporal view into a user's substance history, offering a robust measure that aids in enacting zero-tolerance policies and enhances decision-making processes.
Extended Detection Window in Royal, NE: Hair follicle testing presents a significant advantage in its ability to trace drug use over an extended period — up to 90 days. This extensive detection window facilitates employers in assessing an individual's longstanding substance use patterns, offering clarity and insight that is unattainable with shorter-lived urine tests.
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Royal, NE: One of the significant benefits of hair testing is its robust resistance to tampering. This testing method mitigates the risk of sample manipulation, which can be a concern with other testing types like urine. Hair tests provide reliable and incontrovertible results, increasing their trustworthiness and acceptance in professional settings.
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Royal, NE: Our extensive network of testing centers across the nation offers convenient access to necessary services. This structure ensures that testing is straightforward, quick, and accessible, significantly enhancing the feasibility of integrating consistent drug screening into business operations.
Simple, Confidential Process in Royal, NE: The entire process, from ordering to receiving results, is streamlined and confidential. We address privacy and user-friendliness, ensuring that individuals and businesses experience a hassle-free procedure that respects confidentiality without compromising on ease of use.
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Royal, NE: Our pricing is competitively structured, offering excellent value for companies of any size. Coupled with fast turnaround times, our services provide a winning combination of cost efficiency and rapid results delivery, granting peace of mind across the board.
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Royal, NE: Leveraging the precision of hair follicle drug tests, our laboratories deliver rapid and accurate results. The technology provides a highly reliable identification of substance use, ensuring tests are both speedy and thorough. This method is highly adept at producing trustable data, making it indispensable in situations requiring quick turnarounds.
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Royal, NE: Using hair follicle tests aids businesses in maintaining compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This practice significantly lowers legal risks and elevates workplace safety, providing thorough assurance to employers striving to create a secure and responsible environment.
