Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has increasingly become recognized as an effective method for uncovering drug and alcohol consumption. Hair serves as a long-lasting record of alcohol and drug intake by embedding biomarkers in the strands of growing hair. When taken close to the scalp, hair allows for as much as a 3-month detection period for alcohol and drugs. It is easy to collect, somewhat resistant to tampering, and simple to ship.
A 1.5-inch lock containing around 200 hair strands (approximately the size of a #2 pencil) near the scalp yields 100mg of hair, the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation tests. For EtG, additional requests, and/or panels exceeding 10, 150mg of the sample is needed. We recommend using a jeweler’s scale for accurate weighing of the sample. If head hair isn't available, a similar amount of body hair can be collected. When mentioning head hair, we mean scalp hair specifically. Body hair refers to all other hair categories (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning includes the initial integration of a sample into a lab’s workflow. This process covers checking that the sample was correctly sealed and shipped, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and filling in any additional data entry not covered by an electronic custody chain system.
Screening consists of a preliminary rapid assessment for drugs of abuse. While cost-effective for ruling out drug use in the bulk of samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to be valid in a legal setting. Samples preliminarily positive in Screening require further confirmation.
If Screening indicates a potential positive result, additional hair is extracted from the original specimen for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are removed from the hair at concentrations significantly lower than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), necessitating complexity in hair drug screening.
Confirmation of any positive screening result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positives are washed before confirmation as necessary. The lab process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair standard and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand rather than the follicle below the scalp
In Goffstown, NH, hair follicle testing outshines traditional urine testing. Hair tests boast superior detection accuracy, uncovering a substance history up to 90 days, whereas urine tests are limited to a shorter detection period.
In Goffstown, NH, hair follicle testing provides an extended detection window of up to 90 days, offering an expansive look at a subject's substance use history, benefiting employers in making informed decisions.
The tamper-resistant nature of hair follicle tests in Goffstown, NH, reduces the risk of sample manipulation, ensuring trustworthy test outcomes and greater confidence in the results.
With testing centers nationwide, including local ones in Goffstown, NH, accessing hair follicle testing services is straightforward and convenient, enhancing the testing process's efficiency.
Our process in Goffstown, NH, for hair follicle testing is designed to be simple and confidential, ensuring the privacy of participants from ordering the test to obtaining results.
In Goffstown, NH, our hair follicle drug testing offers competitive pricing and rapid turnaround times, ensuring businesses of various sizes receive excellent value and assurance.
The precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests make them a preferred choice in Goffstown, NH. These tests offer exceptional accuracy in identifying substance use, providing fast and reliable results.
Hair follicle testing in Goffstown, NH, assists employers in adhering to drug-free workplace policies. It lowers legal risks and significantly boosts workplace safety, offering employers peace of mind.
