Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Cliffwood Beach, NJ

What it is, How it works

Hair testing has gained recognition as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol use. The hair captures a long-term record of alcohol and drugs by embedding biomarkers in the strands as they grow. When taken near the scalp, hair can offer a detection period of up to roughly three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A sample of 1.5 inches, consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil thickness) closest to the scalp, provides 100mg of hair, the ideal quantity for screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the hair is advised. It is suggested to measure the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn't available, an equivalent amount of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, it refers exclusively to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The primary stages in the lab processing of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning entails the initial processing of a sample into a lab’s system. This involves ensuring the sample's proper sealing and transport, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is a preliminary test for drugs of abuse. While Screening is a cost-efficient approach to disprove drug use on most samples, a positive screen must be validated for court acceptance. All samples that show a presumptive positive in Screening require a secondary confirmation.

If a sample indicates a presumptive positive during Screening, more hair is taken from the original specimen and prepped for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are extracted from the hair at a considerably lower concentration than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), explaining why hair drug screening is among the most challenging methodologies.

Confirmation of any positive screen result is conducted using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation if needed. The entire lab procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection timeframe: Hair drug tests can trace drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a shorter detection period.
• Hard to tamper with: Cheating on a hair drug test is very difficult, ensuring more precise results.
• Offers historical data: It provides a pattern of drug use over time, not only recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to track recent use: Drugs take around 5-7 days to become visible in hair.
• Cost: Generally, hair drug tests are costlier than other drug testing methods.
• Variability in results: Factors like hair color and individual growth differences can influence drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Although often called "hair follicle tests", the test itself assesses the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Cliffwood Beach, NJ, offers significant advantages over traditional urine tests. The primary benefit is its superior detection accuracy and reliability, which is preferred by many employers and legal entities.

Unlike urine tests, hair testing can detect a longer history of drug use. This makes it an invaluable tool for organizations enacting strict drug-free policies.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Cliffwood Beach, NJ provides an extensive detection window, identifying drug use up to 90 days prior. This enables employers to gain a detailed understanding of an applicant's or employee's substance history.

The long detection range distinguishes hair tests from other methods, assisting organizations in making informed hiring and management decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Cliffwood Beach, NJ, the hair follicle test is a tamper-resistant method that minimizes the chance of sample adulteration, ensuring trustworthy results.

Employers and professionals regard hair testing as a highly dependable solution, given its rigorous collection process and resilience against tampering.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

The availability of convenient testing centers both nationwide and in Cliffwood Beach, NJ ensures easy access to hair follicle testing services.

These centers are designed to provide quick and seamless testing experiences, eliminating hassles for individuals and organizations needing reliable services.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Cliffwood Beach, NJ, the process for hair follicle testing is both simple and confidential. Ordering, taking, and receiving results is streamlined, addressing privacy concerns effectively.

This user-friendly experience ensures that individuals can undergo testing without apprehension regarding confidentiality or complexity.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Hair follicle testing in Cliffwood Beach, NJ, offers competitive pricing and swift turnaround times, providing great value for companies of every size.

The affordable pricing structure combined with fast results delivery gives businesses a practical solution for meeting their testing needs effectively.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Cliffwood Beach, NJ, hair follicle drug tests offer fast, precise, and dependable results. Unlike other testing methods, hair testing stands out for its rapid and accurate detection capabilities, making it highly reliable for identifying substance usage.

Employers and authorities rely on hair follicle testing due to its quick processing time. This ensures timely results which are crucial in maintaining workplace safety and compliance.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Hair follicle testing in Cliffwood Beach, NJ, aids employers in adhering to drug-free workplace policies, enhancing peace of mind by lowering legal risks.

Implementing hair tests helps safeguard the workplace environment, offering both compliance and reassurance for businesses and employees alike.

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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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