Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Sunset, NM

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair serves as a long-term record of alcohol and drug use by capturing biomarkers within the fibers of the growing hair strand. When sampled near the scalp, hair offers nearly a 3-month detection window for alcohol and drugs. It's easy to collect, relatively resistant to tampering, and simple to send.

A 1.5-inch portion of roughly 200 hair strands (akin to the size of a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp equals 100mg of hair, which is the optimal amount for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, it's preferable to have 150mg of the sample. We suggest using a jeweler's scale for accurate measurement. If scalp hair isn't available, an equal quantity of body hair can be used. When we mention head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. On the other hand, body hair encompasses all other types of hair (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The drug testing laboratory process consists of four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the initial intake of a sample into a lab's system. This step includes verifying that the sample was sealed and sent correctly, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry not captured by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary check for drugs. While it's an economical method to preliminarily dismiss drug use in many samples, a positive screen must be verified to be legally valid. Samples with presumptive positive results in Screening must undergo further confirmation.

Should a sample show a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is removed from the original sample and readied for Extraction. In this phase, drugs are separated from hair at lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), highlighting the complexity of hair drug screening.

Confirmation of a positive screening outcome is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation as required. The complete laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation is conducted under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, whereas urine tests offer a shorter detection period.
• Resistance to manipulation: It's extremely challenging to tamper with a hair drug test, ensuring more reliable results.
• Offers historical perspective: It provides a historical pattern of drug consumption over time, not only recent use.

Limitations:

• Lacks recent use detection: Drugs take around 5-7 days to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Compared to other drug testing techniques, hair drug tests tend to be pricier.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence the level of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Often called "hair follicle tests", these tests analyze the hair strand instead of the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Sunset, NM, hair follicle testing surpasses urine testing by providing extended detection capabilities and greater accuracy. Unlike traditional urine tests, hair tests offer a broader view, detecting substances over a more extended period, making them the preferred choice for employers seeking comprehensive results. Hair testing is less susceptible to manipulation and provides a reliable measurement of long-term substance use.

Extended Detection Window

Offering an extensive detection window of up to 90 days, hair follicle testing in Sunset, NM provides a thorough assessment of an individual’s substance use history. Employers benefit from this broader timeframe, as it allows them to effectively evaluate potential or current employees’ commitment to a drug-free lifestyle, supporting informed hiring and retention decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Sunset, NM, the hair follicle testing method is lauded for its tamper-resistant nature. This approach minimizes the risk of adulteration, ensuring the integrity of the sample and providing unquestionable results. Such reliability is crucial for accurate assessments in both workplace and legal contexts, significantly reducing the chances of misleading findings.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Offering nationwide testing locations, including Sunset, NM, our centers ensure easy and convenient access to hair follicle drug testing. This widespread availability facilitates a seamless and quick testing process, enabling clients to administer and receive results effortlessly, without the burden of travel or scheduling conflicts.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Sunset, NM is simple and confidential, addressing privacy and ease-of-use concerns. From ordering the test to receiving results, the streamlined process is designed to be user-friendly and discreet, providing peace of mind for those seeking clarity and confidentiality.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Sunset, NM, drug testing services offer affordable pricing and fast turnaround times. Companies of all sizes can benefit from our competitive pricing structures, ensuring value while maintaining high-quality service standards. The rapid results further add to the attractiveness of using hair follicle testing for substance detection.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle drug tests in Sunset, NM are renowned for their fast, accurate, and reliable results. With advanced detection precision, these tests quickly identify traces of substances, ensuring timely and trustworthy results for employers and individuals. This efficiency significantly enhances the decision-making process, offering peace of mind with high-confidence outcomes.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Sunset, NM achieve compliance and peace of mind through hair follicle testing. This testing method helps maintain commitment to drug-free policies, reducing legal risks and enhancing workplace safety. By doing so, businesses can assure stakeholders of their dedication to a productive and safe environment for all employees.

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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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