Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair provides long-term evidence of alcohol and other drugs by capturing biomarkers within the strands during growth. When collected near the scalp, hair can offer a drug and alcohol detection period of up to about three months. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch segment of roughly 200 hair strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg, forming the perfect sample for analysis and verification. For EtG, add-ons, and/or evaluations exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advisable. We advise measuring the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair can be gathered. When discussing head hair, we are specifically referring to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test is divided into four primary phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning entails the initial introduction of a sample into a laboratory’s system. This process ensures the sample’s proper sealing and shipping, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any necessary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening includes a preliminary evaluation for drugs of abuse. Screening is an efficient method to exclude drug usage in most samples; however, a positive screen needs validation to be court-admissible. Any samples with presumptive positive results during Screening require further confirmation.
If a sample demonstrates a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and readied for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair at significantly lower concentrations compared to other methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most challenging method to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screen outcome is conducted using methods such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive specimens undergo washing prior to confirmation as necessary. The entire laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is audited under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Though commonly known as "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp
When comparing hair follicle drug testing to urine tests in Wilna, NM, hair testing demonstrates superior detection capabilities. Benefits include:
Hair follicle testing in Wilna, NM, offers an extended detection window up to 90 days, surpassing traditional methods. This capability provides:
In Wilna, NM, hair follicle tests are known for their tamper-resistant properties, offering:
Wilna, NM, benefits from conveniently located testing centers as part of our nationwide network. Key features include:
The process for hair follicle testing in Wilna, NM, is streamlined and confidential. The simple steps involve:
In Wilna, NM, our competitive pricing and fast results for hair follicle drug testing ensure value for all company sizes. Highlights include:
In Wilna, NM, the precision and rapid results of hair follicle drug testing stand out. Hair tests boast high accuracy levels in substance use detection, ensuring reliable outcomes.
Employers in Wilna, NM, appreciate hair follicle testing for ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This method provides: