Hair Follicle Drug Testing - North Carolina

Accredited Drug Testing has 594 hair drug testing centers in 875 NC cities.

Please select a city from the list below to find hair drug test centers in North Carolina.

Hair drug testing, commonly referred to as hair follicle drug testing, is a method rooted in science used to uncover drug consumption by studying hair samples.

How it works:

• Drug enters bloodstream: Upon drug usage, the substance along with its metabolites (breakdown products) permeate the bloodstream.
• Drugs reach hair follicles: With a blood vessel present in each hair follicle, drugs are transported from the bloodstream to the hair follicle.
• Drugs get trapped in hair: As hair grows, these chemical traces incorporate into the hair strand's cortex.
• Hair sample collection: A hair sample is acquired, generally from the head (or body hair if head hair is insufficient).
• Lab analysis: The sample is dispatched to a laboratory for testing.
  • Screening: An initial Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test screens for drug metabolites.
  • Confirmation: If the ELISA test returns positive, a more specific confirmation test, like Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) or Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), is executed to validate drug metabolites' presence and eliminate false positives.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection window: Hair drug tests can trace drug use for as long as 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a lower detection timeframe.
• Difficulty to cheat: Cheating a hair drug test is very challenging, ensuring more reliable results.
• Provides historical data: A pattern of drug use over time can be identified, not merely recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Around 5-7 days are required for drugs to be observable in hair.
• Cost: Comparatively, hair drug tests tend to be costlier than other drug testing techniques.
• Variations in results: Elements such as hair color and individual hair growth disparities can influence the concentration of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Despite commonly being called "hair follicle tests", the test itself evaluates the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp

Mobile/On-Site Drug Testing

If you're an employer needing to test 25 or more employees and looking to save time and money, we offer mobile on-site drug testing where we come to you. Call us today for more information.

With Accredited Drug Testing, North Carolina residents experience fast, accurate results when utilizing hair follicle drug testing. Our services are committed to delivering precision and speed, ensuring clients receive reliable outcomes to make informed decisions regarding substance use.

Hair follicle tests stand out for their accuracy in detecting drug use over extended periods. Their precision in identifying even trace amounts of substances provides North Carolina employers with peace of mind, knowing that they have accurate insights into an individual's substance use patterns.

Hair follicle drug testing offers an extended detection window of up to 90 days, significantly longer than other testing methods. This is particularly advantageous for employers in North Carolina, providing a clearer and more comprehensive view of an individual's substance usage history.

The ability to see past drug use enables employers to make more informed decisions when hiring or monitoring employees. With Accredited Drug Testing's services, detect a wider history of drug usage to ensure a safer, more secure work environment.

One of the standout benefits of hair follicle drug testing is its resilience against tampering. Unlike other testing methods, altering or adulterating hair samples is significantly more challenging, providing North Carolina employers with trustworthy and dependable test results.

This robust testing method ensures that the data collected is accurate and reliable. Employers can feel confident in the integrity of the test results, helping to maintain a drug-free workplace and support informed decision-making processes.

Why is Hair Follicle Drug Testing Important

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Other Forms of Testing

Hair follicle testing provides extensive detection accuracy, far surpassing the capabilities of traditional URINE tests. It captures a longer history of substance use, sometimes up to 90 days, offering a comprehensive view that URINE tests often miss due to their limited detection window.

The reliability of hair follicle testing also stands out when compared to traditional forms like URINE testing. Hair follicle tests are less susceptible to evasion attempts, as environmental contamination doesn’t affect the results significantly, reducing risks of false negatives and enhancing certainty.

Due to their longer detection periods and resistance to common circumvention techniques, hair follicle tests are preferred for pre-employment and random testing in safety-sensitive industries in North Carolina. Their dependability ensures greater compliance and workforce integrity than conventional URINE testing.