Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Bessemer City, NC

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as a potent resource for identifying substance and alcohol consumption. Hair serves as a long-term record of alcohol and drug usage by encapsulating biomarkers within the growing hair strand's fibers. When samples are taken near the scalp, hair offers a detection range of up to approximately three months for alcohol and drugs. Collecting hair is straightforward, tampering is comparatively challenging, and shipping is efficient.

A sample size of 1.5 inches comprising around 200 hair strands (equivalent to a #2 pencil) located nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, deemed an optimal sample for both screening and verification. For EtG, additional tests, and/or those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of specimen is advisable. It's recommended to use a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen. If scalp hair is unobtainable, a similar volume of body hair is an alternative. Note that head hair specifically refers to scalp hair, whereas body hair includes all other forms (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

There are four primary phases in the laboratory drug test processing: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning concerns the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory's system. This phase ensures the sample was properly sealed and transported, allocates a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizes any further data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody solution.

Screening provides an initial rapid assessment for abused drugs. Though it is a cost-effective approach to exclude drug use on most samples, a positive screen must be validated for court validity. Samples that test presumptive positive during Screening necessitate corroboration.

Should a sample test presumptive positive during the Screening phase, further hair is extracted from the initial specimen and readied for Extraction. During this stage, drugs are isolated from hair concentrations that are significantly lower than those in alternative methodologies (such as urine or oral fluid), which underscores the complexity of hair drug screening.

Any positive screening result undergoes validation through GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples are cleansed before confirmation as needed. The entire laboratory procedure from Accessioning to Confirmation undergoes scrutiny under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accreditation in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection window: Hair drug assessments can identify drug use up to 90 days, unlike urine tests that have a shorter detection timeframe.
• Difficult to manipulate: Cheating a hair drug evaluation is notably hard, thereby enhancing result reliability.
• Serves as historical data: It can illustrate a drug use trend over a duration, not just recent intake.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent consumption: Drugs become detectable in hair after approximately 5-7 days.
• Expense: Hair drug evaluations often cost more than other testing methodologies.
• Result variability: Elements such as hair color and individual hair growth differences can impact drug metabolite concentration levels.

Note: Although frequently termed "hair follicle tests", the assessment evaluates the hair strand and not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Bessemer City, NC, hair follicle testing outshines urine tests with its unmatched detection capabilities. By examining hair samples, this method offers superior accuracy, making it a more reliable choice for detecting drug use.

The advantages of hair testing over urine testing include a significant increase in detection reliability. Unlike urine tests, hair tests provide a broader overview of an individual's substance use history, demonstrating their all-round effectiveness.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing in Bessemer City, NC, offers an extensive detection window, capable of revealing drug use over a three-month period. This broad timeframe provides employers with a thorough assessment of an individual's substance history.

With its extended detection range, hair follicle testing gives a detailed understanding of an individual's drug habits, ensuring informed decisions based on comprehensive data.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Bessemer City, NC, hair follicle tests are known for their resilience against tampering. This method significantly reduces the chance of sample adulteration, yielding reliable and definitive results.

The hair follicle testing process ensures true representation by being nearly impossible to cheat, strengthening the validity of the results for various stakeholders.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing ensures convenient access with testing centers nationwide and in Bessemer City, NC. This extensive network guarantees a seamless and straightforward testing experience.

The presence of local facilities allows individuals to access testing services quickly and without hassle, ensuring both convenience and efficiency.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Bessemer City, NC, our hair follicle testing process is designed to be simple and confidential, addressing privacy concerns effectively. This smooth process ensures ease from booking to result retrieval.

The confidentiality of our testing services ensures peace of mind for individuals, coupled with a straightforward approach that prioritizes user experience.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering affordable pricing and quick turnaround in Bessemer City, NC, we provide excellent value in hair follicle testing. Our competitive pricing structures cater to businesses of all sizes.

Fast turnaround times ensure that companies receive timely results, offering a cost-effective solution that meets all budgetary and operational needs.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Bessemer City, NC, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their speed and precision. These tests provide reliable outcomes by accurately detecting drug use, ensuring integrity in results.

Employing the latest methodologies, hair tests offer prompt results without compromising accuracy. Their efficacy surpasses traditional methods, reassuring stakeholders of the integrity of the findings.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Using hair follicle testing in Bessemer City, NC, ensures compliance with workplace drug-free policies, offering peace of mind to employers. This method helps in minimizing legal risks and promotes a safer working environment.

Employers benefit from the assurance that hair follicle testing provides, maintaining compliance and enhancing safety standards throughout the workplace.

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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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