Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Buxton, NC

What it is, How it works

The method of hair analysis has emerged as a formidable means for identifying the presence of drugs and alcohol. Hair strands capture a chemical signature of substances ingested over time, immortalized within the elongated fibers of the hair as it grows. Once clipped near the scalp, the hair sample can chronicle substance exposure over a period extending up to three months. It’s straightforward to collect, resistant to tampering, and convenient for transportation.

A hair sample measuring 1.5 inches with approximately 200 strands (comparable to the diameter of a #2 pencil) and closest to the scalp will amount to 100mg, ideal for both screening and confirmatory tests. For EtG and tests exceeding 10 panels, a larger specimen of 150mg is advisable. Using a jeweler's scale to measure the sample's weight is recommended. If head hair is unavailable, an equivalent amount of body hair may be gathered. "Head hair" refers exclusively to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The examination of drug levels in a sample is conducted in four major phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

The first phase, Accessioning, is the incorporation of a specimen into the laboratory's assessment system. This phase verifies that the specimen has been appropriately sealed and dispatched, assigns a LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and addresses any additional information not captured electronically.

Screening acts as a swift initial examination for drug presence. Although Screening offers a cost-effective deterrent to drug presence in most samples, positive results must undergo confirmation to be legally defensible. Any sample indicating a presumptive positive in Screening progresses to another stage for further confirmation.

Should the Screening phase indicate a presumptive positive outcome, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for further processing during Extraction. This entails releasing drugs from the hair at significantly smaller concentrations compared to other methods (e.g., urine or saliva tests), rendering hair analysis as a particularly challenging method to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positives are subject to washing before confirmation if necessary. The entire testing journey from Accessioning to Confirmation is rigorously evaluated to meet both the standards of the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation as well as the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation requirements.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Prolonged detection period: Hair analysis can reveal drug intake extending up to 90 days, relative to the concise timeline of urine testing.
• Resistant to deception: The integrity of hair drug testing results is preserved by its resistance to manipulation or tampering.
• Historical usage insight: It illustrates a longitudinal pattern of substance use across a timeline, unlike merely recent ingestion.

Limitations:

• Incapable of capturing recent intake: Drug presence becomes evident in hair approximately 5-7 days following usage.
• Expense: Hair analysis tends to incur higher costs compared to alternate drug assessment techniques.
• Inconsistent findings: Variables such as hair pigmentation and individual growth variations can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Termed occasionally as "hair follicle tests," the analysis targets the strand itself and not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle tests in Buxton, NC, surpass urine tests by offering unmatched detection accuracy. While urine tests only reveal short-term use, hair testing exposes evidence of prolonged substance use, proving beneficial for zero-tolerance workplaces. Reliability is another advantage, with nearly tamper-proof results providing confidence and security in drug screening processes.

Extended Detection Window

In Buxton, NC, hair follicle testing exposes substance consumption over a significantly extended period, reaching up to 90 days. This method equips employers with a broad overview of an individual’s substance history, offering insights beyond short-term behaviors. By extending the detection window, hair tests enable more informed hiring and retention decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests offer a tamper-resistant approach in Buxton, NC. This method minimizes risks of sample manipulation, yielding reliable and indisputable outcomes. Unlike traditional urine tests, the difficulty of altering hair samples ensures the integrity of drug testing, fostering trust and confidence in the results obtained. This aspect assures stakeholders of impartial findings devoid of deceit.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing facilitates convenience in Buxton, NC, through widespread nationwide locations, assuring straightforward access to essential services. Local facilities within reach mean swift, uncomplicated testing procedures, accommodating diverse testing needs seamlessly. This network underpins efficiency, connecting users with solutions efficiently and hassle-free across multiple regional sites.
Accessibility becomes synonymous with the robust infrastructure at your disposal.

Simple, Confidential Process

Steps for drug testing in Buxton, NC, are uncomplicated and private, addressing concerns for confidentiality and ease. From booking a test to receiving outcomes, the process designs focus on user-oriented simplicity. With discretion upheld throughout the stages, clients trust in a streamlined, respectful experience, prioritizing personal data protection alongside procedural clarity.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive costs and rapid results, the service in Buxton, NC, ensures excellent value for businesses diversely sized. Affordable pricing paired with swift processing delivers comprehensive testing solutions without straining budgets. This combination empowers enterprises with timely data, proving cost-effective and expeditious, essential to strategic planning and operational efficiency.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Buxton, NC, hair follicle drug tests quickly and precisely identify substance usage due to their meticulous analysis. The method's accuracy outshines traditional testing by reliably determining long-term use patterns. This procedure underlines trust in its findings, ensuring employers receive trustworthy insights.
Experienced professionals manage each evaluation process, guaranteeing both speed and precision in results.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Buxton, NC, gain peace of mind and compliance confidence with hair follicle testing. Meeting workplace substance policies while minimizing legal liabilities becomes feasible, instilling safety and accountability. This method enhances an environment of trust and reliability, safeguarding against potential risks and ensuring adherence to organizational expectations.
Consequently, hair testing becomes a cornerstone of effective workplace policy execution.

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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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