Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Delway, NC

What it is, How it works

The use of hair testing has become recognized as an effective approach for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair can offer a comprehensive history of substance use by encapsulating biomarkers within the growing strand's fibers. When gathered from the area closest to the scalp, it can present a detection window of up to three months for both alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A sample of 200 hair strands, approximately 1.5 inches long (akin to the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp, provides 100mg of hair, which is ideal for screening and confirmatory purposes. For tests involving EtG, add-ons, and/or over ten panels, a specimen of 150mg is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. If scalp hair isn't accessible, a comparable quantity of body hair can be used. "Head hair" refers solely to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses all other types (such as facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory handling of a drug test result generally encompasses four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

The Accessioning stage includes the initial incorporation of a sample into the lab's system. This step verifies the proper sealing and shipment of the sample, the assignment of a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and the completion of any other data tasks not addressed by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening involves a preliminary, rapid check for misuse of substances. While it offers a cost-effective method for discarding drug usage in the majority of samples, a positive outcome necessitates confirmation for legal acceptability. Samples with tentative positive results during Screening require further verification.

If a sample tests positive during Screening, additional hair is taken from the initial batch for the Extraction phase. In this process, drugs are drawn out from hair in significantly lower concentrations than those used in other methods such as urine or oral fluid analysis, making hair drug screening the most challenging procedure to execute.

Verification of any positive screening results is carried out via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with provisional positive findings are cleansed before confirmation as needed. The complete laboratory protocol, from Accessioning to Confirmation, undergoes review under the regulations of both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair certification and the ISO / IEC 17025 standard accreditation.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extensive detection window: Hair drug tests can identify substance use over a period of 90 days, as opposed to urine tests, which detect use over a shorter span.
• Hard to deceive: The difficulty in manipulating a hair drug test ensures more reliable outcomes.
• Delivers historical data: It reveals a usage pattern over some time, rather than just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Incapable of identifying recent use: Detection in hair requires about 5-7 days post-consumption.
• Expense: Generally, hair drug tests incur higher costs than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Differences in hair color and individual hair growth rates may impact drug metabolite concentrations within hair.

Note: Despite often being called "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand itself, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Delway, NC, offers distinct advantages over traditional urine tests. Its enhanced detection capability extends beyond that of urine tests, identifying drug use up to 90 days prior. This makes hair follicle testing a more reliable and thorough option for employers and legal systems seeking to enforce substance-free environments with confidence.

Extended Detection Window

Employers in Delway, NC, value hair follicle testing for its extended detection window. This method can uncover drug use spanning up to three months, allowing a comprehensive overview of an individual's drug history. This extended period is especially beneficial for long-term assessments of workplace safety and reliability, providing an unrivaled substance use profile.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Delway, NC, hair follicle testing is a tamper-resistant option that limits the risk of sample adulteration. The collection process is supervised, ensuring that samples are secure and unaltered. This rigor ensures that the results are highly reliable and trusted by employers, courts, and individuals aiming for conclusive substance use assessments.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing makes hair follicle testing in Delway, NC, convenient with numerous testing centers nationwide. This widespread availability ensures that individuals and companies can access testing services quickly and easily, without the hassle of extensive travel or delays, making compliance with testing needs straightforward.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Delway, NC, is straightforward and respects privacy. From ordering the test to receiving the results, the process is confidential and user-friendly, addressing concerns regarding privacy and ease of use. This supports a stress-free experience while ensuring that the highest standards are maintained.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Delway, NC, hair follicle testing provides affordable pricing and rapid turnaround. Our competitive pricing structure ensures cost-effectiveness for businesses of all sizes, while the efficient processing of tests provides fast results, offering excellent value and security for companies seeking to maintain a drug-free environment.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Delway, NC, the precision of hair follicle drug tests sets them apart, delivering fast and reliable results. This method is highly accurate in detecting even trace amounts of substances, ensuring that the results reflect the true substance use patterns. The quick turnaround time of hair follicle testing provides personal and corporate users with immediate clarity and confidence in their decisions.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Using hair follicle drug testing in Delway, NC, offers employers peace of mind by ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This reliable testing method reduces legal risks associated with substance use in the workplace, enhancing overall safety and demonstrating a commitment to a healthy, productive work environment.

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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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