Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Lakewood Park, TN

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is increasingly recognized as a valuable method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a comprehensive record of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the strands' fibers during growth. Hair samples, taken near the scalp, can reveal substance exposure for up to three months. Collecting hair is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil's thickness) closest to the scalp totals about 100mg, deemed the ideal quantity for preliminary and confirmatory testing. For tests like EtG, additional protocols, or beyond 10 substances, a 150mg sample is advisable. Our suggestion is to use a jeweler’s scale for precise measurement. If scalp hair is missing, equivalent body hair can be used instead. "Head hair" strictly pertains to scalp hair, whereas "body hair" encompasses other varieties (such as facial or underarm hair).

Process Overview

The typical laboratory workflow for analyzing a drug test sample involves these steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning constitutes the initial integration of a sample into the lab's framework. This step ensures the sample's sealing and transportation were adequate, assigns a Laboratory Accessioning Number (LAN) arbitrarily, and completes any remaining data input not conveyed through an electronic chain of custody.

Screening is a preliminary, efficient analysis method to exclude drug presence in most samples. However, positive results from Screening must be substantiated for legal acceptability. Samples indicating possible drug presence in Screening necessitate further validation.

A sample with potential positive results from Screening proceeds to Extraction, using more hair from the original sample. In this phase, substances are isolated from hair with notably lower concentrations compared to methods like urine or saliva testing, which underscores the complexity of hair drug analysis.

Positive Screening results require Confirmation through techniques such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Any sample presumed positive undergoes cleansing before Confirmation, as required. The entire lab workflow, from Accessioning through Confirmation, adheres to the CAP (College of American Pathologists) criteria for Hair and ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection timeframe: Hair tests detect drug use up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with a briefer detection span.
• Challenge to manipulate: Cheating on a hair drug test is extremely challenging, ensuring greater accuracy in findings.
• Chronological data: It offers insights into drug use patterns over time, rather than just recent activity.

Limitations:

• Lacks immediate detection: Drugs appear in hair approximately 5-7 days post-use.
• Expense: Hair testing typically costs more than alternative drug testing methods.
• Result variability: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth rates can alter drug metabolite levels in hair.

Note: Often called "hair follicle tests," these tests evaluate the hair strand structure, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why Hair Follicle Testing is Superior in Lakewood Park, TN, lies in its unmatched detection capacity. Unlike urine tests, hair testing offers far more accurate and reliable information, as it can uncover substance use history long before the recent past. This comprehensive detection power strengthens employers' trust in maintaining a drug-free workplace and making informed employment decisions.

Extended Detection Window

With an expansive detection window, hair follicle testing captures drug use up to 90 days prior, granting employers in Lakewood Park, TN, a detailed insight into an individual's substance habits. This elongated window allows a view beyond immediate usage, which aligns with policies aimed at long-term drug abstinence.
Employers can thus make safer hiring decisions with a full understanding of potential employees' histories.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests in Lakewood Park, TN, offer a secure and tamper-resistant testing method. The nature of these tests greatly minimizes the chance of sample adulteration or tampering, as the collection process is conducted under observation. This provides employers with confidence in the results' credibility, reducing the risk of false negatives and ensuring a trustworthy testing procedure.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations have made hair follicle testing in Lakewood Park, TN, easily accessible. With a network of centers across the nation, our services are tailored to be fast, simple, and hassle-free for our clients. Whether locally or across borders, the availability of testing sites ensures swift service delivery, facilitating efficient management of substance use measurement needs.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process for hair follicle testing in Lakewood Park, TN, is simple and confidential. Every step, from ordering kits to obtaining results, is designed to safeguard privacy and ensure ease of use. Clients can effortlessly navigate the testing process, knowing that integrity and discretion are paramount. This transparent approach respects personal privacy while ensuring comprehensive drug detection.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Lakewood Park, TN, our hair follicle testing is marked by affordable pricing and rapid turnaround times. Companies, regardless of size, will find excellent value in our competitive pricing structures, paired with fast result delivery. This approach provides employers with peace of mind and the ability to maintain operational continuity without inflated costs.
Efficiency and cost-effectiveness are at the forefront of our service offerings.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Lakewood Park, TN, hair follicle drug tests deliver fast, accurate, and reliable results. Known for their precision, these tests offer an excellent method for identifying substance use with high accuracy. Employers favor hair testing due to its ability to accurately pinpoint drug usage, offering peace of mind and insight into employee behavior.
The speediness of the process ensures quick results, enhancing decision-making and compliance.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Utilizing hair follicle testing grants compliance and peace of mind to employers in Lakewood Park, TN. This method aligns with drug-free workplace strategies, reducing legal liabilities while enhancing overall safety and performance within the workplace. By implementing rigorous testing protocols, companies can maintain adherence to regulatory requirements and foster a healthy 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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