Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Tiger Valley, TN

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is regarded as a robust instrument in identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair can offer an extended history of alcohol and drug use by capturing biomarkers in the fibers of the growing strand. If collected near the scalp, hair may offer a detection timeframe of up to three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, tamper-resistant, and easy to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches and consisting of roughly 200 hairs (approximately the diameter of a #2 pencil) cut nearest the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, the preferred amount for screening and confirmation procedures. For tests such as EtG, additional factors, and those exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of specimen is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. In cases where scalp hair is nonexistent, equivalent body hair can be employed. References to head hair pertain exclusively to scalp hair. The term body hair encompasses all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

The laboratory processing of a drug test result includes four primary steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial process by which a sample is entered into a lab’s system. This step checks that the sample was properly sealed and conveyed, assigns a randomized LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any remaining data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody.

Screening offers a preliminary assessment for substances of abuse. While it provides a cost-efficient way to discount drug use across most samples, any positive screen must be confirmed to ensure court admissibility. Samples that yield a presumptive positive result during Screening require a secondary confirmation.

Upon a presumptive positive in the Screening stage, additional hair is taken from the original sample and processed for Extraction. Here, drugs are retrieved from hair at considerably lower concentrations than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), a factor making hair drug screening notably challenging.

Confirmation of any positive Screening outcome is performed using techniques such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as required. The full laboratory sequence from Accessioning to Confirmation is subjected to review under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair criteria and accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug assessments can uncover drug use spanning up to 90 days, unlike urine tests, which have a more limited detection timeframe.
• Minimal potential for deception: Cheating a hair drug test is considerably difficult, thus ensuring greater accuracy in results.
• Historical insight: It can illustrate a trend of drug use over an interval, not solely recent use.

Limitations:

• Inability to identify recent use: Around 5-7 days are required before drugs become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug testing usually incurs higher costs compared to other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Elements like hair color and personal differences in hair growth may influence the concentration of drug metabolites in hair.

Note: Despite being frequently labeled as "hair follicle tests", the process itself evaluates the hair strand and not the hair follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Why does hair follicle testing outshine urine testing in Tiger Valley, TN? The superior detection accuracy of hair tests offers a more reliable means of identifying substance use. Hair tests are particularly valued for their long detection period, capturing a history span that urine tests cannot.

Hair tests provide unparalleled precision in drug screening processes. Compared to urine tests, they present a thorough view of an individual’s drug use, making them a preferred choice for rigorous screening.

Extended Detection Window

The extended detection window of up to 90 days makes hair follicle testing a valuable tool in Tiger Valley, TN. This broader timeframe allows employers to better understand an employee’s or applicant’s drug use history, ensuring informed hiring and retention decisions.

Hair follicle tests offer a comprehensive view of substance use over time, going beyond the immediate window that other testing methods provide, thus enhancing the assessment of long-term drug use patterns.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle tests are virtually tamper-proof, substantially reducing the risk of adulteration in Tiger Valley, TN. This integrity ensures results are reliable and trustworthy, blocking attempts to influence outcomes maliciously.

By choosing hair follicle tests, organizations can confidently rely on the results, knowing they reflect genuine, unaltered data. This assurance is crucial for maintaining a safe and drug-free environment.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With convenient locations across the nation, including Tiger Valley, TN, our testing centers ensure easy access to hair follicle testing services. This extensive network facilitates timely testing that fits seamlessly into your schedule.

Local centers simplify the process, offering prompt service and enabling employers to conduct necessary testing without delay. This accessibility streamlines the logistics of workplace drug testing.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our testing process in Tiger Valley, TN is straightforward and confidential. This simplicity ensures ease of use while protecting participant privacy. The step-by-step process is designed to minimize stress and maintain confidentiality from start to finish.

Clients can rest assured that their data is secure and the process is unintrusive. From ordering to receiving results, the path is designed with user-friendliness and discretion in mind.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

We offer competitive pricing on our fast and reliable hair follicle testing services in Tiger Valley, TN. This affordability, combined with our rapid result turnaround, delivers great value for businesses of any size, ensuring maximum utility and budget flexibility.

Hair follicle testing at our centers offers cost-effective solutions that do not compromise on quality or speed, thereby guaranteeing excellent investment returns for our clients.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The speed and precision of hair follicle drug tests ensure swift results in Tiger Valley, TN. Hair tests are known for their accuracy in detecting drugs and other substances. This efficiency means that results are not only reliable but also prompt, crucial for timely decision-making.

Employers in Tiger Valley, TN benefit from the expedited and precise analysis provided by hair follicle testing. This method is invaluable for maintaining workplace safety and integrity.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Tiger Valley, TN, hair follicle testing supports compliance with drug-free workplace mandates, thus minimizing legal challenges and boosting workplace safety. This method underlines the commitment to maintaining a sober and secure work environment.

Employing hair follicle testing reduces legal risks associated with drug policy non-compliance while fostering peace of mind, knowing a consistent and legitimate testing approach is upheld.

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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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