Accredited Drug Testing offers comprehensive hair follicle drug testing services in Big Sandy, Texas. Specializing in hair drug and alcohol tests, our testing centers, available in every city across the nation, can conduct these tests. Typically, 1.5 to 2 inches of hair from the head or body are needed for analysis. Options include drug, alcohol/ETG, and other customized hair testing.
Lately, the preference for drug testing methods has shifted significantly towards hair follicle drug tests. They are favored by employers, courts, and substance abuse experts over the traditional urine tests. Hair follicle tests benefit employers with strict drug policies, courts, and probationary individuals due to their extensive detection period—up to 90 days—conducted under supervised collection, minimizing chances of tampering. However, urine tests remain preferable for detecting recent drug use within the past five days.
* You must register by phone or online to receive your donor pass/registration prior to proceeding to the testing center. You must bring a valid government issued ID along with the registration/barcode number which was sent to you by email.
When you're searching for hair drug testing near me or hair drug testing locations, we provide a simple and convenient process to find a drug and alcohol testing location near you that is certified to provide all of your drug and alcohol testing needs.
Hair analysis is recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. It offers a comprehensive history of substance intake by embedding biomarkers in the fibers of the growing hair strand. For optimal effectiveness, hair collected close to the scalp can reveal alcohol and drug use over roughly a three-month period. Collection is straightforward, resistance to tampering is high, and samples are easily transported.
A hair sample of 1.5 inches consisting of approximately 200 strands (similar to the width of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp is expected to yield 100mg, which is the ideal quantity for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, comprehensive panels, and those exceeding 10 tests, 150mg of sample is suggested. It's advisable to use a jeweler’s scale for accuracy. If scalp hair isn't accessible, an equivalent volume of body hair is acceptable. "Head hair" specifically refers to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses other types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
Laboratory processing of a drug test result consists of four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the initial stage where the sample gets integrated into the lab’s system. This phase involves ensuring the sample was sealed and transported correctly, providing a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and entering any additional details not available from an electronic chain of custody.
The Screening phase is a preliminary assessment for drug presence. Although Screening efficiently dismisses drug use for most samples, a positive result must be validated for legal admissibility. Any samples deemed presumptively positive in Screening need further confirmation.
For samples testing positive in Screening, additional hair from the original sample is used for Extraction—a process where drugs are isolated from hair at much lower concentrations than alternative methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair analysis notably challenging.
Confirmation of positive screening results utilizes GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Prior to confirmation, presumptive positive samples may be washed accordingly. The entire procedure, from Accessioning through Confirmation, undergoes scrutiny under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and adheres to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Despite being often labeled as "hair follicle tests", the analysis targets the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
In Big Sandy, TX, hair follicle testing outshines urine testing by providing superior detection accuracy and reliability. Hair tests detect substance use over a lengthy period, unlike urine tests which offer a limited window. Employers and courts prefer hair testing for its comprehensive overview, which diminishes evasion attempts and provides integrity in results.
In Big Sandy, TX, hair follicle testing extends the detection window of drug use up to 90 days. This comprehensive span offers employers an insightful perspective into the long-term substance habits of employees or candidates, as it captures a more accurate indication of consistent drug use compared to the limited timeframe of urine testing.
Hair follicle tests drastically reduce the chances of sample tampering in Big Sandy, TX. By requiring a physical sample, bypassing fraudulent attempts becomes nearly impossible. This security ensures that results remain trustworthy and deflection tactics are ineffective, thus offering reliable outcomes with minimal risk of adulteration.
Our nationwide testing centers, including those in Big Sandy, TX, offer incredible convenience. These centers make drug testing services readily available with minimal hassle, ensuring individuals can quickly and easily access necessary resources and tests without unnecessary delays, no matter their location.
In Big Sandy, TX, ordering, taking, and receiving results from hair follicle tests is a straightforward and confidential process. This approach reassures individuals about their privacy and simplifies the testing procedure, providing a hassle-free experience from start to finish while maintaining the utmost confidentiality.
Our services in Big Sandy, TX, are competitively priced, offering companies excellent value. With swift turnaround times, employers can depend on us for prompt and reliable test results, ensuring peace of mind and efficient decision-making without exceeding budget constraints.
Hair follicle drug testing in Big Sandy, TX, offers fast, precise, and reliable results. Tests are highly accurate, making them an excellent choice for detecting substance use. Thanks to advanced analysis techniques, these tests swiftly identify drug presence, and their accuracy remains uncontested, ensuring trustworthy outcomes for individuals and employers.
In Big Sandy, TX, hair follicle testing brings peace of mind to employers by assuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. It significantly reduces legal liabilities and contributes to creating a safer, more secure work environment. This reliability plays a crucial role in upholding workplace safety standards.