Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a comprehensive history by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When taken near the scalp, this specimen can reveal a detection period of up to 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Hair is straightforward to gather, harder to alter, and easy to transport.
A 1.5-inch length of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to a #2 pencil in diameter) from the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is ideal for both initial and confirmatory tests. For EtG, additional, and/or over 10-panel tests, 150mg of hair is advisable. We recommend using a jeweler’s scale to weigh the sample. If scalp hair is not an option, a similar amount of body hair can be used. "Head hair" refers exclusively to scalp hair. "Body hair" includes all other hair forms (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The process in the lab for testing a drug sample includes four primary phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning involves logging the sample into the lab’s system. This step includes verifying the sample's seal and shipping condition, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and entering any extra data not covered by an electronic chain of custody.
Screening consists of a preliminary examination for drug use. While screening is cost-effective in negating drug use for most samples, a positive result requires confirmation for legal processes. Samples that initially test positive must undergo a second confirmation.
Should the Screening result indicate a presumptive positive, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for further processing. During Extraction, drugs are extracted from hair at a lower concentration compared to other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), making hair drug screening one of the most complex methodologies.
The Confirmation step for a positive screening is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods. Presumptive positive samples undergo necessary washing before confirmation. The entire testing process, from Accessioning through Confirmation, aligns with both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and ISO / IEC 17025 standards for accreditation.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: While frequently termed "hair follicle tests", they actually analyze the hair strand itself, not the follicle beneath the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing Excels Over Urine Testing in Grayburg, TX
Extended Detection Window in Grayburg, TX
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Grayburg, TX
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