Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective means for detecting the use of drugs and alcohol. The hair retains a long-term history of alcohol and drug usage by embedding biomarkers within the growing hair strand's fibers. When sourced near the scalp, hair can offer a detection window of up to approximately 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, fairly resistant to adulteration, and convenient to ship.
A 1.5-inch section comprising roughly 200 hair strands (around the size of a #2 pencil) near the scalp will yield 100mg of hair, deemed the ideal quantity for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or extensive panel tests (beyond 10), 150mg of the specimen is advisable. It’s suggested to use a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. Should scalp hair be unavailable, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be collected. Note that 'head hair' specifically refers to scalp hair only, while 'body hair' encompasses all other hair types (like facial and axillary).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result involves four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning encompasses the initial handling of a sample within a laboratory’s system. This step includes confirming that the sample was properly sealed and shipped, generating a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any additional data input absent from an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening offers an initial swift assessment for drugs of abuse. Although Screening is a cost-efficient method to rule out drug usage in most samples, a positive screen must be confirmed to hold up in legal settings. Samples that are presumptively positive in Screening require additional confirmation.
Presumptively positive samples from the Screening stage necessitate pulling additional hair from the original specimen for the Extraction process. In Extraction, drugs are drawn out of hair at a much lower concentration than other methods (like urine or oral fluid), which accounts for the particular challenge of performing hair drug screening.
Any positive screening result undergoes Confirmation via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positive samples are washed as needed before confirmation. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the entire laboratory workflow is under the scrutiny of the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the standards of accreditation in ISO / IEC 17025.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly called "hair follicle tests", these tests actually analyze the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.
In Harwood, TX, hair follicle tests stand out as a superior option compared to traditional urine tests. Their ability to uncover previous drug use with greater accuracy is unmatched. While urine tests might only offer insights into recent substance abuse, hair testing gives a broader view, covering up to a 90-day period, ensuring employers get a clear understanding of a potential hire's substance behavior.
Hair follicle testing in Harwood, TX offers an extended detection window that lasts up to 90 days, making it an excellent choice for employers. This prolonged timeframe allows businesses to gauge a more comprehensive drug usage history, relevant for evaluating both employees and job candidates. The broad analysis period ensures that any substance use within this time will be detected, providing thorough insights.
Hair follicle testing significantly lowers the chance of tampering with samples, offering trusted outcomes in Harwood, TX. The structure of the test makes it difficult to alter, ensuring that results are accurate and dependable. This tamper-resistant characteristic provides companies with peace of mind, knowing that the results they receive are genuine and accurate, thereby ensuring integrity in testing.
In Harwood, TX, finding accessible drug testing locations has never been easier. With our nationwide network of testing centers, individuals can quickly access services close to home or work. This broad availability ensures convenient, hassle-free testing, sparing clients the trouble of seeking distant facilities, and paving the way for efficient, stress-free experiences when undergoing drug checks.
Residents of Harwood, TX can enjoy a smooth and confidential process when engaging in hair follicle testing. The procedure, from ordering tests to receiving results, is straightforward, ensuring privacy is respected at every step. This simple, user-focused approach assuages concerns about confidentiality, and promotes ease of use, making drug testing a less daunting task for all involved.
In Harwood, TX, our affordable pricing strategy coupled with our swift turnaround time makes hair follicle testing an attractive option for businesses of any size. Our competitive rates ensure excellent value for money, while the fast delivery of results provides companies with the information they need efficiently, thus supporting quick decision-making without compromising on quality or reliability.
Experience the efficiency of hair follicle drug tests in Harwood, TX. Boasting high precision, these tests identify substances with remarkable accuracy. Their expeditious processing ensures that results are both fast and reliable, offering a trustworthy method for detecting drug use. This makes hair testing a superior option for those needing prompt and dependable outcomes.
For employers in Harwood, TX, hair follicle testing ensures adherence to workplace drug-free policies. By employing this method, companies diminish potential legal liabilities and boost workplace safety. The reliability of hair testing allows employers to maintain compliant environments, offering both peace of mind and protection of their interests against illicit substance use among staff.
