Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Lakehills, TX

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is increasingly recognized as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. This method offers extended insight into past drug and alcohol use due to the entrapment of biomarkers within the hair strands as they grow. A sample taken near the scalp can reveal drug and alcohol presence for up to roughly three months. Hair collection is straightforward, hard to tamper with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment consisting of about 200 hair strands (roughly the width of a #2 pencil) from near the scalp yields 100mg, which is the ideal amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, or tests exceeding 10 panels, a sample weighing 150mg is advised. It is suggested to measure the specimen using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair cannot be obtained, a similar quantity of body hair may be used. By 'head hair', only scalp hair is implied. 'Body hair' refers to other types such as facial and axillary hair.

Process Overview

The drug test result processing in a lab involves four key steps: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is about integrating a sample into a lab’s system. This part includes checking if the sample was sealed and delivered correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finishing any extra data entry absent in an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening is an initial fast assessment for substance abuse. While it's cost-efficient for ruling out drug use in most samples, positive results in Screening require confirmation to be legally viable. Any samples that test positive in Screening require further confirmation.

If Screening indicates a positive result, additional hair is taken from the original sample for Extraction. Drugs are extracted from hair at concentrations much thinner than other methods (ex. urine or oral fluid), which is why hair drug testing is exceptionally complex to conduct.

Positive Screening results are confirmed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All such samples undergo a necessary washing before confirmation. The complete process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is inspected under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation following ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Long detection window: Hair drug testing can detect drug usage for up to 90 days, which is significantly longer than the time urine tests can detect.
• Difficulty to cheat: Cheating a hair drug test is very challenging, leading to more precise results.
• Provides historical data: This method offers a timeline of drug usage over time, beyond just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Cannot detect recent use: Detectability of drugs in hair takes about 5-7 days post use.
• Cost: Hair drug testing tends to be pricier than other drug testing techniques.
• Variations in results: Different factors, including hair color and individual differences in hair growth, might influence the presence of drug metabolites in the hair.

Note: Although commonly called "hair follicle tests", the testing is performed on the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing drug tests in Lakehills, TX, hair follicle testing surpasses urine tests due to its superior accuracy and reliability. While urine tests offer limited detection windows, hair assessments can identify substance use with far greater precision, helping to establish a clearer picture of an individual's substance habits.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle tests in Lakehills, TX, offer an extensive detection window, capable of uncovering drug use over a span of up to 90 days. This provides employers with an all-encompassing analysis of an employee’s or applicant's substance history, aiding in better-informed hiring decisions.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Lakehills, TX, benefits significantly from hair follicle tests that greatly mitigate the risks of sample tampering. The integrity of the test results remains uncompromised, delivering trustworthy findings that employers and legal bodies depend on for reliable assessments.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Testing in Lakehills, TX, is simple and accessible, thanks to a wide network of nationwide locations. These centers facilitate quick and effortless access to testing services, removing the hassles often associated with drug testing procedures.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Lakehills, TX, the process for hair follicle testing is both simple and confidential. Clients can easily order tests, complete them, and receive results with the assurance of privacy, addressing any apprehensions over confidentiality and complexity of the procedure.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Lakehills, TX, businesses can enjoy competitive pricing and prompt turnaround times with hair follicle testing. This affordable option ensures excellent value, catering to companies of varying sizes looking for cost-effective and timely drug testing solutions.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Lakehills, TX, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their speed and precision. The tests provide high accuracy levels in identifying substance use, delivering fast, dependable outcomes that help businesses maintain a drug-free environment without delay.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Lakehills, TX, gain substantial peace of mind with hair follicle testing, ensuring alignment with workplace drug-free policies. This testing method helps curb legal challenges and promotes a safe working environment for all employees.

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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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