Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. By capturing biomarkers within the structure of the growing hair strand, hair offers a long-term record of alcohol and drug usage. When sourced close to the scalp, it can present a detection timeframe of up to three months for alcohol and other substances. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat resistant to tampering, and convenient for transport.
A 1.5-inch section, approximately 200 strands (comparable in width to a #2 pencil) nearest the scalp, provides 100mg of hair—the optimal sample for both initial screening and subsequent confirmation. For EtG, additional testing, and/or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg sample is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for measuring the specimen. If scalp hair is not available, a similar amount of body hair can be collected. References to head hair pertain exclusively to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other types (such as facial and axillary).
Process Overview
The laboratory processing of a drug test result consists of four primary phases: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning is the preliminary step where a sample is integrated into the lab’s system. This process includes ensuring the sample was securely sealed and sent, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any necessary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody.
Screening is a rapid initial assessment for drug use. While cost-effective for ruling out drug use in most samples, a screened positive must be confirmed to be legally valid. Samples that test presumptively positive during Screening require further confirmation.
In cases where Screening yields a presumptive positive, the original specimen is used to extract more hair for the Extraction process. In this phase, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than in alternative methods (such as urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most complex method.
Confirmation of any positive screened result is achieved through methods like GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Presumptive positives undergo washes before the confirmation process, as necessary. The lab procedure from Accessioning through Confirmation is evaluated following CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Commonly called "hair follicle tests," the analysis targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the skin.
In Reid Hope King, TX, hair follicle testing surpasses urine tests by offering more accurate detection of substance use.
The extended detection window of hair follicle testing in Reid Hope King, TX, offers employers a look back at an individual's substance history for up to 90 days.
Hair follicle testing in Reid Hope King, TX, provides a tamper-resistant method for drug detection.
In Reid Hope King, TX, find convenient testing locations nationwide.
The testing process in Reid Hope King, TX, is simple and confidential.
Receive affordable pricing and quick turnaround on hair testing in Reid Hope King, TX.
In Reid Hope King, TX, hair follicle drug testing ensures fast, precise, and dependable results.
Employers in Reid Hope King, TX, enjoy compliance and peace of mind with hair follicle testing.
