Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Chesterfield, VA

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is now viewed as an effective means for uncovering drug and alcohol consumption. By encasing biomarkers within the strands, hair offers an extended history of substance use. Collected near the scalp, hair can reveal drug and alcohol traces for up to roughly three months. It is easy to gather, hard to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A 1.5-inch collection of roughly 200 hair strands (similar in width to a #2 pencil) adjacent to the scalp yields 100mg, which is optimal for evaluations. For EtG, additional tests, or panels exceeding 10, a 150mg sample is advisable. Using a jeweler's scale for specimen measurement is recommended. If scalp hair cannot be obtained, an equivalent quantity of body hair may be used. "Head hair" signifies solely scalp strands, while "body hair" includes all other types (such as facial or axillary hair).

Process Overview

The drug testing lab involves four key procedures: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning marks the initial sample entry into a lab's system, verifying its seal and shipping, assigning a random LAN, and completing any non-electronic chain of custody data entry.

Screening performs a preliminary rapid evaluation for drugs, being cost-efficient yet requiring confirmation to legalize positive outcomes. Samples testing positive in Screening must undergo further verification.

Presumptive positive samples undergo additional hair extraction from the original specimen during Extraction. This phase retrieves drugs from hair at lower concentrations than other methods like urine or oral fluid, highlighting the complexity of hair drug analysis.

Technique confirmation for positive results is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Any presumptive positives are pre-washed during confirmation. The full laboratory workflow, from Accessioning to Confirmation, adheres to the CAP Hair designation and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair tests can track drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter periods.
• High exposure to cheating: A hair drug test is tough to fake, thus ensuring more accurate outcomes.
• Gives historical insights: It showcases drug use patterns over time, beyond recent activity.

Limitations:

• Lack of recent use detection: Drugs need around 5-7 days to be identified in hair.
• Expense: Hair-based tests often cost more than other drug testing techniques.
• Result variations: Factors like hair hue and individual hair growth disparities can alter drug metabolite concentrations in the strands.

Note: While sometimes called "hair follicle tests," the analysis evaluates the strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

When comparing hair follicle tests to traditional urine assessments in Chesterfield, VA, the former stand out due to their superior accuracy. Hair tests offer a more reliable method, capturing drug use over a more extended timeframe and providing employers a clearer picture with fewer opportunities for evasive tactics or false readings.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing provides a comprehensive detection window of up to 90 days in Chesterfield, VA. This extensive timeframe allows employers to gain a profound understanding of a candidate or employee's substance use history, ensuring a thorough assessment that urine tests cannot match, given their shorter detection span.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Chesterfield, VA sees the significant advantage of hair follicle tests in their tamper-resistant nature. The method considerably reduces the risk of sample adulteration, delivering results that stakeholders can trust. This reliability is crucial for maintaining the integrity of drug testing processes.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With a vast array of testing centers nationwide, including Chesterfield, VA, Accredited Drug Testing offers unmatched convenience. Our locations facilitate hassle-free access to testing services, ensuring that individuals and employers receive prompt and efficient testing without logistical challenges.

Simple, Confidential Process

The process of undergoing hair follicle testing in Chesterfield, VA is both simple and confidential. From ordering and taking the test to receiving results, the approach prioritizes privacy and ease-of-use, addressing concerns and facilitating an unobtrusive testing experience for all participants.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing in Chesterfield, VA emphasizes affordable pricing and swift turnaround times. Our competitive pricing structures cater to businesses of all sizes, delivering valuable and timely results that reinforce the cost-effectiveness and reliability of hair follicle testing.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Chesterfield, VA, hair follicle drug tests are lauded for their speed and accuracy. These tests swiftly and precisely identify drug use, providing reliable results that empower employers to make informed decisions without delay. The efficacy of hair tests in detecting substances is unparalleled, fostering trust in the findings presented.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Chesterfield, VA, hair follicle testing ensures compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This testing method minimizes legal risks, boosting workplace safety, and providing peace of mind. Employers can trust that their work environment aligns with safety and regulatory standards.

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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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