Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Brandonville, WV

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis is recognized as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Strands of hair can capture drug-related biomarkers, offering an extended timeline of substance use. When snipped close to the scalp, hair potentially reveals up to a 3-month usage timeline for alcohol and drugs. Hair samples are straightforward to gather, not easily tampered with, and convenient to transport.

A 1.5-inch clipping of approximately 200 hair strands (resembling a #2 pencil diameter) from the scalp area provides 100mg of hair, the optimal sample for initial testing and validation. For EtG add-ons and tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg sample is advisable. We suggest weighing the specimen using a jeweler’s scale. In the absence of scalp hair, a similar amount of body hair may be utilized. "Head hair" exclusively denotes scalp hair. "Body hair" encompasses all other types (including facial and axillary hair).

Process Overview

There are four principal stages in processing a lab drug test outcome: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves integrating the sample into a lab’s system. This entails ensuring the sample’s proper sealing and shipment, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and inputting any missing data not included in an electronic chain of custody.

Screening serves as an initial rapid assessment for drug presence. Although Screening is cost-effective for ruling out drug use in most samples, a positive result here must be confirmed to be legally valid. Any samples yielding a presumptive positive in Screening require additional verification.

Should the Screening stage deem a sample presumptively positive, additional hair is separated from the primary specimen for Extraction. During Extraction, drug compounds are separated from hair at much lower concentrations than other methods such as urine or oral fluid, explaining why hair drug testing is among the most challenging to perform.

Verification of any positive Screening outcome employs GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before Confirmation as needed. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the entire lab process is evaluated under the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair division, adhering to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can uncover drug use over a 90-day stretch, unlike urine tests which have a briefer detection period.
• Hard to tamper with: It's quite challenging to manipulate a hair drug test, enhancing result accuracy.
• Shows usage history: It provides a drug use pattern over time, not merely recent use.

Limitations:

• Not suitable for recent use detection: Detection of drugs in hair takes roughly 5-7 days.
• Cost: Hair drug testing tends to be pricier than alternative methods.
• Results may vary: Factors such as hair color and individual differences in hair growth can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Despite being called "hair follicle tests," these tests analyze the hair strand rather than the follicle below the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Brandonville, WV, hair follicle testing notably surpasses traditional urine drug tests. This method provides unparalleled detection accuracy and reliability, ensuring a more comprehensive approach to drug testing. Employers and agencies benefit from its superior precision and long-term detection capabilities, making it an invaluable tool for substance monitoring.

Extended Detection Window

With an extended detection window of up to 90 days, hair follicle testing in Brandonville, WV provides a deeper insight into substance use habits. Employers looking for a comprehensive view of a prospective or current employee's history find hair tests invaluable, offering a lengthy period for detection that urine tests can't match.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Brandonville, WV, hair follicle tests serve as a tamper-resistant method for drug screening. This approach minimizes the likelihood of adulteration, thus ensuring the integrity and reliability of results. With the reduced risk of compromise, employers can trust the findings to be accurate and authentic.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

The extensive network of testing centers in Brandonville, WV, and nationwide provides unmatched convenience. Accessing these services is both quick and hassle-free, ensuring that conducting hair follicle tests is a straightforward process for everyone. Rely on local availability to meet all testing needs efficiently and effectively.

Simple, Confidential Process

Brandonville, WV, offers a straightforward and confidential process for conducting hair follicle drug tests. The seamless approach from ordering to obtaining results addresses privacy and user-friendliness concerns. Confidentiality is paramount, ensuring peace of mind throughout the entire testing procedure.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive pricing and rapid turnaround are the cornerstones of our hair follicle testing services in Brandonville, WV. We offer economic solutions coupled with swift processing times, providing tremendous value for businesses of any size. These attributes ensure the testing process is both budget-friendly and efficient.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Brandonville, WV fosters an environment where hair follicle drug tests stand out for their fast, accurate, and reliable results. The method's precision ensures heightened accuracy in detecting substance misuse. With a focus on efficiency, the hair test process guarantees results without compromising quality, giving both companies and individuals the ability to trust the findings.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

For employers in Brandonville, WV, hair follicle testing brings both compliance and peace of mind. The effective implementation of this method ensures adherence to drug-free workplace policies, minimizing legal challenges and enhancing overall workplace safety. Reliable testing means a safer and more compliant work environment.

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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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