Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Hernshaw, WV

What it is, How it works

The use of hair testing has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a comprehensive view of alcohol and drugs by embedding biomarkers within the strands as they grow. When sourced near the scalp, hair can provide a detection period of up to roughly three months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, quite challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.

An ideal test sample consists of a 1.5-inch length of approximately 200 hair strands, equivalent to the girth of a #2 pencil, gathered closest to the scalp yielding 100mg. This amount is perfect for evaluation and further testing. For EtG, additional checks, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is preferred. We advise using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. In the absence of scalp hair, a comparable weight of body hair can be used. "Head hair" refers specifically to scalp hair, while "body hair" encompasses all other types of hair (including facial or axillary).

Process Overview

The laboratory's methodology for processing drug test outcomes comprises four key stages: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning pertains to the sample's initial incorporation into a lab's database. This includes ensuring the sample was sealed and transported correctly, assigning a unique LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and finalizing any outstanding data entry absent from an electronic custody system.

Screening constitutes a preliminary drug misuse assessment. Although Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug use in most cases, a positive screening outcome needs verification for court acceptance. Any samples flagged as potentially positive during Screening must undergo secondary confirmation.

For samples possibly positive after Screening, more hair is selected from the initial batch and prepared for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted at lower concentrations than found in other tests (e.g., urine, oral fluid), making hair drug analysis particularly challenging.

GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS methods verify any positive screening results. Prior to confirmation, all samples identified as potential positives are washed as required. The comprehensive lab protocol from Accessioning to Confirmation adheres to scrutiny under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair classification and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection duration: Hair tests can identify drug use for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests with shorter detection times.
• Hard to manipulate: It's extremely challenging to deceive a hair drug test, ensuring greater accuracy in outcomes.
• Shows usage patterns: It reveals drug use patterns over a time frame, not just recent use.

Limitations:

• Cannot identify recent use: It takes about 5-7 days before drugs are evident in hair samples.
• Expense: Hair drug tests generally cost more than alternative testing methodologies.
• Result variability: Elements like hair color and personal hair growth differences can influence drug metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Although commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis actually targets the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Hernshaw, WV, hair follicle testing outperforms traditional urine tests, offering greater detection accuracy and reliability. Its effectiveness is evident through its ability to provide extensive insights into an individual's substance use history.

Compared to urine tests, hair testing in Hernshaw offers superior detection capabilities, identifying drug use over longer periods. This comprehensive approach ensures employers have a clearer picture of substance use incidents.

Extended Detection Window

Hair testing in Hernshaw, WV, grants a prolonged detection window, identifying drug use for up to 90 days. This extended period provides workplaces a thorough understanding of an employee’s substance use history.

With hair follicle tests in Hernshaw, employers can ascertain drug use over a lengthy timeframe, illustrating a detailed view of a person’s substance habits for comprehensive analysis.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Hernshaw, WV, hair follicle tests are tamper-resistant, minimizing risks of sample adulteration. This secure method assures results that are both reliable and hard to contest.

By choosing hair follicle testing in Hernshaw, worries about sample tampering diminish, providing unquestionable accuracy in substance detection, vital for maintaining drug-free environments.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With testing centers spanning nationwide and local facilities in Hernshaw, WV, accessing hair follicle testing is quick and hassle-free. This widespread availability ensures that testing needs are met efficiently, conveniently supporting businesses and individuals.

Whether in Hernshaw or across the country, our network of testing centers brings ease and accessibility, streamlining the testing process for all involved.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing procedure in Hernshaw, WV, is simple and confidential, easing privacy concerns. Ordering, participating in, and receiving results is streamlined, providing a straightforward experience.

With confidentiality assured, the testing process addresses privacy concerns, ensuring peace of mind for participants seeking reliable substance use insights.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Offering competitive pricing, our hair follicle tests in Hernshaw, WV, provide excellent value with quick turnaround times. This affordability ensures businesses of all sizes can access premium testing services without excessive costs.

Ensuring budget-friendly services, our pricing meets diverse company needs, delivering swift results and peace of mind, enhancing overall client satisfaction.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

Hair follicle testing offers exceptional accuracy and speed in Hernshaw, WV, ensuring fast and precise detection of substance use. With high sensitivity, these tests cater to indispensable requirements in professional environments seeking reliable results.

Precision is a notable feature of hair follicle testing, making it a favored method for detecting substance use. The timely and accurate results help employers and individuals make informed decisions with confidence.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Hernshaw, WV, benefit from hair follicle testing by ensuring compliance with drug-free workplace policies. This method not only diminishes legal risks but also fortifies workplace safety.

By implementing hair testing, employers safeguard their workforce integrity, maintaining peace of mind through policy adherence and reduced potential for disputes.

Drug Testing Near Hernshaw, WV

South Charleston, WV

Charleston, WV

East Bank, WV

Ivydale, WV

Coal Fork, WV

Bradley, WV

Shrewsbury, WV

Racine, WV

Comfort, WV

Chelyan, WV

Malden, WV

Rand, WV

Chesapeake, WV

Belle, WV

Marmet, WV

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Customer Reviews