Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Hodgesville, WV

What it is, How it works

Hair analysis has gained recognition as an efficient means for detecting substance and alcohol use. Hair captures a historical record of alcohol and drug usage by embedding biomarkers in the fibers of the growing strand. Collected from the scalp, hair can reveal a detection timeline of up to roughly 3 months for various substances. It's easy to collect, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A strand sample measuring 1.5 inches with approximately 200 hairs (roughly the thickness of a #2 pencil) from the nearest part of the scalp yields 100mg of hair, ideal for both screening and confirmation tests. For extended tests like EtG or panels above 10, 150mg of hair is suggested. Utilize a jeweler’s scale for weighing the sample. If scalp hair isn’t available, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, it pertains to scalp hair exclusively. All other hair varieties (facial, armpit, etc.) are categorized as body hair.

Process Overview

The primary steps in lab processing of a drug testing result include Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning is the initial phase of integrating a sample into a lab’s system. This comprises ensuring the sample's proper sealing and shipping, assigning an arbitrary LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and inputting any missing data not captured by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening offers an initial rapid detection of drug misuse. Though Screening is cost-efficient for negating drug usage in most samples, confirmatory tests are needed to validate court-admissibility. Any Screening-tests indicating positive results need secondary validations.

A sample showing potential positive results in Screening triggers additional hair extraction from the initial lot for Extraction. During this phase, drugs are isolated from hair at lesser concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or saliva), making hair drug analysis the most complex technique in the field.

Verification of any positive screen result is performed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All samples with positive presumptions undergo necessary washing ahead of confirmation. The comprehensive lab operation from Accessioning to Confirmation is audited under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and accredited to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.

Benefits of hair drug assessment:

• Long detection span: Hair drug examinations can trace substance usage up to 90 days, unlike urine assessments which have a shorter detection period.
• Hard to evade: Evading a hair drug test is highly challenging, ensuring the results are more precise.
• Historical insight: It offers a track of substance use over time, rather than just recent occurrences.

Drawbacks:

• Recent use undetectability: It takes about 5-7 days for substances to become detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug evaluations are often pricier than other testing approaches.
• Result variability: Variables like hair coloration and individual hair growth rates can influence drug metabolite levels in the hair.

Note: While commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the evaluation assesses the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Hair follicle testing in Hodgesville, WV, surpasses urine tests in various aspects. It's more reliable for longer detection periods. Hair tests maintain a high level of accuracy, making them a preferred option.

Unlike urine tests, hair follicle testing offers superior detection capabilities, ensuring precise results and higher reliability.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle testing provides an extended detection window in Hodgesville, WV. It allows employers to review substance use over up to 90 days, offering thorough insights into drug use history.

This method delivers comprehensive data over longer periods, granting employers a broad view of an individual’s substance use.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

Hair follicle testing in Hodgesville, WV, significantly reduces the chances of tampering. The stringent collection process ensures sample integrity and reliable results.

With minimal risk for adulteration, hair tests provide unequivocal results, establishing a trustworthy testing method.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing offers convenient testing locations nationwide, including in Hodgesville, WV, ensuring easy access to drug testing services both locally and across the country.

Our widespread testing centers make accessing services straightforward and hassle-free, providing clients with flexibility and convenience.

Simple, Confidential Process

In Hodgesville, WV, the hair testing process is simple and confidential. We ensure ease of ordering, testing, and receiving results, addressing privacy concerns effectively.

The streamlined process guarantees confidentiality, making it accessible while protecting individual privacy throughout.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Accredited Drug Testing provides affordable hair testing solutions in Hodgesville, WV, with fast turnaround times. This ensures excellent value for companies of all sizes.

Our competitive pricing model and quick result delivery offer great value, making our services accessible to varying business needs.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Hodgesville, WV, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their speed and accuracy. This method ensures high precision in detecting substance use, offering quick turnaround times.

The efficiency of hair testing is unmatched, providing fast results while maintaining high accuracy rates. This method gives reliable insights into a person's drug habits.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Hodgesville, WV, gain peace of mind with hair follicle testing, as it ensures compliance with drug-free policies. This reduces legal risks and boosts workplace safety.

Implementing hair testing enhances compliance, providing a safer work environment and reducing the potential for legal complications.

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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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