Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Avoca, WI

What it is, How it works

Utilizing hair testing has gained recognition as an effective method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair captures a prolonged history of substance use by embedding biomarkers in its growing fibers. Collecting hair near the scalp offers an approximate 3-month window for detecting alcohol and drugs. It's straightforward to gather, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.

A sample measuring 1.5 inches consisting of roughly 200 hair strands (comparable to the girth of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the preferred sample size for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, additional tests, and/or analysis beyond 10 panels, a specimen weighing 150mg is advisable. We suggest using a jeweler’s scale for weighing the specimen. If scalp hair is not available, the same amount of body hair can be collected. "Head hair" refers only to scalp hair, while "body hair" includes all other types (facial, axillary, etc.).

Process Overview

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

During Accessioning, a sample is initially entered into a laboratory’s system. This stage ensures the sample is sealed and shipped correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completes any extra data input not covered by an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening provides an initial rapid assessment for drug presence. Though Screening is an economical way to dismiss drug use in the majority of samples, a positive result must be confirmed for court validity. Any samples with preliminary positive results in Screening require further confirmation.

In cases where Screening yields a presumptively positive sample, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at significantly lower concentrations than other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), resulting in hair drug screening being one of the most complex techniques to conduct.

Positive screening results are confirmed using methods such as GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. Before confirmation, all presumptively positive samples are washed as necessary. From Accessioning to Confirmation, the entire laboratory process is reviewed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair guidelines and the ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can identify drug use up to 90 days, compared to the brief detection window of urine tests.
• Hard to deceive: Hair drug tests are challenging to manipulate, resulting in more precise outcomes.
• Tracks historical use: It reveals trends in drug use over time, rather than merely recent consumption.

Limitations:

• Incapable of detecting recent use: Drugs take about 5-7 days before becoming detectable in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically cost more than other testing methods.
• Result variability: Hair color and individual differences in growth can influence metabolite concentrations in hair.

Note: Although commonly known as "hair follicle tests", the test actually examines the hair strand, not the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

In Avoca, WI, hair follicle testing stands superior to urine tests in detecting drugs. Offering heightened detection accuracy and reliability, hair testing gives a clearer picture of an individual's substance history.

Compared to more traditional urine tests, hair follicle testing excels in Avoca, WI, with benefits like increased detection accuracy and robustness, ensuring trustworthy insights.

Extended Detection Window

In Avoca, WI, hair follicle testing provides an extensive detection window of up to 90 days. This gives employers a broad perspective on an individual's substance use history.

The ability of hair tests to reveal drug use over extended periods grants employers in Avoca, WI a comprehensive view of a candidate's past behavior.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Avoca, WI, hair follicle testing minimizes the possibility of sample tampering. Providing consistent and credible outcomes, these tests uphold integrity in drug screening processes.

Hair tests significantly lower the risk of adulteration, ensuring reliable results for employers in Avoca, WI who require steadfast drug testing methods.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

With Nationwide and local testing centers, Avoca, WI residents benefit from quick and easy access to our services, ensuring a hassle-free testing experience.

The network of testing facilities, including those in Avoca, WI, provides convenience, making testing both straightforward and accessible.

Simple, Confidential Process

Our hair follicle testing process in Avoca, WI is straightforward and discreet, addressing privacy while ensuring a seamless user experience from order to results.

In Avoca, WI, the simple and confidential hair testing procedure lets individuals order, test, and receive results with peace of mind.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

Competitive pricing and rapid report times in Avoca, WI make our hair follicle testing an excellent value proposition, ensuring satisfaction across business sizes.

In Avoca, WI, we pair affordability with swift processing times, giving businesses of any size reliable testing without breaking the budget.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

The precision and speed of hair follicle drug tests set them apart in Avoca, WI. Detecting substance use with unmatched accuracy, these tests offer fast and reliable results, ensuring confidence for employers.

With high levels of precision, hair tests swiftly identify substance use, providing dependable results that employers trust in Avoca, WI.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Employers in Avoca, WI gain assurance from using hair follicle tests to meet drug-free workplace demands, leading to reduced legal risks and heightened safety.

By opting for hair testing, Avoca, WI businesses ensure they adhere to drug-free policies, safeguarding themselves from potential compliance issues.

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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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