Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair analysis has emerged as an effective means for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged record of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the hair strand's fibers as it grows. Extracted near the scalp, hair can cover a detection span of up to roughly 3 months for alcohol and drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.
A 1.5-inch sample consisting of approximately 200 hair strands (similar in size to a #2 pencil) taken nearest the scalp yields 100mg, the optimal amount for screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, a 150mg specimen is advisable. Using a jeweler’s scale is suggested for weighing the specimen. In cases where scalp hair is absent, a comparable quantity of body hair may be gathered. When discussing head hair, it specifically refers to scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair types (i.e., facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
The four primary phases in the lab processing of a drug test outcome are Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning pertains to the initial integration of a sample into a laboratory’s framework. This step verifies proper sealing and shipping of the sample, allocates a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fulfills any extra data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody setup.
Screening constitutes an initial swift evaluation for substance misuse. Although Screening is an economical method to dismiss drug use in most samples, a positive result requires confirmation to be legally valid. Samples presumed positive during Screening necessitate additional confirmation.
Should a specimen show a presumptive positive in the Screening phase, further hair is drawn from the original sample and readied for Extraction. This phase involves extracting drugs from hair at a much lower concentration than other testing techniques (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug testing the most challenging method to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening result is conducted via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptive positive samples undergo washing before confirmation as required. The complete lab process from Accessioning to Confirmation is assessed under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation to ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although commonly termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis focuses on the hair strand itself, not the hair follicle beneath the scalp
Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing in Sharon, WI
Extended Detection Window in Sharon, WI
Tamper-Resistant Testing Method in Sharon, WI
Convenient Nationwide Testing Locations and Local Locations in Sharon, WI
Simple, Confidential Process in Sharon, WI
Affordable Pricing and Fast Turnaround in Sharon, WI
Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results in Sharon, WI
Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers in Sharon, WI