Hair Follicle Drug Testing - Silver Lake, WI

What it is, How it works

Hair testing is now viewed as an effective means to detect drug and alcohol consumption. By capturing biomarkers in the fibers of the growing hair strand, hair provides an extended history of alcohol and other drug usage. When taken close to the scalp, hair can offer a detection window of up to nearly 3 months for alcohol and other drugs. Hair collection is straightforward, somewhat challenging to tamper with, and easy to transport.

A 1.5-inch segment of about 200 hair strands (around the thickness of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp yields 100mg of hair, which is the ideal sample size for evaluation and validation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests exceeding 10 panels, 150mg of the sample is advised. It's recommended to weigh the sample using a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair is not accessible, a comparable amount of body hair can be gathered. When mentioning head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair encompasses all other hair varieties (facial, axillary, and so forth).

Process Overview

The primary steps in laboratory processing of drug test outcomes encompass Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.

Accessioning involves the preliminary processing of a sample within a laboratory’s system. This process includes confirming the sample was sealed and dispatched correctly, assigning a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and completing any supplementary data entry absent from an electronic chain of custody system.

Screening entails a rapid preliminary examination for drug abuse. Though Screening is an economical approach to exclude drug consumption in most samples, a positive screen necessitates confirmation for legal admissibility. Any samples perceived as positive during Screening necessitate secondary confirmation.

If a sample tests presumptively positive in Screening, additional hair is extracted from the initial sample and prepared for Extraction. Here, drugs are extracted from hair at a notably lower concentration than other methodologies (like urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening one of the hardest methodologies to execute.

Confirmation of any positive screening outcome is done via GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS. All presumptively positive samples undergo a washing process prior to confirmation if required. The entire laboratory process, from Accessioning to Confirmation, is evaluated under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation standards.

Advantages of hair drug testing:

• Extended detection period: Hair drug tests can reveal drug consumption for up to 90 days, unlike urine tests which have a shorter detection period.
• Hard to deceive: Cheating a hair drug test is notably difficult, ensuring more precise results.
• Offers chronological data: It can provide insight into a pattern of drug use over time rather than just recent usage.

Limitations:

• Inability to detect recent usage: It takes approximately 5-7 days for drugs to appear in hair.
• Expense: Hair drug tests typically cost more than other drug testing methods.
• Results may vary: Factors like hair color and individual hair growth differences can impact drug metabolite concentration in hair.

Note: Though commonly called "hair follicle tests", the test analyzes the hair strand rather than the follicle beneath the scalp.

Why Hair Follicle Testing Beats Urine Testing

Compared to urine testing, hair follicle tests offer superior detection accuracy in Silver Lake, WI. The ability to identify substance use over an extended period makes hair tests a more reliable choice for employers ensuring a drug-free workplace.

While traditional urine tests focus on recent use, hair follicle testing provides a comprehensive analysis, detecting patterns of drug use with greater precision, thereby reinforcing drug-free policies.

Extended Detection Window

Hair follicle drug tests in Silver Lake, WI, detect drug use over an extensive period of up to 90 days. This extended detection window equips employers with a thorough understanding of an individual's substance history.

Such comprehensive insights are crucial in making informed hiring decisions, fostering a reliable workforce, and maintaining a safe work environment through detailed assessment.

Tamper-Resistant Testing Method

In Silver Lake, WI, hair follicle testing is less susceptible to tampering, providing credible results. This testing method significantly mitigates the risk of sample adulteration due to its inherent characteristics.

Employers and legal entities benefit from the assurance that hair tests reflect true substance use patterns, supporting accountability and fairness in assessments without the common falsification risks of other methods.

Convenient Nationwide Locations

Accredited Drug Testing facilities are strategically located in Silver Lake, WI, offering fast and easy access to testing services. Nationwide centers make our services convenient, ensuring efficient sample collection and processing.

The broad availability of testing sites reduces logistical challenges, simplifying the testing process for individuals and companies seeking reliable results quickly.

Simple, Confidential Process

The hair follicle testing process in Silver Lake, WI, is designed for simplicity and confidentiality. The steps from ordering to result delivery are straightforward, ensuring privacy and ease for all parties involved.

This approach alleviates concerns related to confidentiality, ensuring a stress-free process for those seeking or required to undergo testing, while maintaining high confidentiality standards.

Affordable, Fast Turnaround

In Silver Lake, WI, Accredited Drug Testing provides hair follicle tests at competitive pricing, ensuring affordability for organizations of various sizes. The quick turnaround times enhance the value, offering peace of mind and efficient outcomes.

These cost-effective solutions ensure that companies can maintain their drug-free standards without financial strain, balancing cost efficiency with quality service delivery.

Fast, Accurate, and Reliable Results

In Silver Lake, WI, hair follicle drug testing is known for delivering precision and speed. Owing to their high accuracy, these tests efficiently reveal substance use, enabling effective and rapid decision-making.

The method is designed to promptly deliver results, allowing stake-holders to trust the findings. In industries where safety is paramount, the rapid and reliable results of hair follicle testing hold significant value.

Compliance and Peace of Mind for Employers

Utilizing hair follicle testing in Silver Lake, WI, ensures compliance with workplace drug policies. It minimizes legal risks and maintains workplace safety by confirming adherence to a drug-free policy.

Employers gain peace of mind knowing that the testing process supports a compliant and secure working environment, promoting safety and reducing potential liabilities.

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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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