A hair sample drug test is, in some ways even easier to conduct than a standard urine sample test. About 100 milligrams of hair, which is about 100 – 120 strands, at 4 cm or 1.5” in length are needed in order to get strong results in hair analysis. The hair is cut as close to the scalp as possible, so only the strands of hair above the scalp are tested and not the actual hair follicle. At-home collection kits allow users to collect hair samples and mail them to a laboratory for analysis.
How Far Back Can a Drug Test Show?
Additionally, saliva tests can be affected by external factors, such as changes in temperature or humidity. In addition to hair follicle testing, there are other methods that can be used to determine drug use over a 12 month period. Each of these tests has its own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to determining drug use over a 12 month period. The reality is that hair follicle testing windows are a lot less precise.
Drug Testing
Metabolites remain detectable in a hair sample for up to 90 days from when they were consumed, and it can be an even longer period for certain drugs. Even in trucking companies where DOT required the standard 5 panel urine test; an additional hair test is required by many trucking companies. Hair follicle drug tests are much more difficult to cheat than urine drug tests since a sample taken is done so directly by a trained collector. Obviously, if someone has no body or head hair, then the hair follicle test cannot be performed. Several large trucking companies are now performing hair testing in addition to the required 5 panel urine lab-based testing.
What is a Hair Follicle Drug Test?
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However, he will have to have long enough head hair to officially go back that far. We call this a segmented hair drug test and, in this case, we would test in increments of 90 days. Every increment will need about 1.5 (1 and one half) inches of head hair length. To order a hair follicle test that goes back 12 months we will need about 6 inches in head hair length. Another challenge of hair follicle testing is that it works best on long, untreated hair.
Although very reliable and used by firms across multiple industries, ideally employers should use both urine and hair follicle testing, since hair testing doesn’t catch recent drug use. Hair follicle drugs of abuse testing offers up to a 90-day window for detection of drug use and a convenient collection process that can be performed almost anywhere. In contrast, urine and blood tests provide a look into an individual’s most recent drug use.
Hair follicle testing was first discovered in 1979 and came into practice as a commercial means to detect drug abuse in 1986. A 10-panel drug test screens for the presence of prescription and illicit drugs to help employers maintain a safe, productive workplace. A sample of hair can be collected at home, at a laboratory, or in a medical setting. Many parents consider using drug testing as a tool to prevent or confirm the use or misuse of drugs in children and adolescents. The use of drug tests is impacted by federal, state, and local laws. Professional organizations advocate for the ethical use of drug testing, often emphasizing the importance of patient education and consent before conducting a drug test.
How a Hair Follicle Drug Test Works
You'll have to take the test again, but because of hair removal, you may be offered another type of drug test. After collection, the hair is packaged securely in foil inside a secured envelope and sent to the lab for analysis. It's a biochemical test commonly used to detect antibodies and other proteins in the blood. Confirmation testing is done using GC/MS if the result is positive. If you’re a current employee and your workplace requires you to take a hair strand drug test, they’re required by law to pay you for the time spent taking the test.
For a urine test, drugs often show up for around three days, but marijuana may show up for as much as 40 days. For a fingernail drug test, drugs may show up for three to five months, but for a nail test that includes the toenails as well, drugs may show up for eight to 12 months. First off, a hair follicle drug test is not a time machine, but it is pretty close. This test works by analyzing a small sample of your hair to check for drug use. Since hair grows about half an inch per month, the length of hair tested can indeed give a snapshot of your drug use history.
We have a fulltime staff of experienced medical review officers always available to exam hair drug test results with quick notification back to you. With the urine drug test, the applicant or employee might refrain from drug use for five or more days and avoid the detection of illegal drugs in the urine. So in reality, pre-employment drug testing using hair tests would be more effective in preventing the hiring of a substance abuser. Often called a hair follicle test, this is not the correct terminology.
While it is technically possible to detect drug use over longer periods if longer hair samples are available, in practice, most employers stick to the 90-day window. Testing beyond this period is less common and becomes less reliable for various reasons, including the way hair grows and how it is affected by environmental factors and personal care habits. When Osterberg realized that DOT urine tests weren’t catching all drug use, he began looking for an alternative and found it in hair follicle drug testing. Schneider added hair testing to its driver pre-hire screening process in March 2008. If the hair sample tests positive during this screening, a second test is performed. This test, which uses advanced techniques like gas or liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, provides a more detailed analysis.
This analysis can confirm the presence of drugs and also identify specific substances. Hair follicle drug tests are performed on a sample of hair, usually collected from a person’s scalp. During hair follicle drug testing, scissors are used to remove a small sample of hair.
While most people may be familiar with urine screening drug tests, hair follicle drug tests are also used, although less widely. Because home tests are sent to a lab, they're comparable to regular hair follicle drug tests. Neither type of test is 100% accurate, even though they go through a two-step process. But clipping nails and shaving head and body hair are obvious signs that a party is trying to interfere with drug testing efforts. Urine specimens are checked by the testing facility to determine whether they’re diluted, so drinking a lot of water before the testing will invalidate the test result.
Hair can be collected from several body locations (excluding pubic areas) and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. For body hair, collect at least 100mg of hair and more if the test is for EtG hair testing and if testing for 12 or more drugs. There are several types of hair drug test panels available, depending on the substances you want to test for.
Deciding whether to conduct drug testing for candidates and employees? Sara’s experience stems from 20+ years working as a B2C and B2B PR and communications professional. By understanding an individual’s past substance use, employers can gain a fuller picture of their potential hires or even current employee drug use.
Read Health Street's dramatic and informative drug testing stories. Finally, keep in mind that the same healthy habits recommended for maintaining your physical health will also help your hair. Try to find ways to manage stress, and strive for a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. Minimize the use of high-heat styling tools, hair extensions and harsh treatments like perms.
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