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Testers can use hair follicle tests to check for a specific drug, or they can test a single hair sample for several different drugs or drug classes. This rapid oral drug test swiftly screens for drug use using a saliva sample. It checks for various commonly abused drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, and methamphetamines. This convenient test provides quick results, typically by the end of the day, making it valuable for workplace or legal purposes to detect recent drug use patterns. Follow-up testing after a hair follicle drug test depends on the test results and the purpose of drug testing. If only an initial test was performed, a confirmatory test may be ordered to confirm preliminary results.
Managing Your Health
During a hair follicle drug test, a small sample of hair (approx 1.5 inches in length) is collected from the individual being tested. This hair is typically collected from the crown of the head closest to the scalp, but it can also be collected from other parts of the body if necessary. Hair drug tests are very effective in detecting repetitive drug use in persons over a prolonged period of time (Up to 90 days). Furthermore, it’s very difficult to cheat a hair drug test as the hair is cut by our technicians in direct observation. Hair samples that produce a positive result for ELISA testing will undergo a second test, such as GC-MS. A positive result with confirmatory testing means that the laboratory confirmed the presence of specific drug metabolites in the person’s hair sample.
What Is a Hair Drug test?
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They can be ideal in environments where the focus is more immediate substance use rather than historical patterns. Industries that may rely on urine or blood drug tests include education, social work, healthcare, law enforcement, and government positions. Industries like transportation, construction, and other safety-sensitive lines of work may be most likely to find this type of test valuable for making informed hiring decisions.
Labcorp
Negative test results indicate that no drugs or drug metabolites were detected in the hair sample. After a hair sample is collected, it is packaged according to instructions contained in the collection kit and sent to a laboratory for testing. While most people may be familiar with urine screening drug tests, hair follicle drug tests are also used, although less widely. Hair tests are available for probation testing, court ordered situations, child custody disputes, child welfare cases or any other personal reasons. While the test is often called a hair follicle test, it is not actually the root itself that is tested.
Detectable Drugs
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The lengthy detection window of a hair drug test is attributed to the nature of hair growth and how drugs are incorporated into strands of hair. A hair follicle drug test, also known as a hair drug test, is a technique used to detect the presence of specific drugs in an individual’s system. This test analyzes a small sample of hair from close to the scalp to determine drug use within a 90-day timeframe. With our customized drug testing solutions, you can choose the type of drug test you need from the privacy of your home, office, or any of our drive-thru testing sites in Los Angeles County. Our industry-leading drug and alcohol tests are highly accurate, detecting even the smallest trace of illicit substances in the hair, oral fluid or urine. We deliver those results with a fast turnaround time so you can get the answers you need and take corrective actions based on those results without delay.
A hair follicle drug test will return twice the number of positives as compared to a standard urine drug test. Urine drug tests can detect drug use within 2-4 days of use for most drugs. Hair drug tests can detect a pattern of repetitive drug use for up to 90 days. 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.
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At-home hair drug tests are available in stores and without a prescription. In a laboratory, a procedure called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is performed on the hair sample. The metabolites of a drug react to the test to show a positive, negative, or invalid response.
Employer Health and Wellness
Many insurance carriers cover drug tests if it’s performed within a hospital for medical purposes, like an inpatient stay or an emergency room visit. If a drug test is part of pre-employment screening, the employer isn’t required to compensate you for your time. 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. An inconclusive result isn’t common when testing procedures are followed. In some cases, improper collection of the hair specimen may result in the test being rejected completely. Drug testing is becoming an increasingly important component of safety, security and operations across many industries.
The test can pick up drugs or drug metabolites inside the hair shaft that have been deposited through the bloodstream. Like urine tests, the drugs that can be detected will vary depending on the chosen panel. A hair follicle drug test is one way to screen for recreational drug use or prescription drug abuse.
Many times, it can take between five and seven days for substances to be detectable on a hair follicle drug test. Hair follicle drug tests are performed on a sample of hair, usually collected from a person’s scalp. Research has shown that urine testing can better pick up cannabis, heroin/opioids, benzodiazepines, and methadone, but hair drug tests are better at picking up cocaine.
Hair follicle drug testing detects evidence of drug use or misuse in a sample of hair. Drug testing can screen for the use of illegal drugs, as well as the misuse of prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines, and legal substances including alcohol and tobacco. We provide many options for hair testing, including 5-panel (with or without expanded opiates), 7-panel, 9-panel, 12-panel, 14-panel, 17 panel, Etg hair and alcohol testing and hair vaping panel.
The test is non-invasive and provides a comprehensive overview of an individual’s substance use within a 90-day timeframe. In this article, we discuss how hair follicle drug tests work, how to use a home kit, and what the results mean. We also cover the accuracy and cost of testing, whether people without hair can still provide a sample, and how hair follicle tests compare to traditional urine-based drug tests. We allow you to test for a wide range of illicit substances through hair or urine analysis at your home, workplace, or at any of our drive-thru testing locations in Los Angeles County. Our customized testing solutions allow you, your employee, or your loved one to get tested on your terms, saving time and hassle.
Some research also indicates that hair drug testing can be useful for monitoring drug use in at-risk individuals when used alongside self-reporting. A hair strand drug test screens for illicit drug use and the misuse of prescription medication. Though commonly called a “hair follicle test,” this drug test only tests clipped strands of hair, not the follicle located under the scalp. Since hair samples are obtained in full view of the collector, the process minimizes the likelihood of sample adulteration or specimen substitution. We offer hair specimen collections in many of our specimen collection sites located throughout the U.S.
However, these tests cannot pinpoint the exact date of drug use because hair growth rates can vary widely among different people. Collecting a sample of hair at a laboratory or at home involves cutting a lock of hair about the thickness of a pencil from the back of the head using scissors. During the collection process, the person cutting the hair should wear gloves to avoid contamination of the hair sample. 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.
