What Is Hair Follicle Drug Testing
Hair drug or hair follicle drug testing is one of the most reliable and effective methods to determine drug consumption. Whether screening the potential candidates for a new job role or maintaining compliance with specific regulations, hair drug testing is becoming a popular alternative amongst employers to ensure a safe and productive workspace. Besides the corporate world, hair drug testing is also gaining recognition in the legal world, where the court orders mandatory drug testing in cases of divorce, probation, or child custody.
How does hair testing work?
While urine drug testing can only ascertain an individual’s past week’s drug ingestion, the hair drug or hair alcohol tests are a better alternative to determine the binge or chronic drug or alcohol consumption over an extended period.
During the testing procedure, the hair is cut at the scalp’s base and sent to the laboratory to detect the drug metabolites embedded in the hair strand. When a person consumes any illicit substances, the substance is soaked into the bloodstream. Since each hair follicle has its blood vessel to nourish the growth cells, the substances get transported from the blood into the hair follicle. Hence, the test can easily detect traces of alcohol or drugs in the hair follicle.
Can body hair be put to use for drug and alcohol testing?
If the head hair is not long enough or shaved, the lab administrator can take a sample of body hair from the chest, legs, armpits, or occasionally from the beards. Typically, both the body and head hairs grow simultaneously, but the body hair usually halts the growth after reaching a certain length. The hair becomes dormant once it ceases to grow and hence, is pushed outwards to spare room for a new hair follicle to replace it.
A positive hair follicle test result does not indicate the exact date on which the drug was ingested but only the estimated timeframe of ingestion within 90 days.
Therefore, the body hair is as reliable as the head hair to indicate the use of drugs or alcohol. While the report’s faithfulness is precisely the same, there can be some deviations in the result timeframes covered by each of the tests.
Why is hair drug testing so effective?
Hair follicle drug testing is a newly practiced alternative, and it is significantly effective if administered by a qualified technician or professional. A certified Medical Reviewer Officer initially reviews the initial hair drug test outcomes before releasing results. Furthermore, most employers opt for hair testing for drug ingestion because it involves a relatively noninvasive collection process. Even if the employee briefly abstains from the drug or alcohol consumption, it won’t affect the drug results.
Why choose hair follicle drug testing over urine testing?
Hair follicle drug testing holds a much longer detection window than urine testing. Moreover, it is comparatively difficult to cheat on hair drug testing since it ascertains the drug ingestion from the core of the hair shaft that remains unaffected by the external contaminants and other chemicals. A typical hair testing holds a 90-day window to detect the drug usage at about seven days after consumption.
About us
Look no further than American Screening Corp if you look for professional drug testing supplies and assistance. Our team of experts aims to offer top-notch drug testing equipment to companies and individuals. Being a premier ISO 13485 Certified distributor of rapid alcohol and drug tests, infectious disease tests, cardiac tests, and medical supplies, we assure the most reliable test reports. For more details, contact us at (318) 798-3306 or fill out our contact from.
