Hair Drug Testing Facts
The five drug classes mandated by the Federal Government for hair drug testing are: Cocaine (cocaine & benzoylecgonine), Marijuana(THC), Opiates (Codeine, Morphine & 6-monacteyl morphine), Methamphetamine (Meth, Amphetamine & Ecstasy), and Phencyclidine (PCP).
After using drugs, toxins are induced into the bloodstream which supplies developing hair follicles. Consequently, trace amounts of the drug or drug metabolite are deposited into the core of the hair follicle as it grows out and will continue to be deposited for as long as the drugs or drug metabolites remains in the bloodstream. Normal growth rates for hair on the human scalp are approximately one half inch per month. The majority of hair drug screens require approximately 60 strands of hair at a length of one and a half inches (90 days of growth). Most labs will not test less than one month of hair growth and will acquire body hair from various locations except from the pubic area if necessary.
Drug Test Results
Private and confidential results are available approximately 72 hours after receipt and are obtained through our toll free number using the unique results key code provided with your hair drug testing kit.
Hair drug screens are the current method for detecting drugs in hair using enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). EIA measures the drug molecules in the hair which were deposited into the hair follicle after the drug was used.
Drug Test Procedures
After the shell of the hair strands are stripped away to eliminate any external contaminants, they are placed in a chemical solution and put through the same stringent testing standards as a DOT or Federal urine drug test. These strict drug testing standards are introduced from the gas chromatography / mass spectrometry (GC/MS) test which performs a drug analysis on a molecular level to determine specific drug metabolites in the urine or hair specimen. The particular advantage of a hair follicle drug screen is the extended detection time opposed to standard urine, blood, or saliva drug tests which are limited to the metabolic half life of drugs in the human body. Cutoff levels for GC/MS hair follicle drug tests and GC/MS urine drug tests can be found on the drug test cutoff levels page.
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