June 12, 2009
Did you know...?
Hair follicle testing is another form of drug testing
What is hair drug screening? A hair screen is an examination that uses a small sample of hair to identify specific drugs used by the person being tested. A hair follicle drug test measures the drug molecules and their specific metabolites that are produced only after the drug has been processed by the human body. After the drug is processed, trace amounts of its metabolites are inserted into hair follicle by the bloodstream.
What time period does a standard hair follicle test cover? A standard hair follicle screen covers a period of approximately 90 days, but is susceptible to time variation depending on the growth rate of your hair. The hair sample is cut as close to the scalp as possible and the most recent 3.9cm (or 1.5 inches) are tested. It is possible to go back even further than 90 days since the time period is limited only by the length of the hair sample, but is standardized to a 90 day history.
What type of drugs can be detected in a standard hair test? Cocaine (Cocaine & Benzoylecgonine), Marijuana, Opiates (Codeine, Morphine & 6-Monacteyl Morphine), Methamphetamine (Methamphetamine/Amphetamine & Ecstasy), and Phencyclidine (PCP).
How much hair is needed? A standard screen with GC/MS confirmation requires 40+ milligrams of hair or approximately 50 - 70 strands that are up to 3.9cm (or 1.5 inches) in length. The thickness and pigment color of different types of head hair (thick black vs. thinning gray) is the basis of this variation.
What if I am almost bald or have no hair? Hair can be collected from several head and/or body locations (excluding pubic areas) and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. The growth rates for body hair are considerably slower than the hair from your head. Most body hair is replaced in about one year. It is challenging to precisely represent the time period of a standard screen with body hair as substances may be detected in body hair for up to 1 year after the substance left the blood stream. In the rare case where no hair is collectable, complete urine/adulteration testing may be utilized.
How effective is hair follicle testing in detecting drug usage? In comparison to a urinalysis drug test, cocaine, PCP, opiates, and methamphetamine have proven hair analysis far more effective than urine testing in identifying low-level drug use over an extended period of time since these are normally out of the bloodstream in within 3-7 days. The detection of marijuana is currently less sensitive than the other drugs in identifying low level drug users, but is considered approximately equal to urinalysis in identifying marijuana users. The detection period for hair is limited only by the length of the hair sample and is approximately 90 days for a standard screen.
A hair test drug screen is really a lifestyle test. It is an indicator of what a donor has been doing over a relatively long period of time. If you have somebody who has just started using drugs, you are unlikely to have a positive test. It is going to take up to a week of use before there might be enough drug in the hair to find a specimen as positive. That is why a hair test is not generally used for post-accident or reasonable suspicion drug screens.
*Please feel free to forward this information to any member of management in your company who would benefit from it.*
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1650 Broadway |
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