What to Know About a Hair Follicle Drug Test?

 Hair follicle drug testing is a method of screening for recreational drug use or prescription drug abuse. A section of hair, about 200, was sent to the lab for testing. The test can pick up drugs or drug metabolites deposited in the hair shaft through the blood.

As with the urine test, the drugs that can be detected vary by the panel selected. The standard five sets of tests to look for:

Marijuana

Amphetamines

cocaine

Opioids

Phencyclidine (PCP)

Why is a hair follicle drug test necessary?

Drug tests are used to show drug use or abuse. One of the benefits of a follicle drug test is that it can show if someone has used or abused drugs in the three months preceding the test. The follicle drug test can be used for:

Screen applicants, test employees regularly, or test employees' workplaces after an accident or other problem

Forensic and legal reviews, including criminal investigations or child protection cases

Substance Rehabilitation Programs for Screening for Chronic Drug Use/Abuse

How the Hair Follicle Drug Test Works?

When a person takes drugs, they enter the bloodstream. Since each hair follicle has blood vessels, the drug can enter the hair follicle through the bloodstream.

For hair follicle drug testing, a hair sample is taken from a person's head near the scalp. The sample must be 1.5 inches long and about a pencil thick. It is then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

The test detects drug metabolites, substances that are produced when a drug breaks down. It is able to detect medications used within the past 90 days.

Hair test at home

Home hair drug tests are commercially available without a prescription. They include collecting hair and sending it to a lab for analysis.

How to use an at-home hair test?

It's fairly easy to do with an at-home hair test. Read the user guide first so you know what to do. Take the desired hair sample according to the instructions and wrap it in the aluminum foil provided. The foil-wrapped hair is then placed in the container or envelope that came with the kit and mailed to the lab. Then analyze it.

You can usually get results by calling the phone number provided or by going online and using the specific ID number provided with the kit.

Is a hair follicle test at home accurate?

Because home tests are sent to a lab, they are comparable to regular hair follicle drug tests. Neither type of test is 100% accurate, although they do go through a two-step process.

Understanding Hair Follicle Test Results

Test results are reported as positive, negative, or inconclusive. Here's what these terms mean.

Negative

A negative result means that no drug or drug metabolite was found in the sample. However, this does not mean that the person has not used drugs. The person may have recently used the drug before it had a chance to show up in their hair, or they may not have used enough of the drug to detect. They may also have taken other medicines that the tests did not show.

Positive

A positive result means a drug or drug metabolite was found in the hair sample. All laboratories do not yet have standard cut-off values ​​for positivity, so these may vary from laboratory to laboratory.

Inconclusive

An inconclusive result could mean that the hair sample was contaminated or something went wrong during the test. You may be asked to provide another sample.

How accurate is the hair follicle drug test?

Hair follicle drug tests are very accurate at detecting long-term drug use because they can detect a large window of time. However, the test may not tell if someone is using the drug rarely or shortly before the test. It takes about 7 to 10 days with the medication to appear in the hair. Hair takes time to grow, so the medication may not reach the hair follicle.

There are other factors that may cause inaccurate or biased results, including:

Contaminated hair: Even if you don't use drugs like cocaine, its presence can cause cocaine molecules to bind to your hair. VO cannot be completely removed during washing, leading to false positive results.

Hair Color: Some drug metabolites bind to melanin more easily in dark hair than in light hair, which can lead to falsely high concentrations.

Hair care: Shampooing, coloring, relaxing, and bleaching hair can affect the metabolite concentrations detected; in these cases, untreated body hair may be a better choice for testing.

Can hair follicle drug testing determine drug use date?

No, it does not determine the exact date the drug was used. It can only show if a substance has been consumed in the past 90 days.

How much does a hair follicle drug test price at goMDnow?

The cost of the hair follicle drug test may vary depending on the type of hair follicle test ordered (the number of drugs on the screen may vary), where you will be tested and who ordered the test.



Hair Follicle Drug Test vs Urine Drug Test

The urine drug test can only detect drug use from a few days ago, while the hair follicle drug test can detect drug use from 90 days ago. Some urine tests provide immediate results, but hair tests must be sent to a lab for completion.

Research has shown that urine tests are better at detecting self-reported marijuana, heroin/opioid, benzodiazepine, and methadone use, while hair drug tests are better at detecting cocaine. For unreported use, urine tests were more effective at detecting cannabis and benzodiazepines, and hair tests were better at detecting cocaine and oxycodone.

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