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Posts Tagged ‘hair follicle testing’

Of the variety of drug tests available, hair follicle drug testing is one of the most discreet. A concerned parent can collect a strand of hair from the child’s pillow. Employers can request a sample from their employees.

Upon collection, a sample should be sealed in a plastic bag or envelope and submitted to a laboratory that participates in hair follicle testing. Hair testing is faster and more accurate than many other drug test forms. While urine and saliva based testing can only trace drug use in the recent past, hair tests can detect drug use that occurred as many as 90 days prior to the sample’s collection. This is because tiny amounts of drug chemicals become trapped inside each hair. A simple test unveils the presence of these chemicals in the hair.

Since hair grows at an estimated rate of .5 inch per month, 1.5 inches of hair will reveal the past 90 days of drug use. Some laboratories will allow submissions of longer pieces of hair, which can result in longer histories of drug use. In the event that head hair is unavailable, body hair can be used. Because body hair grows at a different rate than head hair, a determined timeline for any drug use detected will not likely be available.

Many hopeful drug abusers and opportunistic entrepreneurs have promoted the myth that detoxifying shampoos can remove the evidence of drugs from the hair follicle. This is categorically and irrefutably false. In controlled environments, these “detoxifying shampoos” have had absolutely no impact on test results. Neither does hair color or hair dye, as another popular myth purports.

Hair follicle testing is an effective drug test. The sample can reveal all major drug types, including marijuana, opiates, ecstasy, methamphetamines, cocaine and phencyclidine (PCP). Nicotine, methadone, simple benzodiazepines, select antidepressants and mescaline have been detected in hair samples. Much detailed information is missing from public research however, and it may be awhile before hair follicle testing is considered a reliable test for any of those substances.

Many employers use this type of testing, along with urine and/or saliva testing. Cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, and PCPs are quickly excreted and are generally undetectable in urine 72 hours after use. Conversely, it takes 4 or 5 days from the time of drug use for the affected hair to grow above the scalp. The use of a hair test in conjunction with standard urine/saliva testing can more correctly identify drug users.

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Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. AccuDiagnostics does not engage in the practice of medicine. The information provided should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Readers are urged to consult a licensed physician before starting or stopping any medical treatment. Any action by the reader in response to this information is at their discretion, and AccuDiagnostics can in no way be held liable for such action.

Since its US debut in July 2008, hair follicle testing has dramatically widened the scope and effectiveness of drug and alcohol testing. While urine and saliva results are only accurate with substances used within the last week, hair follicles can provide a detailed use history for the last 90 days or more. Hair testing is so sensitive that it can detect the minute traces of alcohol one might have consumed in a dentist’s office or other environment where medicine containing alcohol may have been administered.

Arguments against hair alcohol testing cite the price and time required to execute such a test. However, tests such as breathalyzers and urine testing are not as accurate and do not verify the same duration of use that a hair test can provide. With six inches of hair, you can verify a year’s worth of usage. While this may not be important to an employer, precise information is an invaluable resource in social services, legal proceedings, and other situations.

Each half-inch of hair (approximately 1 cm) accounts for one month of the subject’s life, and contains residual evidence of any substances used in that period. With just six inches of hair, a full year of alcohol use could be accurately revealed.

Because alcohol exists even in the air, ethanol is present in all hair–even that of people who have never tasted alcohol in its traditionally expected form. To avoid false positives, hair alcohol testers use a special form of testing that measures the amount of alcohol that was ingested and metabolized by the body. When alcohol is ingested, part of it reacts with fatty acids and produces esters. The hair alcohol test adds up the concentrations of four fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) that are easy to measure. As the hair grows, it absorbs these special markers (made of FAEEs and ethyl glucuronide, or EtG) into the permanent hair structure. Since these markers are only produced when alcohol is present in the bloodstream, it is very easy for a tester to measure how much alcohol was consumed by an individual. Because the markers are a part of the hair structure, detoxifying shampoos and other products that purport to cheat these tests are utterly ineffective.

Level of FAEE in Hair         Indication

<0.2                                       Nondrinker

0.21 – 0.39                           Light consumption

0.40 – 0.79                          Average consumption

0.80 – 0.99                         High consumption

>1.0                                     Abusive consumption

In high-stakes employment and legal proceedings, hair testing has proven a priceless resource. Surgeons and pilots can be screened in greater detail. A custody battle following an accident can be quickly and accurately resolved with post-accident hair testing. Hair alcohol testing can also prove guilt or innocence in drunk-driving forensics. Parents of teenagers can quickly and discreetly verify their suspicions regarding teenage children.

Hair testing is often used in conjunction with a urine or saliva test. Because hair begins growing below the scalp, it takes two or three weeks for hair to grow to a sufficient length to be able to detect drugs. That means recent use will not be detected.

The only way to cheat the complete results of a hair test is by shaving one’s head. Still, body hair can and often will be substituted for the test, and will reveal the level of alcohol consumed. The results, however, will not be able to be broken down into a month-to-month analysis to confirm when the use occurred.

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Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. AccuDiagnostics does not engage in the practice of medicine. The information provided should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Readers are urged to consult a licensed physician before starting or stopping any medical treatment. Any action by the reader in response to this information is at their discretion, and AccuDiagnostics can in no way be held liable for such action.

Hair follicle testing for the presents of alcohol has recently becoming popular in the United States.  Courts in the UK have been using the method of alcohol testing for years.

Hair alcohol testing has many advantages such as low cost, non-invasive, and the ability to measure amounts of toxins ranging from minuet to very large.  The presents of alcohol also remains detectable for up to 90 days allowing for long-term detection.

As the hair grows, it absorbs special markers called fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) into its structure, which remain in the hair indefinitely. These markers are only produced when there is alcohol in the bloodstream, the more markers there are, the more alcohol you have consumed.  Even the slightest amount of alcohol can be detected in the hair, chemically altering the hair with color or perms does not affect results.

Most recently hair follicle testing for alcohol has been used in court, monitor suitable candidates for liver transplant, prove a parent is fit to have custody of their children, identify alcohol abusers in the work place,  and test personnel holding a public office.

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Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. AccuDiagnostics does not engage in the practice of medicine. The information provided should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Readers are urged to consult a licensed physician before starting or stopping any medical treatment. Any action by the reader in response to this information is at their discretion, and AccuDiagnostics can in no way be held liable for such action.