90-Day Drug Use Detection: Hair Follicle Test

Table Of Content

• Employer Health and Wellness
• How long does the hair need to be for a hair follicle drug test?
• Hair Follicle Drug Testing and How to Get Help for Addiction
• Scenarios of People Having to Pass a Hair Drug Test
• Does body hair hold drug residue longer than head hair?
• How sensitive is hair testing in detecting drug users?
• How far back does a hair follicle test detect drugs?

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and certain affiliates are CLIA certified laboratories that provide HIPAA covered services. Other affiliates operated under the Quest® brand, such as Quest Consumer Inc., do not provide HIPAA covered services. The results of the test will be reported as positive, negative, or inconclusive.

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Employer Health and Wellness

The 5 Panel Drug Test (Urine) will identify the presence or absence of five (5) different classes of commonly abused or misused drugs or their metabolites. In recent years the method to conduct drug testing has more frequently included a hair follicle drug test. Many employers, courts, and Substance Abuse professionals are requiring a hair drug test instead of a standard urine test.

How long does the hair need to be for a hair follicle drug test?

Methadone is detectable for about three days in urine, and four to six months in hair. In urine, PCP can be detectable between eight days and, for a chronic user, 30 days. We have not found any adulterants that can beat a hair drug test at this time. Moreover, the risk is minimized because every hair collection is observed. The hair not used from the time period being tested, and all remaining hair is stored in the chain-of-custody sample acquisition pouch.

Hair Follicle Drug Testing and How to Get Help for Addiction

However, Psychemedics hair follicle test requires the smallest sample in the industry, snipping above the scalp. No hair is “pulled” out of the scalp, and the hair follicle is not disturbed. While secondhand smoke is inhaled, there is not enough of the substance that causes the "high" (THC) in secondhand smoke to cause you to fail a drug test. This "passive exposure" will not impact your hair follicle drug test results.

No, Psychemedics uses its proprietary digestion method to remove virtually 100% of the hair’s drugs, thereby increasing detection capabilities. Other laboratories may leach the drug from the hair, leaving behind or destroying some of the drugs in the process. Psychemedics also employs an extensive wash procedure on test samples and analyzes the wash to ensure that any potential contamination has been removed or taken into account. Other labs may use a less effective wash and/or do not analyze the wash, putting their clients at risk for making employment decisions based on a result that may reflect external contamination. After a hair sample is collected, it is packaged according to instructions contained in the collection kit and sent to a laboratory for testing.

Scenarios of People Having to Pass a Hair Drug Test

If a hair specimen requires further confirmation testing, this may delay the result reporting. The 5 Panel Drug Test (Hair) is recommended for all employers, especially those in safety-sensitive industries, who are looking for a basic workplace drug testing panel. Review of all positive test results by a Medical Review Officer (MRO) is highly recommended. Both Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid and Zudot Ulrta Clean shampoos are marketed as detoxifying shampoos that claim to help remove drug metabolites from the hair.

Does body hair hold drug residue longer than head hair?

Hair follicle drug tests are much more difficult to cheat than urine drug tests since a sample taken is done so directly by a trained collector. Obviously, if someone has no body or head hair, then the hair follicle test cannot be performed. They're also a reliable method for pre-employment screening or workplace drug testing. However, hair drug test results may take longer depending on the test date and the lab's capacity. After drug use, substances enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. As hair grows, it absorbs blood carrying these substances, and the drug metabolites become trapped in the structure of the hair strand.

How sensitive is hair testing in detecting drug users?

In a 2017 birth-cohort study, researchers compared the results of hair follicle drug tests with self-reported drug use from 3,643 participants. Compared to the researcher’s expectations, the test results produced fewer potential false positives but more potential false negatives. For more information on hair sample drug tests and how they can be incorporated into your company’s workplace practices, please contact us at National Drug Screening. We have a fulltime staff of experienced medical review officers always available to exam hair drug test results with quick notification back to you.

How far back does a hair follicle test detect drugs?

The purpose of a hair follicle drug test is to detect evidence of drug use or misuse in a sample of a person’s hair. Drug misuse describes using prescription drugs in a manner that isn’t prescribed by a doctor or using legal substances in an unhealthy way. Some corporate, legal, medical, and educational institutions have turned to hair follicle drug tests as a complementary approach to traditional urine-based testing. Hair follicle drug tests are becoming more popular because of their ability to go deeper into a person’s drug history.

In this scenario, you must navigate the challenges of the hair drug test to ensure your employment prospects remain intact. Considering your situation, some individuals explore specialized shampoos such as Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid or Zudot Ulrta Clean to enhance their chances of passing the test. The cost of hair follicle drug testing depends on where a sample is collected, the type of hair follicle drug test ordered, and who is paying for testing. Patient costs may be covered by an individual’s health insurance or the organization requiring a drug test.

Hair follicle tests provide a much broader window for detection than either urine or blood tests. These tests can glean a detailed substance usage pattern over an extended time and are most often run by employers in industries requiring a high level of alertness. Such industries may include construction, manufacturing, trucking and transportation, and oil and gas production. Industries like transportation, construction, and other safety-sensitive lines of work may be most likely to find this type of test valuable for making informed hiring decisions. It begins with a preliminary screening test, and if the results indicate drug usage, a confirmatory test is subsequently performed. This method is notable for its ability to provide a comprehensive overview of the individual’s recent substance use history and its high resistance to tampering.

GoodHire is sharing what employers need to know about taking the proper next steps. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Your results won’t be affected if you wash your hair, dye your hair, or use styling products.