What is Hair Testing?
Hair drug testing measures the drug molecules embedded inside the
hair shaft, eliminating external contamination as a source of a
positive result. Since hair growth is fed by the bloodstream, the
ingestion of drugs of abuse is revealed by analyzing a small sample
of hair. Hair Confirm test results cannot be altered with shampoos,
bleaches or other external chemicals.
To date most drug screening has been done by testing urine samples,
but it is not possible to detect most drugs in urine after 48-72
hours since the majority of drugs are out of the body by then. This
makes it difficult to detect drug use by random testing or to
monitor the success of treatment in a clinical setting, and
impossible to prove use or non-use historically.
Hair analysis is proven to solve these problems, providing a secure,
retrospective window of detection. Hair can show the trend of a
habit over time and accurately determine what drugs were used. Just
as importantly, it will show definitively if someone has not been
taking any illicit substances
Key
Facts
- Hair drug
testing is the most effective test for long term drug use.
- 25% of
high school seniors admitted using an illicit drug in the past
month
- A recent
survey reported that nearly 16 million Americans had used
illicit drugs in the previous month
- The most
commonly used drugs of abuse are marijuana and cocaine
- In the
first half of 2002 there were over 300,000 visits to emergency
rooms related to use of illegal drugs or non-medical use of a
legal drug
Hair testing is the most accurate and
effective method of finding users of drugs of abuse. Using a small
sample of hair cut at the scalp, hair analysis evaluates the amount
of drug metabolites embedded inside the hair shaft.
Theoretical Basis of Detection
Traditional methods of drug detection involve the analysis
of urine. Most drugs however disappear from urine within 2-3 days of
use, so intermittent use is easily concealed. Hair analysis provides
a much better approach. Most drugs are deposited permanently within
the hair shaft in small but measurable amounts, enabling an
accurate, dignified screening program that will detect drug use for
months or years prior to the test.
Detection of Drugs in Hair
In addition, sophisticated drug users can substitute a
bogus urine specimen unless collection is directly witnessed, which
is invasive. The improved detection rate over urine testing (5-10
times greater) provides a definitive cost-effective procedure. Just
one hair test can produce the same amount of information as 6 urine
samples. Only 4 samples spread over the year give absolute
confidence of total illicit drug abstention.
Hair provides a window of detection measured in
months not days as in the case of urine. There are numerous benefits
from the knowledge of the history of drug taking.
Advantages of Hair Testing
- Longer
window of detection, months instead of 48-72 hours.
- Cost-effective
and time-saving - one hair test vs. 18 urine samples for 3-month
profile.
- Eliminates the
need for random testing.
- 5-10 times more
sensitive test than urinalysis, and proven in a court of law.
- Easier to
collect, store and transport.
- More dignified
method to use.
- Differentiates
between one-off incidents and addictive behavior.
Incorporation of Drugs into Hair
Hair grows at an average rate of ½ inch (1.3 cm)
a month. Every single hair follicle has its own blood supply, which
provides the hair with the relevant nutrients in order to grow. Once
a drug is taken, it is absorbed into the blood stream and circulated
around the body. As the hair grows, it takes drugs from the blood
supply and incorporates them into the hair follicle. The drugs can
remain in the hair almost permanently. A 1.5 inch section of hair
can provide an historic 3 month profile of drug use or abstinence.
When compared to the
more traditional forms of testing, i.e. urine testing, hair samples
can detect a longer period of drug use. With urine, most drugs are
undetectable if urinalysis is done more than 2-3 days after use,
with the exception of marijuana, which may be detected for a
slightly longer period of time. After the 2-3 day period, a urine
donor will test negative and slip through the urine screening
process. With hair samples, the only time limitation for detecting
drug usage is imposed by the length of the donor's hair. Each
½ inch of head hair provides a 30-day history of drug use. The
standard for the industry is to test 1.5 inches, which provides a
90-day history of the donor's drug use.
If no head hair is available, body hair can be used. Bleaches,
shampoos and
external contaminants (i.e. marijuana smoke) have no known impact on
test results. |
