If a person's possible use of drugs comes into question, you would need to look no further than the hair on her head for answers. Even though drugs may leave a person's bloodstream, the evidence of usage will remain for months and even years within the strands of hair. In cases where an individual cuts her hair to less than an inch in length, body hair from the underarm or pubic areas can be used for hair follicle drug testing.
Drugs Tested
There are five drug classes mandated by the United States Federal Government that are tested in hair follicle drug tests. These five classes are: cocaine (cocaine and benzoylecgonine), marijuana (THC), opiates (codeine, morphine and 6-monacteyl morphine), methamphetamine (meth, amphetamine and ecstacy) and Phencyclidine (PCP).
Use of Tests
Hair follicle sample is one method for drug testing that is used by law enforcement personnel and for pre-employment screenings.
Hair and Drug Usage
When drugs are ingested, they circulate in a person's bloodstream and permeate into cells in the body, including those in hair follicles. Cells found in hair follicles grow and divide quickly to create hair fiber. As hair fiber develops, proteins called keratins fill the cells before they eventually die. Because keratins are immobile, as they gather in the dying cells, they freeze any drugs found in the cells. Anything trapped in the hair fiber, such as drug remnants, will remain present as long as the hair remains.
Advantages
The length of time drugs can be detected in hair is one advantage of using this method instead of the alternate urine tests. A second advantage is that drug results can't be altered. If someone knows he will provide a urine sample for drug testing, he can abstain from drugs for between 3 days and 2 weeks, and there's the possibility that the test will come back with negative results. He can then resume his drug use activities after becoming employed by the company that requested the test. Also, because urine samples are usually provided in private, there is the chance a person can hide a sample of someone else's urine and fill the container the testing agency provides with that sample rather than his own.
Disadvantages
According to the website hairlossinformation.com, there is one possible problem with using hair follicles for drug testing. Secondhand marijuana smoke and vapor from heroin or cocaine smoking can pierce the hair follicle, so if a person isn't actually using drugs but is in the vicinity of drug use, she could get a false positive test result.
Hair Detoxification Products
Some companies suggest they have shampoo-type products that can wash away evidence of drug use, but hairlossinformation.com says that isn't possible. Hair detoxification products might be able to remove the drug from the scalp skin but not the drug that was amassed in the hair follicle root.
Related posts
There are many different methods that can be used to detect the use of drugs. Some methods are extremely expensive while others are relatively cheap. Hair and urine testing have become the most po...
Hair drug tests can determine the past 90 days of a person's drug use.Hair drug testing analyzes 90 to 120 strands to determine the presence of drugs. Drugs embed themselves into the hair shaft, w...
A hair follicle test is a drug screening method that analyzes the cortex or inner part of the hair to reveal drugs and drug metabolites, the presence of which exposes drug use. Hair tests are high...
Drug & alcohol tests are done in many industries.Workers that fall under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations must be given a specific type of drug test required for employment drug s...
The 5-panel drug screen tests for illicit drugs.The five-panel drug test, also referred to as NIDA-5, is a standard drug test established by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administ...
