HAIR TESTING
Hair testing is another form of drug testing which gives a longer history of drug use. A hair sample will provide a history of use up to 3 months for head hair and up to a year for body hair.
A 1.5-inch sample of about 200 strands of hair (about the circumference of a #2 pencil) closest to the scalp will give 100mg of hair, the ideal sample for screening and confirmation. If scalp hair is unavailable, an equal amount of body hair may be collected.
Hair growth is fed by the bloodstream and ingested drugs present themselves in a person’s circulatory system, therefore trace amounts of the drugs become entrapped in
the core of the hair shaft, in amounts roughly proportional to the drugs ingested.
Hair testing is very popular for workplace testing due to the extended time of detection.
With court cases, when nails are unavailable, hair is recommended over urine.
Chain of custody procedures and proper collection protocol is followed. All samples are sealed and the donor will receive a copy of the chain of custody when they leave.
DATS offers many drug panels for hair testing. Please contact our office to discuss these.