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While testing hair can provide information about patterns of drug exposure, hair follicle drug testing cannot detect current intoxication. Unlike other drug tests, hair follicle drug tests are not recommended for testing occasional use. Instead, hair drug testing can provide a rough timeline of drug use over an extended period.
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They could also have used other drugs for which the test didn't screen. There is only one standard for this test, which is 1.5 inches of hair, cut from the root. We recommend that you watch the technician perform the test and ask them to cut off and discard the length beyond the first 1.5 inches.
Negative
According to Duke University, your hair follicles are surrounded by a series of small, thin blood vessels that provide the follicles with oxygen and nutrients that help them grow and thrive. The drugs you use can enter and stay in your hair follicles for 90 days or until the hair is removed. When a person ingests a drug, it enters into the bloodstream while the body simultaneously metabolizes the drug, causing those metabolites to circulate through the blood as well. While the test is often called a hair follicle test, it is not actually the root itself that is tested. Hair drug testing uses the first inch and a half of growth from the base and roughly 120 strands, to determine any drug use within the past approximately 7 to 90 days.
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Why are hair follicle drug tests necessary?
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This type of test can reveal the presence of drug use for as long as 90 days. Despite lobbying from trucking safety groups, hair follicle testing is not required under federal or DOT law. There are also restrictions on reporting the results of the test to the FMCSA. The consequences of failing any hair follicle drug test include a job offer being rescinded, or depending on the employment agreement, the employee being fired or suspended. For urine tests, you'll need to provide a urine specimen collected from your pee into a small cup. Expect to be monitored to ensure you haven't tampered with the test (for example, by bringing a sample from someone else).
Related medical questions
The laboratory responsible for testing will deliver the results to the individual or organization requesting the test. They’ll use confidential means, like a secure fax, a phone call, or an online interface to share test results. Traces of illicit drug use may be seen in a hair sample within one week of drug use. Employers who wish to drug test their employees must cover all the costs of taking the test, taking into account the person’s time. However, the test may not be able to detect if someone uses drugs very infrequently or uses drugs shortly before the test.

Can you test for different drugs at one time?
However, this is normally only required for genetic and DNA testing, according to NIH . It is important to note that this is an initial authorization for hair testing but regulations and guidelines still need to be established by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Law requires HHS to issue guidelines no later than 1 year from the date of enactment.
This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Data sources include Micromedex (updated 1 Apr 2024), Cerner Multum™ (updated 21 Apr 2024), ASHP (updated 10 Apr 2024) and others. People currently taking prescription medications should share this information with their employer or test administrator. Hair follicle tests can detect the presence of some prescription medications, which can lead to a false-positive result.
Hair Follicle Drug Test Results
Hair follicle drug testing is used in workplace testing, legal and forensic testing, medical testing, and for measuring the patterns of illegal and prescription drug use. A hair follicle test can detect whether you have used certain types of drugs at any point during the last 90 days, according to a study in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. However, this drug test does not reveal how often you used those drugs during that time frame.
These detection times vary with each drug and personal factors, such as individual metabolism. As the name suggests, a 10-panel drug tests will test the person for 10 different types of drugs. These are most of the drugs people commonly abuse, including both street and prescription drugs. 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. In other cases, patients may choose to pay out-of-pocket for laboratory-based or at-home collection kits.
Some research also indicates that hair drug testing can be useful for monitoring drug use in at-risk individuals when used alongside self-reporting. When the hair sample is taken from slower-growing body hair (such as from the armpit) instead of the scalp, the detection window widens to up to one year. The accuracy statistics of hair follicle testing is also different for different substances. For example, studies have shown it to be superior to urine testing in detecting cocaine and opioids, but less reliable in detecting marijuana and alcohol.
During the collection process, the person cutting the hair should wear gloves to avoid contamination of the hair sample. When considering the use of an at-home hair follicle drug test, it’s important to consider whether the company offers confirmatory testing for positive screening results. Hair follicle drug testing can be ordered by a doctor or an administrator of a program that requires drug testing. Hair follicle drug tests can also be purchased through retailers without a prescription. The NIH reports that any drug or substance you use enters your bloodstream, which transports the drug and its metabolites all throughout the body.
Although this is used in the treatment of heroin addiction, it can be abused, which is why the test screens for it. Many insurance companies cover the expenses of the test if the test is performed in a hospital setting. You can always ask to retest if you think your test results are inaccurate. Michael is an experienced healthcare marketer, husband and father of three. He has worked alongside healthcare leaders at Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, St. Luke's, Baylor Scott and White, HCA, and many more, and currently leads strategic growth at Solv.
This can alter the window of detection due to growth rate, growth cycle, and length of hair. After a growth period (called the anagen phase), the follicle goes into a transient period (catagen phase) in which it begins to shut down. Eventually, the follicle degenerates and the hair falls out (telogen phase)[4]. These phases are ongoing and do not necessarily align – different strands of hair may be in different growth phases. Using strategic partners, Labcorp offers initial screening tests performed by immunoassay with confirmation of presumptive positive screens by mass spectrometry.