Hair Drug Screening Test

What is a hair drug screening test?

Hair drug screening is an advanced method for detecting the presence of illicit substances in the body over an extended period. Unlike urine or blood tests, which provide results over a short duration, hair analysis can go back up to one year depending on the length of the sample collected.

Order

What is the difference between a hair test, a urine test and a blood test?

• Hair test: Detection over several months, even one year.

• Urine test: Detection over a few days to one week.

• Blood test: Detection over a few hours to a few days.

Hair testing is therefore ideal for retrospective analysis.

How does hair testing work?

This test is based on analysis of substances present in hair or body hair. Drugs and their metabolites integrate into the hair structure during their circulation in the blood. Once trapped in the hair fibre, they can remain there for several months, even over a year depending on the length of hair analysed.

How to send a hair sample?

A sample of at least 1 cm is required to analyse drug presence over a 3-month period. For extended research up to 12 months, it is possible to send a sample up to 20 cm in length.

How to purchase a hair drug screening test?

Purchasing this test is simple and can be done directly online on the laboratory website. You simply need to select the desired test, follow the instructions for sending your hair sample and await results, which will be transmitted to you within five working days by email after receipt of your samples at the laboratory.

What is the difference between a legal drug test and a private test?

• Legal test: Performed by a healthcare professional with identity verification.

• Private test: Performed at home, anonymous.

Private testing is therefore preferable for personal and confidential use.

Why choose a hair test?

This test is recommended for:

• Long-term abstinence monitoring.

• Checking for substance abuse.

• In-depth analysis not possible with urine or blood testing.

Hair testing offers reliability exceeding 99.9% and is performed in an ISO 17025 certified laboratory, guaranteeing completely tamper-proof results. Its capacity to screen multiple substances simultaneously makes it a precise and comprehensive tool for your screening needs.

How to do a legal drug test with a doctor?

If you are required to undergo a legal drug screening test, you must bear certain things in mind. Firstly, it is important to always follow the instructions concerning collections. For a legal test, the person's identity must be verified by a sampler such as a doctor.

Secondly, ensure you provide a list of all medications you are currently taking, as well as vitamins or supplements. By following these simple guidelines, you can ensure that your legal drug screening test will proceed smoothly and accurately reflect your current state of health.

What are the result timescales?

Results are sent within 5 working days by email. In-depth analysis over a longer period may extend this deadline.

Does the test indicate the date of consumption?

No, this test is purely quantitative. It does not allow determination of the exact moment of consumption.

Is this test suitable for detecting occasional consumption?

This test is rather suited to detecting regular or excessive consumption. Single or rare consumption may not be detected.

Does hair colour affect results?

Hair colour is determined by the amount of melanin in the hair. It has been demonstrated experimentally and determined by the courts that this has no significant impact on results.

Can external exposure to drugs affect test results?

Laboratory scientists wash all hair samples before confirmation testing in order to eliminate any possibility of contamination. To rule out the possibility of external contamination, they also search for the drug and its original metabolite (by-product) determined by drug use. This metabolite is only produced by the body and cannot be an environmental contaminant.

Can hair collected from a brush be used?

Yes, this is possible, but the test will be reported as having an "anonymous" donor. The laboratory cannot attribute the sample to a particular person and cannot determine the test duration, meaning the test result will not be legally defensible.

Can body hair be used instead of head hair?

Yes, it is possible to use body hair. However, as their growth is slower than head hair, the detection period may be older and difficult to date precisely.

What quantity of hair is necessary and in what condition?

To determine the quantity of hair necessary for testing, 70 to 100 hairs are required. Hair colour does not interfere with test quality. This test can be performed on all hair types, including coloured, bleached or permed hair. Analysis can be performed with hair over 3 cm for detection going back up to 90 days. 30 days per centimetre of hair. If hair is less than 3 cm, detection will be lower.

The very first traces can appear after approximately 4 to 6 days after taking a substance. However, no two people react in the same way, and each metabolism is different regarding detection. It is therefore preferable to consider that a minimum of 10 days is necessary before a drug can be detected in samples.

Can nicotine or alcohol be detected?

Whilst this test focuses primarily on illicit substances, it is also possible to perform specific analysis to detect nicotine consumption.

Nicotine, a highly addictive substance present in tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco), can be detected in hair. This type of analysis is particularly useful for parents wishing to verify whether their children smoke, even in the absence of visible addiction symptoms.

Caution: Alcohol is not detectable by this hair drug test.

Which drugs can be detected?

Here is the list of substances that can be detected:

• Amphetamines: Amphetamine, Methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA

• Cocaine and metabolites: Cocaine, Benzoylecgonine, Cocaethylene, Norcocaine

• Cannabis (THC and metabolites)

• Opiates: Codeine, Morphine, Heroin (6-MAM)

• Phencyclidine (PCP)

• Synthetic opioids: Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Norfentanyl

• Benzodiazepines: Alprazolam, Clonazepam, Diazepam, Lorazepam

• Ketamine and metabolites

• Barbiturates: Phenobarbital, Pentobarbital, Amobarbital

• Methadone and metabolites: EDDP

• Tramadol

• Zolpidem

• Methcathinone

Caution: Chemical drugs such as GHB, as well as alcohol and tobacco, are not detected by this standard test.

Hair test for drug-facilitated crime: GHB

Drug-facilitated crime is a serious offence involving the administration of psychoactive substances without the victim's knowledge or under threat, resulting in loss of control of body and mind. It is often used in sexual assaults, acts of paedophilia or theft.

Hair analysis allows specific detection of GHB or other sedatives and dating of the moment of administration to within 10 days. As GHB is rapidly eliminated from the body, it is crucial that victims be tested as quickly as possible after the incident.

Collection protocol for GHB

For a hair sample to be effective in this research:

• The sample must be collected at least six weeks after the presumed exposure, the time for the substance to penetrate the hair follicle.

• Collection must be performed on an area of the head not exposed to chemicals or contaminants.

• Testing can determine the date of assault to within 10 days.

This type of analysis can provide vital information for an ongoing investigation.

When to conduct screening and how frequently?

Drug screening can be a useful tool for identifying risk behaviours, particularly amongst young people, whilst respecting a balance between safety and privacy.

Optimal time for screening

Screening should ideally be performed within the hours or days following typical consumption occasions (parties, festivals, social events). This allows rapid identification of any risk behaviour and provision of necessary help before the situation becomes problematic.

Recommended frequency

For a screening programme to be effective, test frequency must be high enough to maintain a deterrent effect:

• Regular random checks maintain constant vigilance.

• Tests immediately after social events highlight the risks incurred.

• A high frequency of checks effectively deters use of prohibited substances.

The objective is to identify risk behaviours whilst preserving the confidentiality and respect of the person tested.