What is Hair Screening?

A State-of-the Art method for detecting drugs in hair using enzyme-immunoassay (EIA). EJA measures the drug molecules permanently entrapped in the hair which were incorporated following ingestion.

What drugs are included in a standard Hair screen?

Cocaine, marijuana, opiates, methamphetamine, and phencyclidine (PCP). These drugs were identified as "illegal drugs" in The President's Executive Order 12564 and are the five drugs mandated for testing by the Federal Government.

What time period does a standard hair test cover?

A standard screen covers a period of approximately 90 days. The hair sample is cut as close to the scalp as possible and the most recent 3.9 centimeters are tested.

How fast does head hair grow?

Studies indicate that hair collected at the crown of the head grows on the average approximately 1.3 cm (or 1/2 inch) per month. this growth rate varies among people (estimated at 0.2 cm per month (iSO), consequently the same 3.9 cm length of hair can represent different time periods.

How much hair is needed?

A standard screen with GC/MS confirmation requires 20 milligrams of hair or approximately 60 strands.

How does Hair Testing compare to urinalysis?

The primary difference is the wider window of detection with hair. Cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates and PCP are rapidly excreted and usually undetectable in urine 72 hours after use. The detection period for HAIR is limited only by the length of the hair sample and is approximately 90 days for a standard screen. Additional advantages include non-intrusive collection procedures, virtual elimination of test evasion; greater accuracy through test repetition capability. The combination of an increased window of detection and resistance to evasion makes HAIR far more effective than urinalysis in correctly identifying drug users.

How soon after use can a drug be detected in hair?

It takes approximately 5-10 days from the time of drug use for the affected hair to grow above the scalp.

What is the shortest time period that can be accurately evaluated?

In most situations the minimum time period is approximately one month. Due to variability of hair growth rates, EIA cannot go back in time to determine if an individual used drugs on a particular day or week.

Can hair tests be run on people with little or no hair?

Yes, hair can be collected from several locations on the head and combined to obtain the required amount of hair. In addition, body hair can be used as an alternative to head hair.

Does body hair give the same type of results as head hair?

Yes, body hair can be used to test for the five standard drugs. Body hair growth rates are considerably more variable and slower than head hair. Most body hair is genetically controlled and replaced within one year. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately represent the time period of a standard screen with body hair.

Can hair collected from a brush be used?

No, the Testing Lab requires a hair sample to be collected using proper chain-of-custody protocols that will withstand a legal challenge. The Testing Lab requires that the sample be submitted with Sample Acquisition Materials. The test subject must initial the sample to certify the authenticity of the sample at the time of collection.

How does the Testing Lab establish its cut-off levels?

Cut-off levels are established by the minimum detection levels for GC/MS confirmation.

What are the differences between Hair cut-off levels and urinalysis cut-off levels:

In general, cut-off levels for urinalysis have been established to reduce the possibility of an evidential false positive due to passive inhalation. A true comparison of Hair/urine cut-off levels is impossible, since the time frame differs (90 days vs. 3 days). SAMHSA's (NIDA's) recommended cut-off levels for forensic urinalysis tests are expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of urine. HAIR cut-off levels are expressed in nanograms per milligram (ng/mg) of hair.

Does the Testing Lab perform GCMS confirmation of all positive Hair results?

The Testing Lab provides automatic confirmation for ALL specimens that screen positive screen (opiates, PCP, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana).

Can Hair be affected by cross-reacting substances such as over-the-counter medications?

Enzyme-immunoassay antibodies (EIA), similar to those used to test urine, are used for the initial screening test for drugs of abuse in hair; therefore the potential for substances such as over-the-counter medications to cause a false positive screening result does exist. To eliminate the possibility of reporting a false-positive due to cross-reactivity, the Testing Lab automatically confirms by GC/MS all positive results for methamphetamine, opiates, PCP, cocaine and marijuana.

How effective is Hair Testing in detecting drug users?

In side-by-side comparison studies with urinalysis, the cocaine, PCP, opiates, and methamphetamine assays have proven hair analysis far more effective than urine in identifying low-level drug use. The marijuana screen is currently less sensitive than the other drugs in identifying low level drug users but is considered roughly equal to urinalysis in identifying marijuana users.

Does external exposure to certain drugs, like marijuana or crack smoke, affect the HAIR results?

ALL hair samples that produce a positive screening result are washed extensively to remove external contamination and re-screened for the potential positive drug. If the secondary HAIR screen is positive and the ratio of the wash solution is greater than 10% of the confirmation result, the Testing Lab will consider this sample contaminated. If the ration of the wash solution is less than 10% of the confirmation result, the Testing Lab will consider the sample as positive. Marijuana does not follow the wash patterns of the other drugs. To rule out the possibility of external contamination for marijuana, the Testing Lab exclusively detects ONLY the metabolite (THC-COOH) which is only produced by the body and cannot be an environmental contaminant. In addition, the Testing Lab will NOT analyze pubic hair for the presence of the THC-COOH metabolite.

Does treatment of the hair affect test results?

Commonly used hair products (e.g. shampoos, conditioners, sprays, mousses and gels) have no significant effect on Hair test results. In fact, normal hair washing helps to remove external contamination. Extensive bleaching, perming and dyeing may damage the protein matrix of hair allowing a portion of the drug from the hair to be extracted, lowering the final quantitative result with certain drugs. Treated hair can be readily identified from the wash ratios and/or staining procedure. Treated hair results will be reported indicating that the correlation between the extent of drug use and the quantitative result were affected.

What is done with the excess hair that is not tested?

The hair not used from the time period being tested (i.e. three months equals 3.9 cm) and all remaining hair is stored in the chain-of-custody sample acquisition pouch. Negative hair is stored for one month. Positive hair is stored for one year.

How long are positive and negative test result reports kept on file?

All laboratory records and test results are kept for a three year period.

Has the Testing Lab had to defend hair analysis in a lawsuit filed by an employee or applicant?

The Testing Lab has worked closely with customers who have been challenged or named in lawsuits based on action taken from positive hair analysis results. To date, based in part on the Testing Lab's chain-of-custody documentation and ability to provide valid and reproducible re-tests, all threats or lawsuits were dropped.

What other drugs are available to be tested in hair analysis?

Currently, nicotine, methadone, simple benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, assays and mescaline have been detected in hair. However, many details such as cutoff levels and dose response relationships have not yet been established for these compounds.

What is the basis of the racial bias claims for hair analysis?

Racial bias suggests that different racial groups will incorporate drugs into hair at a different rate as compared to another racial group (Caucasian vs. black African). Hair color is determined by the amount of pigment (melanin) contained in the shaft. Drugs are believed to bind to melanin in a different manner than other cellular structures in the hair.

How do drugs get into hair (what is the basis of hair analysis)

As drugs circulate in the blood stream, they enter and nourish hair follicle cells. As cells grow, they trap the drug molecules within the hair cells and are eventually "sealed" in the keratinized hair shaft. Thus, the amount and time the drug(s) are in the blood stream is proportional to the amount of drug detected in the hair.

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Detoxification from meth

Detox, short for detoxification, in general is the removal of toxic substances from the body. It is one of the functions of the liver and kidneys, but can also be achieved artificially by techniques such as dialysis and (in a very limited number of cases) chelation therapy.

Other less mainstream methods for eliminating toxic substances from the body include the modification of the diet and addition of certain herbs and rituals such as colonic irrigation, juice fasting and sweat lodges. All these methods claim to assist the body's natural detoxification process.

Specific meanings of detoxification or detox:

1. A form of drug rehabilitation, used to treat alcoholism or other drug addiction. The process involves abstinence to clear the drug from the body, accompanied by social and environmental support during the associated physiological and psychological changes. A non-drug method for detox from drugs or alcohol is acupuncture detoxification.

2. A class of diets whose underlying assumption is that the body accumulates toxins that must be purged, especially after unhealthy periods such as over-eating during festivals. Toxins, in this case, refer to toxic substances - often of undefined nature - from foods, the environment and the body's own wastes. "Detox diet" is a common phrase, as is "I'm on a detox". See detox diet.

3. Forms of complementary medicine that claim to remove such toxins from the body: for instance, by herbal, electrical or electromagnetic treatments. As the definition of toxins in this and the previous context has little scientific basis, the validity of such techniques is questionable. There is no evidence for such accumulation; the liver and kidneys automatically detoxify and excrete many toxic materials, including metabolic wastes. Under this theory if toxins are too rapidly released without being safely eliminated (such as burning fat that stores toxins) they can pollute the body causing malaise.

4. A process by which a substance is made less toxic.

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Hair-Urine-Blood Cleansing Program

The following chart gives approximate drug detection periods for each substance by test type. The detection period ranges depend on amount and frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health, and urine pH. For ease of use, the detection times of metabolites have been incorporated into each parent drug. For example, heroin and cocaine can only be detected for a few hours after use, but their metabolites can be detected for several days in urine. In this type of situation, we will report the (longer) detection times of the metabolites.

NOTE 1: Oral fluid or saliva testing results for the most part mimic that of blood. The only exception is THC. Oral fluid will likely detect THC from ingestion up to a maximum period of 18-24 hours.

NOTE 2: Urine can not detect current drug use. It takes approximately 6-8 hrs. post-consumption for drug to be metabolized and excreted in urine. Similarly, hair requires two weeks, and sweat, seven days.

SUBSTANCE	URINE	HAIR	BLOOD
Alcohol	N/A	12 hours
Amphetamines (except meth)	2 to 3 days	up to 90 days	12 hours
Methamphetamine	2 to 5 days	up to 90 days	24 hours
Barbiturates (except phenobarbital)	2 to 3 days	up to 90 days	1 to 2 days
Phenobarbital	7 to 14 days	up to 90 days	4 to 7 days
Benzodiazepines	1 to 5 days	up to 90 days	6 to 48 hours
Cannabis (single use)	2 to 3 days	up to 90 days	24 hours
Cannabis (habitual use)	up to 30 days	up to 90 days	2 days
Cocaine	1 to 3 days	up to 90 days	24 hours
Codeine	2 to 3 days	up to 90 days	12 hours
Cotinine (a break-down product of nicotine)	2 to 4 days	up to 90 days	2 to 4 days
Morphine	2 to 3 days	up to 90 days	6 hours
Heroin	2 to 3 days	up to 90 days	6 hours
LSD	2 to 24 hours	unknown	0 to 3 hours
PCP	5 to 7 days	up to 90 days	24 hours

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