ICON SAFETY CONSULTING INC.
Hair follicle drug testing is used to detect historical drug use by analyzing the drugs inside the hair shaft. Hair drug testing technology does not identify impairment.When a donor ingests a drug, it enters the bloodstream and is absorbed into the hair follicle (as hair growth is a direct result of the body’s blood supply). This allows for testing through the analysis of a small sample of hair.
The lab’s testing method measures the drug molecules found inside the hair shaft, which eliminates external contamination such as shampoos or other adulterant products from significantly altering the results.It is a simple and quick process that typically requires a donor to provide a hair sample of 1.5” (3.8 cm).
Hair Follicle Drug Testing CANNOT Be Masked
Bleaches, special shampoos, and external contaminants have proven ineffective in altering hair follicle drug testing results.
Most drugs are undetectable if a urinalysis is done more than 2-3 days after use, with the exception of marijuana, which may be detected for a slightly longer period of time. After the 2-3 day period, a urine donor will test negative; but with hair samples, the only time limitation for detecting drug usage is imposed by the length of the donor’s hair.