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Hair Drug Testing

Hair analysis for drugs of abuse offers an alternative to the drugs of abuse analysis in blood, urine or saliva samples. Over the past years, the popularity of hair analysis for drugs has risen significantly, especially for pre-employment drug testing. This is due in large part to hair's outstanding immunity to alterations and longer detection times for drugs.

The analysis of hair for drugs of abuse is predicated on the fact that drugs ingested are circulated in the blood, which in turn nourishes the hair follicle. Small amounts of the circulating drugs are deposited in the hair shaft. These deposits are roughly proportional to the amount of drug originally ingested by the individual.

Because hair grows on average length of 1.0 - 1.5 cm (slightly less than 1.0 inch) per month, drugs can be detected depending on the length of hair. To put it simply, 1.0 cm of hair = 1 month detection time for drug(s). This is useful especially if drugs were suspected of being used or abused at a longer period of time. These drug deposits are not washed or flushed out of the hair and do not diminish over time, but are released only upon the destruction of the hair fiber. Drug use can thus be detected months or even years following ingestion, depending upon the length of the sample collected.

• The Forensic Laboratories Hair Testing procedure offers a greatly enhanced historical record of up to 3 months of drug exposure. This extends the diagnostic window of detection of drug exposure to the three months of history prior to the collection of the hair specimen.

• The hair testing procedure utilizes a rapid sample preparation and permits ELISA based immunoassay screened negative results to be available with unparalleled turnaround times. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay's are a proven drug testing methodology and have been used effectively in a variety of matrices (urine, gastric contents, tissue samples, oral fluid, etc.) for the detection of drugs of abuse. The use of this methodology in hair analysis provides an extremely sensitive and specific means for not only detecting the presence of drugs of abuse, but, if necessary, provides a ready means of quantization for the specific drugs in question.

• For screened positive specimens, Forensic Laboratories uses proprietary GC/MS method to confirm results providing forensically defensible accuracy and the ability to withstand the scrutiny of any adversarial proceedings. GC/MS is the only confirmatory method recognized by the U.S. Government Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Some of the advantages of Hair Analysis for Drugs of Abuse might include:

Non-Intrusive Sampling:

A cosmetically undetectable sample of hair is easily collected under close supervision without causing the embarrassment associated with the collection of urine samples or the invasive collection of blood samples.

Wide Window of Detection:

While urine testing for drugs of abuse can, at best, determine if drugs (with the exception of THC) have been used within the past several days, hair analysis can easily provide at least a 60 to 90 day history of information.

Retesting Confidence:

In the event that the results of the first test are challenged, a freshly collected hair sample can be obtained and tested. This is not possible with urine samples since the original window of detect ability (with the exception of THC) has passed and the subject need only abstain from drug use for a few days prior to submitting a new urine sample.

Resistance to Evasion:

Hair analysis cannot be evaded as in urinalysis where users can substitute clean samples, tamper with samples or merely abstain from drug use for several days and provide a sample that will test negative (with the exception of THC). Drugs that have been deposited in the hair fiber remain there permanently and cannot be washed or even bleached out.

Hair Testing pricing Schdules

The pricing schedules below are for business accounts only. Hair analysis pricing for private individuals are not listed. Please call Forensic Laboratories at 1-800-282-6574 for further pricing information.

Non-Workplace Hair Drug Testing (Court Ordered, Self-Pay, Litigation Related)
(Based on a positivity rate of 40% or less)

HairStat 5 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $69.50
HairStat 7 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $99.50
HairStat 9 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $129.50
HairStat 12 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $195.00

Workplace Hair Drug Testing
(Based on a positivity rate of 12% or less)

HairStat 5 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $48.00
HairStat 7 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $53.00
HairStat 9 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $58.00
HairStat 12 Panel – including GC/MS Confirmation of positives $75.00
HairStat 5 Panel – UNBUNDLED (GC/MS Confirm extra) $32.00
HairStat 7 Panel – UNBUNDLED (GC/MS Confirm extra) $37.00
HairStat 9 Panel – UNBUNDLED (GC/MS Confirm extra) $42.00
HairStat 12 Panel – UNBUNDLED (GC/MS Confirm extra) $49.00
Hair Confirmation - per drug group confirmed (example: Opiates) $99.00

HairStat-5 procedure(s) will be performed for five drug classes including:
Cocaine, Opiates, Amphetamines, Cannabinoids (THC), and PCP.
Each HairStat-7 is a HairStat-5 plus Benzodiazepines, Barbiturates.
Each HairStat-9 is a HairStat-7 plus Propoxyphene and Methadone.
Each HairStat-12 is a HairStat-9 plus Tramadol, Meperidine and Oxycodone

Shipping Charges
Four or more specimens in an individual DHL Express Lab Pack is No Charge.
Three or less specimens in individual DHL Express Lab Pack is $15.00.
Pre-paid postage box mailers are available free of charge for less than three samples.