Know More About Hair Drug Tests

Drug testing is a procedure that everyone has to go through occasionally, whether it’s for personal purposes or as part of the requirements for employment, eligibility for a sporting event or team, or insurance purposes, among many other reasons. The type of drug test that is most commonly known is the urine test, but this is just one example among many others. One particular type that is being used more frequently nowadays and developing further as technology advances is the hair strand test. Drugs, once taken in by the system, are easily absorbed by the body and travel through the bloodstream, eventually being absorbed by the hair follicles as well, making the hair strand test an effective way of detecting any drugs present in the body.

The hair strand test is an examination that requires the use of a sample of hair which will identify the drugs that have been consumed by the person being tested. Around forty to fifty strands make up the hair sample, which is cut from the root and then processed to measure the amount of drug molecules and metabolites produced by the body. The hair strand test is able to detect traces of drugs that have been used by the individual over approximately 90 days. It is also effective enough to detect drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine (which includes Ecstasy), Pencyclidine, and opiates such as codeine and morphine.

The hair strand test doesn’t just make use of one’s hair on the head; even body hair can be used, and it can even detect the type and presence of drugs you have used even one year prior to the test. This is because body hair tends to grow at a slower rate than that of hair from the head. Therefore, even people who are completely bald can still undergo a hair strand test, with hair being collected from other parts of the body and compiled until the necessary amount of hair is obtained.

One of the concerns about the hair strand test is that the hair strands may contain traces of drugs if the person being tested was exposed to smoke from marijuana or other drugs, making it appear as though the person has used drugs. Contrary to this belief, the occurrence of metabolites in the hair strands takes place solely because they were produced by the body, and not because of exposure.

The hair strand test is definitely a simple and interesting way to examine a person for drugs, and is welcomed by those who find blood or urine tests quite intrusive. It works just as well as any other types of drug tests available and has even been show to detect more drugs than urinalysis.

In a world of changing ethics and propelling questions drug testing has a variety of uses. A drug test is something the athletic organizations, forensics, insurance companies and large corporations will need to be aware of. Hair drug testing is one of the top methods because it can provide an accurate history of use and is the longest lasting piece of evidence.

Tagged as: hair strand test, Health And Fitness