Hair Follicle Drug Test Detection Times

It is a common fact that drug tests are conducted on biological specimens like blood, hair, urine and saliva. Nowadays, hair drug testing is also fast gaining momentum, due to various factors, like longer detection periods, more accuracy and easy sample collection. However, the most important advantage of this hair drug test that makes it different from other types is the longer detection periods.

Hair Follicle Drug Testing

As the name rightly suggests, this drug test involves hair, instead of blood, saliva or other such biological specimens. This is because, drugs and their metabolites (substances formed in the body, when it metabolizes a certain drug) that enter the blood stream of the user, will also settle in the hair shafts and is retained there for a longer time.

Hair sample is collected and tested as per the guidelines set by the Society of Hair Testing. The hair sample is washed thoroughly, with organic solvent, followed by water. (Even the washes may be tested later for presence of drugs or their metabolites). After washing, hair is cut into small pieces and a small portion is subjected to immunoassay techniques using ELISA. This screening is followed by confirmation tests like gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Both positive and negative results are confirmed, before declaring the outcome.

Detection Time for Hair Folicle Drug Testing

As compared to blood, urine or saliva samples that retains drug particles as well as their metabolites for a few days, in case of hair, they can be found for months. Again, this depends on factors like the type of drug, amount used, frequency of use and the length of hair. Even the metabolic rate, age and health of the person may affect the detection period of drugs. Hair drug testing is usually used for screening cocaine, marijuana, opiates (like morphine, codeine and 6-monacteyl morphine), methamphetamine, amphetamine, ecstasy and phencyclidine (PCP).

While the detection time for alcohol is up to two days of consumption, single use of cocaine/marijuana may not be detected through a hair follicle drug test. However, in case of regular use of cocaine or marijuana, then, the detection time will be up to ninety days. For all other drugs, except LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), the detection period is said to be up to three months or ninety days. It is believed that the hair drug test detection time for LSD is up to three or four days only. In case of methadone, the detection time can be more than hundred days. In short, ninety days is the standard detection time for hair drug screening, for a wide range of drugs. But, it may vary for LSD, cocaine and marijuana.

Hair follicle drug testing is said to be reliable and accurate, as it is not possible to detox hair, even though, there are some products that claim to do so. Some people go bald before hair drug screening, so as to avoid the test. But, this may prove futile, as body hair can also be taken as sample for this test. As hair follicle drug test detection times are around ninety days or more, it will not be possible for you to escape a positive result, unless you stop using drugs. So, if you want to avoid a positive drug test, all you can do is to avoid use of drugs.