What Should You Know Hair Follicle Drug Test

Introduction:

This article includes what is a hair follicle drug test and how it works. We’ll also discuss how to use a home kit and what the results mean. Further, it covers the accuracy and cost of testing, whether people can still do it without giving a sample, and how hair follicle drug test compare to traditional urine-based drug tests.

What is a hair follicle drug test?

A hair follicle drug test is a type of test in which your strands of hair are taken as a sample to determine the screen or pattern of illicit drug use and the misuse of prescription medication over a certain period, typically for 3 months.

This test is also known as hair follicle test or a hair strand drug test only tests clipped strands of hair, not the follicle located under the scalp taken from a person’s head.

Hair follicle tests can be done to find specific drugs to use a single hair or many different drugs or drug groups.

A hair follicle test can detect drugs, such as

• Cocaine
• Ecstasy
• Cannabis
• Opiates, such as heroin, codeine, and morphine
• Marijuana
• PCP
• Amphetamine

A urine drug test can detect drug use in the last few days while a hair drug test can determine drug use in the past 90 days.

Your company can ask for a drug test and may request you for a hair test to screen for illicit drug use before hire or randomly during employment.

According to some research, hair drug testing can be beneficial to monitor drug use in at-risk individuals when used alongside self-reporting.

Why is a hair follicle drug test required?

A person needs a hair follicle drug test for a job, legal, or medical purposes.

A few companies want potential employees to take a drug test as part of their application process, particularly for jobs that involve a high risk of injury.

Employers may also take random drug testing for current employees, or they may request drug tests to prevent serious accidents or incidents.

Courts can also allow drug tests for individuals on probation or during child custody, adoption, and domestic violence cases to avoid future risk.

Healthcare providers also sometimes recommend drug testing for people at risk of drug or alcohol misuse.

However, it is necessary to note that drug testing generally needs a person’s written consent.

What happens during the testing?

A hair sample is required for a hair follicle drug test and you can give it in a healthcare setting or laboratory, a workplace, or at home.

During the time of testing, your hair will be taken close to your scalp and sent this sample to a laboratory for overnight testing.

Some prescriptions and food like poppy seeds can lead to false positive results.

This test has a two-step process to get accurate results.

How to perform a hair follicle drug test at home

You can order a home kit online and use a hair follicle drug test by following an instruction manual and a pre-paid envelope for mailing the hair sample to the laboratory. You read the manual instructions carefully and collect a hair sample according to the manufacturer’s directions.

What does the result mean?

The result can be negative, positive, or inconclusive.

How accurate is a hair follicle drug test?

The hair sample goes through a two-step testing process for accurate results, they are not 100 percent accurate.

What is the cost of hair follicle drug tests?

It is available in a range of different home kits for hair follicle drug testing on the market, and prices can vary.

Conclusion

A hair follicle drug test is a two-step process to detect the illicit use of drugs used for several purposes.