Hair follicle drug testing has longer detection periods and is less likely to be fooled, but it can be expensive and may not detect recent drug use. It is non-invasive, but can be embarrassing for those providing body hair instead of head hair. It is more effective than urine or blood tests and can detect drug use up to 90 days prior. However, it is more complex and difficult to do at home.
Advantages of hair follicle drug testing include a longer detection period, less chance of fooling one of these tests, and their relatively non-invasive nature. The hair follicle test is often considered more effective than a urine or blood test. While the benefits of this form of drug testing can be numerous, there are a few drawbacks that are worth mentioning.
In the standard hair follicle drug test, hair is usually removed from the head, by clipping it as close to the scalp as possible. A certain number of hairs are collected and those with very short hair may lose at least several hundred in this process. It is also possible to take hair from the armpits, legs or pubic area, but the latter option, while not yet invasive, can be embarrassing for people undergoing a test. These hairs are combined with chemicals that destroy them, and if the test is positive, they reveal evidence of the use of several drugs of abuse such as marijuana, angel dust, amphetamines and methamphetamines, and some commonly prescribed drugs. The types of drugs screened for may depend on the extent or type of testing performed.
While the average urine drug test will detect drug use up to 30 days before testing, an oft-cited advantage of hair follicle drug testing is that hair evaluation can show drug use for up to 90 days. Evidence of drug use lives on in the hair shaft long after the body and blood has eliminated the signs, and finding this evidence could be very important in any situation where there is zero tolerance for drug use. legal or illegal drugs. As with any drug test, people may have legitimate reasons to use certain drugs which are routinely screened and should present evidence of prescriptions to show that use is not illegal.
There are many urban legends about passing drug tests and even products being sold that supposedly beat drug tests on hair follicles. Scientists believe these recommendations or special shampoos don’t tend to work. Even chemically treated hair will still show signs of drug use up to three months ago. Another benefit listed is that cutting a few hairs, usually about 100, which is very minimal, is preferable to having to provide urine or blood samples. Additionally, concerns about things like exposure to secondhand marijuana are eliminated through hair tests; it does not show up in the hair shaft.
The benefits of the hair follicle drug test must be weighed against the things that detract from it. First, this test is much more expensive and, unlike urinalysis or blood tests, may not detect drug use for up to five days after use. Not the best choice for determining extremely recent use. It can be a problem for people with minimal hair, and some people aren’t happy with having to provide body hair instead of head hair for a test run. The test is also more complex than urine tests and more difficult to do at home.
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